Social Media and Peer Pressure

In recent years, the means by which society interacts has changed drastically. Forty years ago, talking to someone halfway around the world was inconvenient and costly and required careful scheduling to be certain that the two parties were both available. Now, a person only has to sign onto a computer and go online to chat with someone on the other side of the globe. While the most popular methods of social interaction for children and teens may well have changed, one aspect of such interaction that has not changed is that of peer pressure. Continue reading

Rhapsody Premier (Plus) Product Review

Over the years, due to the availability of cheap digital storage, I have been able to do away with the clutter of DVD boxes in my living room and CD cases in the car. Additionally, I can access my music and movie collection anywhere in the house, with no more looking for physical media. That said, my families collection is far too large to put it all on our portable media devices, and my employer frowns upon storing music on the company drives. Continue reading

Don’t Forget the Comic Books

I cannot stress enough how important reading is! If you can get your little geeks interested in reading early, you will be doing them a tremendous favor. Their reading skills will be ahead of their class, their motivation to learn will increase, and their confidence will be off the scale. Comics are a great way to get your little geeks interested in reading and explore new and interesting stories with dynamic characters and interesting plots! Continue reading

Starring John Wayne as Professor Dumbledoor

Fantasy is the new western. The guys in the black hats have been replaced by the army with black clouds overhead. But is all this fantasy stuff really good for kids? I will state emphatically that it is! Just as I learned from westerns a thing or two about honor and fighting for your beliefs against seemingly insurmountable odds, my son has learned the same from fantasy. Continue reading

Raising a Well-Rounded Geek

As a self-professed geek, my three sons might as well have been born with dice in one hand and a video game controller in the other. From a very early age, they were playing all sorts of board games and video games. They are very comfortable with the geek gaming culture and all three still embrace it. However, I also wanted to make sure they were exposed to other experiences besides gaming in order to help them be well-rounded individuals. Continue reading

Educational Application Using Augmented Reality Worth Looking Into

“Augmented Reality” (AR) is a concept described as an extension of Virtual Reality that blends both real-world and computer generated images. In this way, a user can interface with computer generated objects through the use of real-world objects coded so a computer can recognize and enable the interaction. My son had a blast with a new and free AR game! Based on his enthusiasm to play, I hope we see more educational games using this sort of technology. Continue reading

War on Diapers: A Febreze Air Freshener Review

I’ve been changing diapers for years and years, it seems. My wife and I have tried them all and have worked our diaper changing tactics to near Ninja like perfection. One aspect of the dirty diaper we have never really been able to conquer is the lingering odor. When I was given a chance to try a new air freshener, I couldn’t pass on the opportunity. Have I finally found my odor blocking champion or will I remain forever at the mercy of the linger stink? Continue reading