Archive for April, 2010
The Unit
This specific set (the main unit, one Wii remote, and _Wii Sports_) is enough to get you started, but really, it should be viewed as only partial. Because only a couple games can be played with multiple people and one Wii remote, it would be helpful if one more remote came with the unit. Check for prices and you will quickly see why! It’s not really a complete system with only one remote. Most people will likely want at least two.
Disabilities and the Wii
Much has been said about the Wii being used in retirement homes with the elderly, as well as with the disabled. Due to health issues, our family has now been doing activities together that we haven’t been able to do in years. However, playing most of the games in a sitting position is difficult, and people who lack motor skills will have a difficult time with some functions, such as pushing buttons at once or letting go of a button at the right time. Coordination is important, and this has proven a bit of a challenge at times.
Wii Sports
_Wii Sports_ features five games: baseball, boxing, bowling, golf, and tennis. Game play is easy and mostly straightforwardly similar to real-life play of each game. The graphics on _Wii Sports_ are cute, but not what one might expect in a game today. The backgrounds are more impressive than the “Miis” (little personalized icons). The baseball game even removes the arms and legs of Miis!
Some of the “filler,” especially in the baseball game, seems slow, and the filler can’t always be skipped by pressing a button, and this grows frustrating at times. Instructions on how to play the games and what different on-screen icons mean is somewhat vague at times.
What I really enjoy is the fitness test, which can be taken daily. There are little mini practice games for each sport, such as batting practice. Once these are played, they are unlocked and show up at random in the fitness test. You can track your progress and improvement over time. This game also grows with you
Christopher Columbus
The Furminator is awesome! Easy to use, easy to clean and my dog sheds way less with regular use.
Open Web Open Society
The Help is a book written to examine the lives of Black house servants — how they were treated by their employers, both good and bad. The author’s style of writing used the “voice” of each servant to present her story.
2 FT RJ45 CAT
I have a Garmin nuvo 765T and needed a simple, non-permanent way to mount it in my Mazda. I’m a rather “lively” driver (zoom zoom!) and was a bit skeptical that mere friction could keep my $200 gadget from flying against the side window or the top of the windshield at every bump.
I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the weight and stability of the mount. It has sturdy, weighted flaps that feel like beanbags with buckshot, and rubberized pads on the bottom. It sits nicely on my dashboard- and remains sitting. It does not move. I have tried to throw it. I think I could throw a cup up and out of its cupholder sooner than knock this mount off the dash with my hairpin turns.
The charging cradle (that comes with your GPS) fits onto the mount like a ball-and-socket, and the connection is tight enough to stay put, but not so tight that you can’t re-aim the screen with one hand. I can put the unit in the cradle, push buttons, adjust the screen, and take the unit back out with one hand without the mount shifting at all.
It also doesn’t leave marks on my dash when I remove it- it’s easy to hide the GPS out of view, mount and all, when you park for a short errand. I can also take it in my friends’ cars for roadtrips.
All in all, I don’t see why anyone would get a stick-on mount when this is so much simpler and more versatile. It’s a great product and I have no complaints.
Camp Rock Invitations 8ct
At first I was wary of buying this vacuum due to its less than stellar reviews. I think peoples’ expectations were too high for this price point. After living with the vacuum for months I can confidently recommend this as a solid product. It is heavy, but that is because it has a powerful motor. I never had the attachments fall off – they seem secure. The foot tilt lever doesn’t seem that flimsy as long as you don’t stomp on it or force it. It’s ugly, but it is a utilitarian object. I can care less what it looks like as long as it gets the job done. For ~$75 you can go wrong.
Nikon 35mm f 2D
The nice thing about this book is that its full of humour and action, but not the standard knights in shining armor on a battlefield kind of action as it is with most fantasy books. While the latter is fun to read as well, it is nice to get a break from those epic type fantasies, and that is exactly what Artemis Fowl delivers, albiet in a more teen friendly way.
An interesting storyline combined with good humor and a very interesting main character makes this a great read for teens.
Sky Sports Football Yearbook
I’ve had a six brush Hoover steam vac for 10 yrs. and it was time for a new one. The attachment hose kept tearing at the bottom when you collapsed the vacuum. But I was really surprised to see they re-engineered the new one to not do that anymore!! Even though it is more work to attach the hose, it is worth it knowing I won’t be breaking something down the road. I have always been happy with our steam vac. We have had a cat for 14 years and the messes he made were always able to be cleaned up, along with our little girl! I used this steam vac a couple of days after I received it(which only took two days for normal delivery!! Don’t have to pay extra for two day delivery), and was very happy again. The carpets were dry in just a couple of hours. I would highly recommed this steamvac to anyone and was very happy about the price!
Harvesting the Heart
What can I say. The Wii is a revolutionary gaming console that my 6 year-old loves. We have owned this for over a year, and it is going strong. Hopefully a new updated one will be out soon, as some of the initial quirks need to be worked out, such as the buzzing noise from the disc turning even if games are paused. The buzzing didn’t exist initially, but started after a few months. The remote sensor bar also doesn’t allow enough of a range, and doesn’t recognize the remotes if you are more than about 10 feet away. These are minor issues compared to the positives, so it still is a 5 star product without a doubt. I think that for kids under 10, the Wii is the best console on the market, but older kids may be more attracted to the PS3. Cheers.
Daily Inspiration A Thought
Good high speed class 6 card at a good price. I use it with a Kodak z950. Is not recognized by all card readers/computers
Prisms of Light
Bought to replace the one that was robed in the NY subway. It is very good but cannot use it in the subway anymore.
The Columbus Atlas Or