Modernhood - Parenting with style » Technology

Laptop webcam CCTV stickers

Thomas Porter — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:50:39 +0000

Stick one of these over your laptop’s built-in camera as a reminder that we are all – constantly – under survelience. Particularly kids in the US, unaware that their ‘assigned’ school laptops can be accessed remotely by spying teachers. Unfortunately, that’s a true story.

CCTV Stickers (via Boing Boing)

Boy Scouts introduces Video Games badge award

Thomas Porter — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:22:57 +0000

I earned my fair share of badges during my stint in the Scouts – knot tying, rabbit skinning, camp survival level three… What I didn’t do, however, was earn a badge for completing Sonic The Hedgehog. The Boy Scouts Of America, you see, has introduced the Video Games award.

Hardworking boys can earn the ‘Belt Loop’ for ‘explaining the importance of a rating system for games’, ‘creating a schedule to fit gaming around household chores’ and ‘learning to play a new parent-approved game from scratch’. To earn the full Video Games ‘Academics Pin’, they must complete nine more tasks, my favourite of which is number six: “Play an appropriate video game with a friend for one hour.”

That’s tough.

On a serious note, it’s heartening to see that the Scouts (an organisation I very much admire) is attempting to move with the times.

Boy Scouts introduce videogame badge, other badges ask ‘Really? (Via Engadget)

Using binder clips for cable management…

Thomas Porter — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:20:24 +0000

…is a stroke of hearteningly simple genius.

Binder clips as cable organizers (via Boing Boing)

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Piano Table

Thomas Porter — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:24:21 +0000

If, like me, you don’t have space for a piano in your home, this piano built inside a dining room table could be the answer.

If, like me, you don’t have space for a dining room table… you’re screwed.

Georg Bohle Piano Table (via Boing Boing)

Bomb-proof wallpaper for overprotective parents

Thomas Porter — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:47:33 +0000

X-Flex Blast Protection System wallpaper was designed by Berry Plastics in partnership with the US Army Corp of Engineers. Apparently, just one layer is enough to beat a wrecking ball while a double layer can stop blunt objects (”i.e. a flying 2×4″) from breaking through. Ideal for army bases, tall buildings under threat from terrorism and playrooms. After all, you can never be too safe.

NOTE: I’m going to hide this from my wife because she will actually make me order some.

Bomb-proof wallpaper could save you in a natural disaster (via Inhabitat)

Baby doll as Wiimote

Thomas Porter — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:08:55 +0000

Baby And Me is a Nintendo Wii ‘child-rearing sim’ game featuring such realistic playable features as: “motion sensitive baby-rocking, Balance Board support for teaching the child avatar to walk, and the sound of gurgles and burps output through the Wiimote’s built-in speaker.” For added realism, you can ‘attach’ your Wiimote to a doll or grab yourself one of these limited edition releases with added doll peripheral.

Remember, kids, real babies don’t come with an on/off switch. Always use protection.

‘Baby and Me’ special edition includes Wiimote-ready doll (via Engadget)

Google Earth alphabet

Thomas Porter — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:58:35 +0000

Thomas De Bruin has made an alphabet display from sections of Google Earth’s satelite photography. There’s an upper case (as above) and lower case version plus a set of numbers and punctuation – all taken using only Google Earth images of the Netherlands.

Satellite photography alphabet (via Boing Boing)

‘Safe’ mobile phones for kids

Thomas Porter — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:13:00 +0000

At first glance the Kyocera mamorino ’safe’ children’s mobile phone seems like an ingenious idea. Not because they’d be really useful if your little one got lost in the playground (yes, that’s very unlikely because they’re NEVER out of earshot for even a second and, let’s face it, kids old enough to be out of earshot wouldn’t want one of these plastic things) – but because babies are obsessed with dribbling on, snotting on, chewing on and generally trying to swallow shiny mobile phones. Phones, and the TV remote.

But then it dawned on me that giving a baby a phone that looks like a toy (bearing in mind they have a million toys already) won’t stop them wanting to slurp on yours.

Still, they do have “location tracking and emergency alert features that lets you know where your kid is in addition to offering restrictions such as enabling the phone to place outgoing calls and texts to pre-programmed contacts”.

Kyocera mamorino cellphone for kids (via Ubergizmo)

Sony 3D TV: the end of going out?

Thomas Porter — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:39:41 +0000

Sony has confirmed plans to roll out 3D functionality in 2010. Starting with Bravia TVs, then “VAIO machines, PlayStation 3, and Blu-ray disc.” Prepare to rock that wearing sun glasses indoors look forever more! And never being able to prise your kids good selves away from the sofa again… (Via: Engadget)