Category: Gaming (Page 8 of 19)

      Police arrest Korean couple that allowed their baby to die while caring for a virtual child

      March 8, 2010 /

      Prius Online character.Take your time and reread that headline. Yes, a couple in South Korea left their baby – their real baby – alone in their apartment while they raised a virtual child from a local internet cafe. The couple would return to the house once a day in shifts to feed the malnourished child. The baby eventually died of dehydration and severe malnutrition.

      According to police, the couple had been on the run for the past five months after it was discovered the child had died. South Korea has been lauded by web penetration advocates for having the highest broadband per capita stats in the world. With that comes the occasional terrifying story of internet addiction like this one. The country had another web related death recently when a young man died in an internet cafe after playing an online game for 86 hours straight.

      The report at AOL cites the economy as one possible cause of the obsession. At some point, though, I think we just need to hold people accountable without excuses. Unemployed or not, abandoning a baby isn’t justifiable.

      Gaming, News

      Keeping children engaged

      February 17, 2010 /

      When the holidays come, mothers are desperate in devising ways to keep their kids occupied through the vacation. But whatever you plan you almost always have some hours or even days in hand when you don’t know what to do with them. It is at these times that you should turn to Internet as your savior.

      The Internet is an extensive, never ending resource for everything these days. From buying to earning to learning, everything can be done just sitting in front of the computer. So why not use the computer to make the children occupied for at least a few hours a day engaging in learning and fun activities? From coloring to puzzles or learning phonics or doing math there is a wide range of activities waiting for children to explore.

      Online games like tic-tac-toe, dino run, free bingo, Tetris and maze games can keep them occupied for hours. Jigsaw puzzles and spot the differences will not only boost their brain but also keep them out of your way. Many online activities provide a safe and fun platform for children helping them to build logic, memory and language.

      Another way to engage a child’s mind is to get them enrolled in online libraries. Children as young as three and two can also use the books in digitized form to develop a love of reading. Online libraries cultivate the wonderful habit of reading and borrowing right in the comfort of your home.

      Slightly older kids can engage in online language classes and hone their linguistic skills. Whatever the interest a kid shows, activities are in abundance for them to explore and keep themselves busy. But as parents it is your duty to point them in the right direction.

      Computers, Gaming

      Wii Balance Board is ‘clinically comparable’ to medical device

      January 17, 2010 /

      Wii Balance Board. Doctors at the University of Melbourne recently made an interesting discovery about the Wii Balance Board. It’s actually comparable, in their words, “clinically comparable,” to the $18,000 medical device used to help stroke victims with recovery. The Balance Board costs $99.

      Researchers from the University disassembled the board to have a look at its guts, in part to determine just how useful the thing could be. As it turns out, the strain gauges in the Balance Board are good. So good they could save hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars and given smaller rehab facilities the tools to help a wider variety of patients. “I was shocked given the price: it was an extremely impressive strain gauge set-up,” lead researcher Ross Clark told New Scientist. Clark and his team published a paper verifying the quality of the Balance Board as a medical device.

      Source: New Scientist

      Gaming

      Gunnar to release 3D line of lenses

      January 7, 2010 /

      Gunnar i-AMP 3D specs.I did a review a while back for a pair of Gunnar Optiks and was pleasantly surprised at the results. It seems the company has entered the market at just the right time, a year or so before the release of the world’s biggest 3D experience. That’s positioned it well to take on 3D glasses, a sector that is historically plagued by poor aesthetics and a dearth of options for prescription wearers.

      The first pair of designer 3D eyewear will be available in Q2 this year, a month or so later for the prescription versions, starting at $90. It’s a big price tag, but they’ll keep you from looking completely ridiculous, and if you’re just buying them for yourself I think it’s a justifiable cost.

      In case you need a little more reassurance, here’s Joe Croft, the company’s co-founder: “While typical 3D eyewear is stamped from a flat sheet of plastic, GUNNAR lenses are shaped, formed and cut to provide distortion free optics.”

      Gaming, Lifestyle

      Gadget Teaser’s 2009 Holiday Gift Guide: Part 2

      November 22, 2009 /

      Today marks the second installment in our 2009 Holiday Gift Guide. If you didn’t stop by yesterday, make sure you get a look at part one. If you need additional holiday advice (no, I won’t help with your in-laws) just leave a comment below.

      Livio Radio for Pandora/NPRLivio Pandora Radio
      The Livio Radio is a great choice for any audio lover you know. The original debuted with built-in Pandora support, allowing users to listen to Pandora in any room of the house. The little screen makes it easy to browse through your favorite stations and you still get your thumbs-up/thumbs-down buttons for encouraging/discouraging specific tracks.

      Livio also added an NPR specific radio to its lineup this year, providing access to some 800 NPR stations over a wireless connection. The NPR radio just started shipping this week. You can get either model for $199.99 from the Livio website.

      Also Consider: Logitech Squeezebox Radio

      Able Planet Clear Harmony Noise-Canceling HeadphonesAble Planet Clear Harmony Headphones
      I reviewed Able Planet’s Clear Harmony noise-canceling headphones earlier this year and fell in love. I’d even pick them over the Bose QuietComforts because you can play music even if your batteries die (no active noise-canceling if that happens, though). These things sound excellent, last forever on a pair of AAA batteries, and tuck away nicely into a hardshell case.

      The only thing that may scare you off would be price, but for this kind of quality you should expect to spend a little cash. Get a deal at Tiger Direct for $249.99.

      Also Consider: Bose Quiet Comfort

      Playstation 3 SlimThe PS3 Slim
      Personally, I’m not a Playstation guy. Never have been. Never will be. But I can’t think up a good reason you should follow suit. With the recent size reduction and price drop, the PS3 is looking as good as it’s ever likely to. With the recent release of Modern Warfare 2 and Uncharted 2 Sony’s lineup got a nice facelift as well.

      Be sure you shop around for the bundles, though. Some of them are region specific, but Sony is so far behind in the console race that it’s offering crazy deals to get this system into your home. Most everything will run you $299 for the 120GB model.

      Also Consider: Xbox 360 Elite Bundle

      Samsung BD-P1600Samsung BD-P1600
      This Blu-ray player is a nice little mashup for all your media needs. You obviously get BD Live support, but you can stream HD movies from Netflix and hook this thing up to your audio system for Pandora, too. And though price may have held Blu-ray back in times gone by, the P1600 is going for $149.99 as a part of Samsung’s Black Friday deals. Check the Samsung website for a list of retailers and other Samsung deals.

      Also Consider: Roku Player

      Wii Motion PlusNintendo Wii Motion Plus
      So you’re staying away from Blu-ray this year and you don’t want the PS3 Slim? I’d call you crazy, but Wii Sports Resort and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are plenty to keep you busy through the holidays. Just don’t forget to pick up enough Wii Motion Plus dongles for everyone to play along (with the first title, anyway). The tiny attachment dramatically improves the Wii’s motion-sensing abilities, so your jumper from the elbow can be just as bad as your game in real life.

      Get a single WMP from Amazon for $16.99 or pickup the Wii Sports Resort Bundle (WMP included) for $46.99.

      Also Consider: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 Bundle

      That does it for this year’s holiday gift guide. Check back later in the week for a Black Friday Roundup including my favorite deals from the major retailers’ holiday ads. Happy Holidays from everyone at Gadget Teaser and Bullz-Eye to all of our readers and fans.

      Audio, Gaming, Guides, Music

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