1. I’ve noticed that parents are using their iPhone as child distraction devices. I saw this on a recent field trip with my son’s third grade class. One of the moms passed her phone to her daughter so she and a friend could play video games on the bus trip home. Clever!
If this is something you do, check out the iPhone app Tic Tac Paddywhack, a cute take on the classic tic tac toe game for kids. Made with families in mind, you need two players so a child and their parent, friend or sibling can play together.
It’s currently on sale at the iTunes store for 99 cents, 50% off the usual $1.99 price.
2. I’ve been hinting around to my husband that I would love to get a Kindle
. Then again, since it’s about the same price as netbook – and I really need to buy a netbook before I attend several conferences this summer and fall - I’m not going to get one. So when I saw that there was a new, less expensive e-reader on the market – the Cool-er – I rejoiced. Not only is it more than $100 less than a Kindle, it comes in eight different colors. (The Kindle is cool, but its white casing is so ‘90s.) Then I read in the New York Times personal tech section that it lacks many of the Kindle’s better features, feels cheap, the print is small, and there aren’t many books available for it. Let’s hope that the subsequent versions are better, because having an affordable e-reader in green or hot pink would be such a blast.
3. Speaking of the Kindle, from the cool stuff for Father’s Day department comes the Periscope® Lighted Folio for Kindle 2, which features a retractable reading light, deluxe Kindle 2 cover, notepad and pen holders in a complete portfolio designed to enhance the enjoyment of a Kindle 2 in a low light environments. (Think night commuting, overnight flights, and when you need to go to sleep but your husband wants to stay up and read.)
At a suggested retail price of $49.95, the built-in retractable light is powered by three “AA” batteries (not included) that should last at least 40 hours. Or you can separately purchase a mini-travel 110-220V AC adapter for $14.95.
4. Internet safety is on every parent’s mind. If you’re looking for online safety programs, you may want to check out KidZui, a free Web browser, search engine and “online playground” for kids 3 to 12. The program works with Windows XP/Vista, Mac OS X, and Firefox (Win/Mac/Linux).
With KidZui, kids have the freedom to learn, play, search and discover over 2 million games, websites, videos and photos on their own – everything has been previously reviewed by parents and teachers.
Parents know what their kids are doing online without having to physically look over their shoulder. Not only does KidZui send a weekly email so you know what you’re your kids are doing online, but it allows you to share content and set limits.
KidZui is free to all families but also offers paid membership with extra benefits. For more information check out their Kid Features and Parent Features.
5. Another one for Father’s Day (or for anyone with an iPhone) is the Crabble, a iPhone stand which can be used with the iTouch or other other smartphones and media players like the video iPod.
Now why would you need a stand? Well, if you like to watch videos on your iPhone while eating lunch at your desk, you don’t have to prop it up on a bunch of books or folders or hold it with your free hand. It’s small enough to fit in your purse or wallet so you can bring it along to use on the plane, in the kitchen to display recipes, at your favorite coffee shop, or at your bedside when you use your iPhone like a clock or to display pictures of the kids.
At $4.99 plus $1 shipping, you can buy one for Father’s Day, one for you and another for your tween or teen. Don’t you just love silly little gadgets that make life easier?
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