How To Set Up Parental Controls on Video Game Consoles



Returning to the subject of kids and video games, you may be wondering how to set up parental controls on a video game console. Wonder no more. The folks at the Entertainment Software Rating Board have put together a series of detailed instructions for you. Here goes:


Ben Kutchera has a very good article on parenting and video games this month in ARS Technica that's worth your time as well. 


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Photo via RebeccaPollard under a CC License.

Where Should You Recycle Your Electronics?

In the dark corners of every American garage, attic or closet lies piles of antiquated electronics. With the transition from analog to digital broadcasting, it's likely that some old TVs will be making their way to these dark corners as well.

While fun for all, gadgets and electronics are chock full of toxic chemicals and components like mercury. Dump these into a common landfill - as was, until recently, the regular practice - and these chemicals will eventually leach into the ground causing who knows what kind of environmental damage. So don't toss your gadgets - recycle them. Of course, you can't just drop them into the recycling bin, but thankfully the Consumer Electronics Association has whipped up this handy resource: myGreenElectronics.com - which lets you plug in your zip code and find a local electronics recycling solution near you.

In fact, you can search for local centers right here:


If your gadgets still work, consider free-cycling them (i.e. giving them away for free). Go to www.freecycle.org and you'll be able to give away electronics (or anything else for that matter) to someone who needs them (crazy collector types, probably).

How Many Kids Play Video Games?

You may be asking yourself, how many kids play video games? Well, let me answer: all of them. Or more precisely, 97 percent of them according to a Pew Research survey.

My kids are too young to play video games, but I know there's a certain unease among my similarly situated friends about letting their kids play video games. I grew up in an era of Atari and Nintendo. My folks held out against both, but I just went to a friend's house for my gaming fix. Just like watching too much TV, video games are one of those battles some parents gear up to fight, but know instinctively they'll lose. But look on the bright side, those young gamers are in overwhelmingly good company.

Father's Day Gadget Gifts

Looking for a great Father's Day gadget gifts? Of course you are. Check out my review of the D-Link video surveillance kit - great for the paranoid pops out there. Or maybe the intriguing new Olympus E-P1 digital camera?

Jamie Sorcher has a pretty good run down on some more Father's Day gadget gifts on Cold Pizza:



Happy hunting. And happy Father's Day!

Electronics Shopping: Best Buy vs. Wal-Mart


So Best Buy is going to start promoting the "smarts" of its consumer electronics sales staff as compared to mega-retailer Wal-Mart.

As someone who has shopped at both retailers often, I can attest that this is a woeful mismatch. Not because Best Buy has a knowledgeable sales staff (they don't, although your mileage may vary) but because they have a sales staff. Wal-Mart, as far as I've been able to tell, has people that mill around and/or wander aimlessly.

The truth is, if you walk into a retail store needing to be sold a product, you're on your way to a bad experience. With the glory of the Internet, you should be able to access a wealth of information before you buy. That doesn't mean old fashion, brick-and-mortar stores aren't important. I actually think they're vital - especially for major purchases. There's nothing like actually holding or seeing a product in person before parting with your hard earned cash. Depending on where you shop, you can get competitive pricing in stores, with the ability to wheel and deal (of course, you can also be wheeled and dealed into buying warranties or over-priced accessories).

But put not your faith in sales people. Even, or perhaps especially, the smart ones.

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Photo via Andrew Currie under a CC License.

Netflix on the TV

In one of my first posts here, I pooh-poohed the idea of subscribing to Netflix. I'd like to amend those comments slightly. LG said last week that it was shipping pair of 1080p HDTVs with Internet connectivity that could access Netflix's online library of TV and movie titles, including HD titles. You can stream that content (with a Netflix subscription) to the 47-inch LCD (LH50, $2,100) and 50-inch plasma (PS80, $2,100) series sets without a set top box, just an ethernet connection.

You can also access Yahoo! Widgets on the sets, if you were so inclined.

We're really at the cusp of what will be an IPTV revolution, with a number of high definition televisions offering Internet connections so you can bring all that online content from the office into the living room. Good times. Of course, finding the money to buy these sets is another matter...

TomTom GPS Puts Homer Simpson at the Wheel


Aside from yours truly, no dad deserves more reverence than America's archetypal pop - Homer Simpson.

Now, through the beauty of relentless commercialization, TomTom will let you download the voice of Homer Simpson (aka Dan Castellaneta) to their navigation device through this website. It will cost you $12.99. Homer won't simply give you directions, but pepper you with hillarity as you drive.

Frankly, I'm holding out for Darth Vader.

Use GPS to Track Your Kid's Car


I've said it before, but parenting certainly changes your outlook on "Big Brother" technologies. It's in that spirit that GuidePoint's new GPS vehicle tracking product - the VTAC GPS - is so intriguing.

Check out the features:

  • GPS Vehicle Locator: Log onto www.vtacgps.com and track the whereabouts of your vehicle at any time of the day over the internet.
  • Stolen Vehicle Recovery: Real-time Internet Tracking of your stolen vehicle 24/7 by trained Response Center personal for faster recovery.
  • E-Call: In the event of an emergency situation of any kind, this feature provides appropriate emergency assistance to the vehicle's exact location with a single phone call.
  • Geographic Boundary Alerts: Set geographic limitations in which your vehicle can travel. If your vehicle travels outside of your predetermined boundaries, you'll receive an automated alert via email or text message.
  • Selectable Excessive Speed Notification: This feature allows you to track the speed your vehicle is traveling and provides you with electronic alerts any time your vehicle exceeds a pre-selected speed for a given amount of time.
  • Trace Maps: With this online feature, you can review a history or trace map of where your vehicle has been.
  • Arrival and Departure Alerts: Receive email or text notifications when your vehicle arrives or departs from a designated waypoint or landmark.
  •  Selectable Features: Add security and convenience with selectable features including Remote Door Unlock, Remote Carfind and Remote Car Start.* (requires additional parts and labor).
  • Visual Theft Deterrent: The VTAC access panel mounted on your dash is a visual indicator that your system is on and your vehicle is protected. This panel also allows for access to optional services.
  •  Transferable: If you ever sell or trade your vehicle, your VTAC GPS System can be transferred to your next vehicle.
The system will cost $499 with a year's worth of service. After that, it's $149 a year.

Suffice it to say that I'm very, very glad this wasn't around when I was a teen.

The Seven Deadly Gadgets

Ever get phantom thumb, wrist or elbow pain? I present to you, cell phone elbow, guitar hero wrist and texting thumb.

Analog to Digital Video Transfer

Nothing quite gets the blood racing like spending a few quality hours converting analog video to a digital format, am I right?

Eh, I know. It's grueling, gruesome work. But sometimes we're called to duty. Roxio's new Easy VHS-to-DVD makes the task slightly less onerous. The PC version was announced late last year, but a new Mac-compatible model was introduced last month.



The Easy VHS-to-DVD connects to a computer via USB and to an analog video device (a VCR or camcorder) via RCA or S-Video cables. The included software allows you to import your analog vids and burn them to DVD. You can also output them to iPods or PSPs, should you care to. For $59, it's not a bad solution for bringing your analog memories into the digital era.

Here's a video Roxio threw together, showing you how it works:




If you'd rather skip the computer entirely, check out Pinnacle's Video Transfer. It connects your analog source directly to an iPod or PSP - no PC required. It's costlier, though, at $99. Pinnacle also markets their own spin on the Roxio product - the $89 Video Creator Plus. And they too have a video showing you how it works.