babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
Will the iPhone Make Your Kid a Genius?
Parents who have the iPhone don’t just see this gadget as their mobile phone, their iPod, and their on-the-go source of data, they also use the iPhone as an entertainment unit for their kids.
From videos, to Angry Birds, to scrolling through photos, children are seen pretty much everywhere navigating the smart phone like a pro. But did you know that your iPhone could make your kid a genius? A two-year-old boy is being heralded as one from playing with an app on his parents’ phone. Continue reading »
Old school.
Home movies sure have come a long way, no? Remember back in the old days when Dad flipped off the lights and cursed under his breath as he tried to fire up that impossibly cumbersome movie projector which was pointed to the bare spot on the living room wall? If not, then surely you remember the VCR numbers which constantly needed the tracking adjusted.
Now, thanks to handheld recording devices and YouTube, everything’s changed. So my kids watch our home movies on my MacBook Pro. But thanks to Animoto, they can now watch them on TV. And I won’t have to mess with burning a DVD to make it happen. Instead, all I’ll need is Animoto and a click of my mouse.
Google's Doodle celebrating the life and works of Jules Verne.
February 8, 2011 marks the 183rd birthday of Jules Verne, known to many as the father of science fiction. His most popular novels include Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days. Verne was a visionary who lived from 1828-1905. During his life, he wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before any practical means of exploring those realms had been developed. In 1863, Verne imagined what Paris in the 20th Century would look like, creating a world full of glass skyscrapers, high-speed trains, gas-powered automobiles, calculators, and a worldwide communications network.
Now you can use that worldwide communications network to learn more about Verne, download free audio versions of his books and dive 20,000 leagues under the sea. Today’s Google Doodle honoring Verne is designed to appear like the portholes of a submarine – one that you can guide by either using the joystick to the right of the Doodle (if you’re on a PC) or by tilting your iPad or iPhone. Continue reading »
Apple is trying to prevent users from tampering with their new products, but have they met today's tech-savvy kids?
Apple stores in the United States are replacing the screws on iPhones that are brought in for servicing with a type of screw that is intended to prevent users from opening their own phones.
The idea is that laypeople shouldn’t try to replace their own batteries, and that the new Pentalobe screws will help them achieve a more Fort Knox-like seal on the iPhones. Phones under warranty by Apple receive free batteries if necessary, but otherwise there is a $79 charge for new batteries. Understandably, Apple would like to be the recipient of its customers’ $79 when a new battery is needed.
While I have no doubt that I’m enough of an idiot to not figure out how to open an iPhone or any other Apple device with the Pentalobe screw, or figure out how to obtain a Pentalobe screwdriver, which is not commercially available, I also have little doubt that my 2-year-old doesn’t need a user’s manual or a screwdriver to figure out how to unscrew a Pentalobe. She can get into anything, and routinely does.
It was announced today that Apple CEO Steve Jobs would be taking a medical leave of absence
When I was in fifth grade, my dad brought home an Apple IIe computer. From that moment on, I never (voluntarily) hand wrote anything ever again.
While looking at pictures of that old model now reminds of me of the Pony Express in terms of its efficiency, it was state-of-the-art back in the mid ‘80s. When I went to college I got the Mac Classic desktop, and I’m now on my third Mac laptop since graduation. I’ve been anticipating the announcement of the Verizon iPhone ever since they splashed onto the smartphone scene, waiting patiently to order mine on Feb. 3rd. The iPad isn’t up my alley in terms of toys, but not for its lack of sexiness. My hot pink iPod Nano is pretty sexy though, so I’m feeling pretty good about my cache of current and future Apple products.
The hotly anticipated marriage between Verizon and Apple is set for Feb. 10th
The long anticipated engagement announcement between Apple and Verizon Wireless was made earlier today, and tech savvy gadget lovers and neophytes alike are buzzing with excitement over next month’s wedding date, which is set for Feb. 10th.
Although the iPhone and Verizon will only have been betrothed for a short time before tying the knot, the relationship has been in the works for two years. In fact, so much has happened in the world of smartphones in a relatively short time, namely the prices have dropped considerably and the technology has virtually exploded. If you have a kid who can talk (and even if you have one that only babbles), then chances are they are clamoring for your phone, but would like one of their own. And chances are what they really want is an iPhone.
IPhones have sex appeal that span the ages. With every conceivable kind of app — from games to organizational helpers to coupons, reservations, books, and more games — they can not only make your life easier, but a bit more fun as well.
But what age is appropriate for a kid to get a cell phone, and does it have to be something as extravagant as an iPhone (the price range for the new Verizon versions is $199-$299)?
Writer Steph Thompson wrote Does My Blackberry Make Me a Bad Parent? for Babble earlier this month, and this morning, she copped to her answer on CNN: Yes, yes it does. In the video, she says she was listening to her kids on autopilot, with more of her mind on her email than on their stories of field days, and a CNN reporter describes her as addicted: the Blackberry that makes her constantly available to others is making her unavailable to her children. “Don’t you worry that you’re taking your eye off the ball, so to speak–your child?” Continue reading »
Lori Garcia 
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
2