Tag Archives: software

Book review: My New Mac, Snow Leopard Edition

Books, Computers & Software, New posts, , , ,

I upgraded my MacBook White operating system to Snow Leopard a few months ago and despite the changes being aesthetically minimal, there are some significant system changes.  I recently got a new MacBook Pro with Snow Leopard and couldn’t be more thrilled with it!

One of my favorite features on the new Snow Leopard OS is that my MacBook Pro wakes up, shuts down, and restarts quicker.  I close my laptop when I know I’m going to be away from it for a while so nothing happens to it while I’m away from it.  I often work at the kitchen table because I can see into the downstairs den where the kids play.  When I open my MacBook Pro whether it just has to wake up or start up, it starts instantly.

My New Mac, Snow Leopard Edition walks readers through 52 useful projects that will have them doing useful things with their Mac right away.  The book is an easy read and I’ve found it very useful when I need to learn more about a feature or how to do something I’m not already familiar with.

A few topics covered in My New Mac, Snow Leopard Edition include:

My New Mac‘s projects cover topics like organizing music with iTunes, tracking birthdays with iCal, and clipping and saving information from the Internet. Readers learn how to:

  • Organize files and folders by color and keyword
  • Connect to the Internet, chat with friends, and listen to online radio stations
  • Install and update software—and remove unwanted programs
  • Set up and manage parental controls to limit kids’ computer and Internet access
  • Share songs, images, and documents with other computers wirelessly
  • Use the built-in firewall and keep their computer and information safe from intruders

Buy from Amazon.com

ItzaBitza Educational Reading Game for kids + giveaway – this game is so much fun!

Computers & Software, Educational Toys, Gadgets, New posts, , , , ,

This is one of the most entertaining games I’ve played in a long time.  Yes, I admit I played ItzaBitza.  My kids weren’t even around.  The concept of ItzaBitza is awesome..I’ve never seen anything like it.

ItzaBitza promotes reading comprehension, artisitic and imaginative creativity and provides an exciting gaming experience for kids ages four and older.  I was amazed time and time again by how the game responded to my drawings and made them come to life.

Here are just a few things you can do in the first ItzaBitza scene:

  • Draw a tree, apples grow on it.
  • Draw a moon and stars light up the sky and your Sketchie goes inside the house you drew, goes upstairs and goes to sleep.
  • Draw an envelope and your Sketchie takes it to the mailbox.
  • Draw a cup and watch your Sketchie drink out of it.

The Sketchie your child chooses at the beginning of the game (a boy or a girl) asks your child to draw things, including a house and a tree, then the drawings become part of the animation and story.  An example would be when I drew a tree with leaves, the game added apples to the tree.  You can see my award winning drawing (ha!) below.  Click on the image to view the larger version.  I didn’t draw the flowers.  When I drew the sun, the flowers grew! How cool is that?

Through out the game, the Sketchie gives you ideas and little games to play via a little word bubble that pops up when you click on him or her.  If your child has trouble reading a word in the bubble, all she has to do is move the mouse over the word and it is sounded out for her.  Great reading practice!

Itzabitza1

There are several scenes that can be unlocked as your child progresses in the game including a camping scene and a naunted house.  You’ll have to buy the game to find out what happens in each of the scenes!

Buy a copy of ItzaBitza at Amazon.com for $17.99 (current price) OR buy and download the game here.

Giveaway details are coming soon but until then you can subscribe to our updates and you will be notified with giveaway details as soon as we get them up!

ItzaBitza Educational Reading Game for kids + giveaway – this game is so much fun!

Educational Toys, , , , , ,

This is one of the most entertaining game I've played in a long time.  Yes, I admit I played ItzaBitza.  My kids weren't even around.  The concept of ItzaBitza is awesome..I've never seen anything like it.

ItzaBitza promotes reading comprehension, artisitic and imaginative creativity and provides an exciting gaming experience for kids ages four and older.  I was amazed time and time again by how the game responded to my drawings and made them come to life.  

Here are just a few things you can do in the first ItzaBitza scene:

  • Draw a tree, apples grow on it.  
  • Draw a moon and stars light up the sky and your Sketchie goes inside the house you drew, goes upstairs and goes to sleep.
  • Draw an envelope and your Sketchie takes it to the mailbox.
  • Draw a cup and watch your Sketchie drink out of it.

The Sketchie your child chooses at the beginning of the game (a boy or a girl) asks your child to draw things, including a house and a tree, then the drawings become part of the animation and story.  An example would be when I drew a tree with leaves, the game added apples to the tree.  You can see my award winning drawing (ha!) below.  Click on the image to view the larger version.  I didn't draw the flowers.  When I drew the sun, the flowers grew!  How cool is that?

Through out the game, the Sketchie gives you ideas and little games to play via a little word bubble that pops up when you click on him or her.  If your child has trouble reading a word in the bubble, all she has to do is move
the mouse over the word and it is sounded out for her.  Great reading practice!

Itzabitza1

There are several scenes that can be unlocked as your child progresses in the game including a camping scene and a naunted house.  You'll have to buy the game to find out what happens in each of the scenes!

Buy a copy of ItzaBitza at Amazon.com for $17.99 (current price) OR buy and download the game here.

Giveaway details are coming soon but until then you can subscribe to our updates and you will be notified with giveaway details as soon as we get them up!

UNRELATED ADVERTISEMENT

Jumpstart 3D Virtual World – My First Adventure

Educational Toys, , , , ,

JumpStart Virtual World My First Adventure

JumpStart made the first PC games I had for Sebastian years ago.  8+ years later, JumpStart still rocks the computer game world for kids. 

Their new PC game, 3D World, My First Adventure, combines a whimsical 3D world of imagination, and adventure, with interactive learning.

There is a Movie House where players complete missions to unlock storybooks providing the player with a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Skill and activities include ABC's, counting, planting flowers, sing-along music videos, and games that are appropriate for kids ages 3-5.  I have to admit though, that Sebastian, my 9 year old, enjoyed this game a lot!

Parents have access to personalized progress reports and advice from educational experts.
The Virtual World concept adds extra excitement as kids love to interact with characters and feel like they are part of a larger adventure!

Price: Can be purchased for about $10 at Amazon.com

JumpStart World

Age 5-7, ,

JumpstartFive years ago I bought my then 3 year old his first JumpStart computer game. I remember thinking the game was so great because Sebastian didn’t have to know how to use the keyboard buttons or the mouse in order to play the game. He could press any button on the keyboard to play that particular game. From then on, JumpStart was the brand I went to first when shopping for computer games because I knew that JumpStart really cared and thought about what toddlers and older kids want and need in a computer game. 

Now, five years later, Sebastian has gone through several JumpStart games and has enjoyed all of them.  You know how kids have short attention spans right?  Sebastian will sit down and play his JumpStart computer games for about 30 minutes when he usually pays attention to a game for about 10 minutes max.

Sebastian’s (8 years old) comments on JumpStart World 1st Grade:

  • Sebastian ‘really likes that he can use the keyboard arrow keys to move around the town and elsewhere’.
  • ‘Mom, I get to be a real newspaper reporter!’.. That’s what Sebastian said to me the first time he played JumpStart World 1st Grade.  He was so excited about the newspaper ‘game’ and that the interface looked like a real newspaper. He felt so cool!
  • Sebastian earns ‘gems’ for each game or unit that he completes successfully. He likes to check his gem count!

JumpStart World games come with two Adventure Packs and parents can subscribe to updates so as soon as your child completes an Adventure, or at least once each
month, a new Adventure Pack will automatically download to your
computer and your credit card will automatically be charged.

JumpStart World games are available for grades K through 2nd. Parents can buy the CD version or the downloadable version from the website.

WEBSITE: JumpStart