I've tried a lot of photo-sharing sites in the past - Flickr, Picasa, Facebook, even my own cusom-built one, but none of them have ever quite worked the way I wanted them to.
Until now! US-based site Smugmug provides a terrific way to share photos and video with far more functionality than most sites. It's all very Web 2.0, with a great user interface, nice transitions between photos, themable galleries and lots of privacy options which great for those people (like me) a bit nervous about spreading photos of your kids all over the internet for anyone to see.
Uploading is easy, there are a range of upload options available across Windows and Mac, including support for Picasa, iPhoto, Photoshop and Aperture.
One of the best features is that you can upload full resolutions of your images, so friends and family can download print-quality images. When viewing the images on a computer, Smugmug automatically resizes them to fit your screen, using a sharpening filter to make sure your photos look as good as they possibly can.
The only downside if that all this functionality doesn't come for free. A basic account, which gives you unlimited photo storage cost $39.95US per year. A power user account which adds video support and your own hostname is $59.95 and a pro account which enable high-defenition video streaming and the ability to sell your photos costs $149.95.
For me it's well worth it. I'll be smug for a while.
Mention the two words “baby" and "walker” to a group of mums and no doubt a healthy debate will flare up. Many pediatricians are against the whole concept, saying it’s actually bad for a baby’s growing bodies. Some countries have gone so far as to ban the walkers altogether and many parents stay away from the product after all the accidents that have been reported concerning baby walkers. On the other hand some parents swear by them – saying a baby will be encouraged to walk faster and have a lot of fun in the process.
Whatever your belief you might get a kick out of this – the Jump Baby Walker by Wonjune Song. Still only in the conceptual stage, this product sure tests boundaries. The space-age looking bouncer is made from an elastic type material that allows toddlers to literally jump around – providing great exercise and leg work no doubt.
But don’t start jumping up and down over this yet, it’s not going to hit stores, for some time, if ever. Check out other reviews and comments at Yanko Design.
Ever tried to explain physics to your child and make it interesting? Phun, writted by a Swedish graduate student, is a free cross-platform (Windows/Mac/Linux) physics simulator and is great way for kids to understand how things work in the physical world.
Explore concepts like friction, elasticity and wind resistace in a very interactive way. You can set up fluid simulations, knock down a house of cards, line up a trail of dominos - the options are endless.
It's so hard to find good software for kids, so we'd love to hear your favourites.
Just when I thought I'd seen everything, along comes
Swinxs, a multi-functional gaming and activity console designed to get your
kids' bodies moving
and their minds active.
Another brilliant concept from the founder of Bugaboo, the Swinxs will
lure your little computer addicts back into the yard for some
good old-fashioned fun, twenty-first century style. It encourages
social interaction with multiple player activities, and comes with
4 RFID wrist tags for communicating with the console.
This sure is a big leap from the old systems. You can download new
games from the Swinxs site via USB cable - age and content categorised games are free from the website!
There will even be a development forum where people can design and
share their very own Swinxs creations.
It's designed to go anywhere - take it to the beach, sit it on the grass at the park, or use it indoors. It gives instructions, referees, and even cheers
the kids on!
The sturdy construction houses
a super long-life battery. I can see my sons adoring this when they
reach the right ages - it's for kids 4+. Oh alright, I'll admit
it...I'm likely to love it too. Isn't having children a great excuse
for acting like a kid?
With sporting and educational applications, Swinxs is
due for release in the Netherlands in mid-April. We'll keep you updated
on a possible Australian release date. Watch the video
below to see
the Swinxs in action.
Knowing your child is safe and out of harm’s way is of paramount concern to parents. In most instances, even when your child wonders off, they are easily found and no harm done. However, if you are in a new environment such as a bustling city, shopping mall, airport or anywhere that is unfamiliar to your child, there is a chance that they may get disorientated and lost or worse.
After years of research a Portuguese company (ironic isn’t it?), Smart Target, have come up with a device that is slightly more 21st century that the old-fashioned toddler leash. Called Kiddo Kidkeeper, it is a simple to use device that consists of a transmitter that attaches to the child and a receiver which is carried by the carer. It works based on the proximity of the child to the receiver using a low frequency. If the child moves outside of the set distance, it will sound an alarm and a visual warning on the receiver only. The set distances can be changed depending on the situation you are in – i.e. a greater distance in a non-congested, relatively safe area, or a shorter setting in, say, a busy shopping mall where visibility is poorer. A great idea for when occasions warrant extra precautions, but you certainly wouldn’t want to start getting too paranoid and make it a permanent fixture.
