My Tech Talk

Technology and children.  Welcome to my world.

As a father of four young children and an avid user of technology, I’m always on the look out for toys and electronics that will educate, entertain and inspire.

My 3 year olds enjoy playing online games (must be genetic) on nickjr and pbskids, but that requires immense parental involvement navigating to those sites and through the different games.

To help parents, I’ve added an “Electronics for Kids” product page in the MyTechTalk Amazon Store.  It is filled with toys and games from Leapfrog, Fisher-Price, vTech, Hooked on Phonics and other reputable toy makers.

To view the kids electronics I’ve listed in the store - including a learning radio, laugh n’ learn laptop, talking  Smart Sticks and kid tough DVD players -  follow 2  steps:

1. Click this link to visit the MyTechTalk Amazon Store
2. Once in the store, click the “Electronics for Kids” link under the “Browse by Category” header.

Some of these toys are already enjoyed by my kids while others will likely find their way down the chimney on Christmas or wrapped up for a birthday.  In other words, I either bought these for my own kids or would like to at some point.  These items also received favorable reviews from customers on Amazon.

Your feedback and comments are always welcome.

Happy Shopping!

I love reading the comics in the newspaper. However, I have one slight problem: I don’t subscribe to a newspaper. And, I’m not alone. Newspaper subscriptions have plummeted and some comic strip creators have taken notice and taken action, most notably, Berkeley Breathed.

Sadly, he has chosen to end his beloved “Opus” comic. You can read about the end of the Opus comic in a letter Mr. Breathed posted on his web site. Here’s what was written in a San Francisco Chronicle article by a reporter who interviewed Breathed recently:

After he brought Opus back in 2003, he noticed that his core audience - readers 13 to 30 - was no longer reading the newspaper. “It wasn’t just that the market had shrunk and some readers had left,” he said. “They had virtually disappeared. “I hadn’t appreciated that until I came back and realized that if I strolled into a college campus after three years of doing my strip, no one had ever read it….Breathed thinks comics will be left behind when newspapers go “fully digital.”

(You can click here to read the full article by Regan McMahon, published on 10/27/08: Berkeley Breathed’s Opus Bows Out.)

Comics.com has helped carry the comic strip torch into the online world. Recently, the web site received a Web 2.0 makeover which will help comic strip fans share their favorite funnies via social bookmarks and RSS for free.

With web sites like this, I hope that comics continue to tickle the funny bone long after newspapers have gone “fully digital.” We could all use the laughs, especially in these dreary economic times.

Below is one of the final Opus comics, courtesy of the new Comics.com web site.

If you’d like to find a farm for picking your own fruits and vegetables anywhere in the USA, visit this web site: PickYourOwn.org.

My long time friend, actor Hal B. Klein, posted a link to this web site on Facebook the other day and I thought it was worth sharing too. Hal also has a love of food and you should read about his culinary exploits on his blog: This Man’s Kitchen.

You can also locate pumpkin patches and Christmas tree farms, if you like chopping down your own tree.

This is a great idea for an inexpensive and educational family outing that also helps support local farmers in your area. You’ll also find tips on picking the best produce, as well as canning and preserving.

Halloween is almost here and these 5 technology gadgets–from laser lights to voice changers– can help you enjoy your annual encounter with ghosts, goblins and gruesome ghouls.

Sun and Moon Jars from ThinkGeek

Solar powered light source in a jar, blue for moon or orange for sun. It is spooky on its own, but could also be place inside a Jack-o-Lantern for high tech illumination.

Sharx Security Wireless Outdoor Camera System

This wireless, waterproof and color security camera can help you monitor your yard and front door for any unsavory Halloween tricks.

Key Chain Voice Changer

This is a fun little gadget that you can take with you while trick or treating with your kids.

Pocket Laser Light Show

I’m not 100% sure of the best way to use this for Halloween, but I know it would be festive. Perhaps in a jack-o-lantern or incorporated into spooky decorations?

Coleman Kids LED Flashlight

This flashlight will help keep your kids safe while trick or treating. It comes a lanyard and a light show feature for added fun.

Happy Halloween! Have fun and be safe.

An Ode to Hands-Free Driving in California

California drivers, July 1^st is here!

Get that cell phone out of your ear!

Hands free is the way to be

Or you’ll get fined by the CHP

If you want to drive hands free

A BLUETOOTH ear piece is the key

Driving and dialing just isn’t shrewd

(Not to mention a tiny bit rude)

But take heart, Dear Drivers

Don’t feel vexed

The law still allows you to text!

(That’s it. This agonizing poem is done. Thanks for reading. Rhyming is fun.)

Get answers to the FAQs about the law from the California DMV.

While doing some blog surfing yesterday, I came across Yousef’s post about PimpMySearch.

PimpMySearch is a fun, simple site that let’s you create a graphic in the Google style.

How? Type in any word(s) you want and they’ll be google-ized instantly.

You can then save the graphic as a JPEG file by right-clicking on the image.

For example:

Try it. You know you want to.

Oh, did I mention it is free?

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’ S DAY!  If you’re looking for a wee bit o’ fun, try transforming yourself into one of Ireland’s beloved Leprechaun’s.

In the spirit, of ElfYourself and ScroogeYourself, this free web site should be called LeprechaunYourself.   Like the first two, this one is also sponsored by a corporation (Irish Spring, of course) and may be slow during periods of high Internet traffic.

Upload a photo to this web site and see how you’d look as a Leprechaun:

http://www.colgate.com/app/IrishSpring/US/EN/Bodywash/GetIrishNow/Microsite/Shenanigans/Turn-Irish-Now.cvsp

 P.S.  Just for today, feel free to add an O’ to the front of your name and enjoy your favorite green beverage.

Happy Holidays!

If you’d like a quick laugh, try turning yourself into an elf or a Scrooge by using ElfYourself or ScroogeYourself. (Note for 2008: Scroogeyourself.com is currently re-directing to ElfYourself. Perhaps it is a budget cut due to the struggling economy?)

These sites allow you to paste photos onto the bodies of singing and dancing elves or “Scrooges” who will then do an energetic little song and dance number for your amusement. The service is free, sponsored by OfficeMax and powered by Jib Jab, so you can expect a few ads and a little branding too.

All in all, it is quick and easy to do and definitely fun. You just upload a photo, use the tools on the web site to resize your photo onto an elf’s body and you’re done! You can then copy a link and paste it into an email or a blog.

The web site does get busy, so you may experience occasional problems accessing the site. It’s popular and it’s free so it may not load up during periods of high Internet traffic.

Create a free Wanted Poster online at GlassGiant.com.

You can customize the name, reward $$ and crime that they’re wanted for. Oh, and upload your own photo of course.

Lots of fun and easy to do! You can create one in minutes and save it as a photo file.

Enjoy!

Have you ever imagined, for just a moment, that Google and Yahoo didn’t exist? Blasphemy? Hardly, but it is an interesting thought.

I decided to step outside of my comfortable search engine routine to see what existed outside the Yahooniverse and the Land of Google.

My quest quickly led me to Charles Knight’s archived article from February 2007 on the Top 100 Alternative Search Engines.

Naturally, with a title like that, Charles has done most of the work for me. I simply cherry picked from his list a few of the alternative search engines that sounded interesting and tested them out for myself.

Here’s a list of 7 alternative search engines that I enjoyed:

LivePlasma.com - niche search engine for entertainment information on bands, movies, actors and directors Displays the info on a visually appealing map.

See a sample.

The goal is to help you find info on an artist and also show you other bands, artists, movies or actors with similar qualities that you may enjoy.
You can email your info maps to friends.

Pipl.com - a dedicated People search!

Google-esque in its simple look, Pipl asks you to type in a person’s name and location to find info about them. I searched for my friend’s name and it showed the address of each of his last two residences, his LinkedIn profile and a court case record from 1999 from the Superior Court of California for a speeding ticket! D’oh.

This engine may be a little too good.

Askvox.com - Would you like a talking avatar to read you answers?
Then this is the site for you! In addition to displaying search results, it will also try to locate an exact answer to your question. If it can find an answer, the avatar will read it to you.It’s more for fun than anything else, but it’s a fresh take on searching.

For Example:
I typed in a quote from the Tim Burton Batman movie, in which the Joker asks, “Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?”Well, Askvox.com had an answer for me which I found amusing. It doesn’t always have an answer though….but it doesn’t hurt to ask the question.

MsDewey.com -Would you like an attractive woman (not an avatar) with attitude to talk to you while you search?
This is quite possibly the most original search engine going right now.

Just try it.

You’ll be in for a treat.

IceRocket.com - a search engine dedicated to blogs!

Searchbot.net - create your own robot to help you search for answers!
It’s fun to build a robot, but I’m not sure if I’ll continue to use it once that novelty wears off.

With my quest complete, I’ll now return to reality and tell you about a nifty new search from Yahoo. This search engine of theirs allows you use a horizontal slider bar to re-prioritize search results based on either commercial (i.e. shopping) or research (i.e. info). I thought it was an innovative and effective enhancement to the search results page.

Try it for yourself! It’s called Mindset.

All in all, I had fun using these alternative search engines and will likely use several again in the future.

Do you have a favorite search engine?

It is Friday, so it’s time for a little fun!

What can be more fun that turning photos of yourself, your friends or family members into Simpson-style characters?

I simpsonized myself (see above) so now I know what I’d look like in Homer’s world.

I highly encourage you to try it yourself. The web site is Simpsonizeme.com. Yes, it is sponsored by Burger King. No, you don’t have to enjoy fast food to use it.

It’s just good old-fashioned, high tech fun. And free, of course.

You can even save or email your creations to friends and family.

It’s a blast!

Looking for a way to jazz up your business cards? Want to make a memorable “save the date” card for your wedding? Look no further than moo.com.

Their web service allows you to make cards by uploading your own photos or choosing from a large selection of stock photos like nature scenes, puppy dogs, flowers, buildings, city scenes, etc. The cards are quite unique, especially if you’re using your own photos.

The MiniCard size is distinctive too….it’s only half the size of a standard business card. I’d equate it to the size of a stick of gum. Sadly, I don’t have a stick of gum to conduct an official measurement, but it’s in the ballpark. The site lists the miniCard size as 20mm x 70mm. Living in the last non-metric measuring country on our blue marble of a planet, those numbers don’t mean much to me.

One side of the card is the photo……..the other side is your contact info or message. You can order a pack of 100 cards (cost $19.99 + shipping) and select multiple photos for your cards. That’s what I did when I bought some. Variety is more fun anyway, right?

If the MiniCard is too Mini for you, then you may want to look at their NoteCard size instead.

Some people are getting very creative with the cards. Click here for a fun example listed on Moo’s site.

If you’re starting a business and want to be remembered, planning an event or just want to get a bit creative, try Moo.com. I think they’d be great for musicians, actors and artists too. Oh, and read their blog for more Moo.