droolicious : pc

Amazon Deal Alert: Epson Perfection V300 Scanner On Sale

Chris Ford — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Saving digital memories is a job for parents that (either thankfully or not) our parents never had to deal with. But what's the best way to save those non-digital memories, digitally? The Epson Perfection V300 Scanner is the same scanner I've used to convert many photos and negatives of my family's memories with great success - and it's on sale now at Amazon.com.

The Epson Perfection V300 Scanner is a basic flat-bed scanner that will scan any flat piece of paper (photo, kids' artwork, written document) as well as photo negatives and slides. It also comes with Epson's software that will take your scanned image, correct the color and remove dust and other imperfections. The software suite you get also comes with something called "optical character recognition" software, making any documents you scan readable and (more importantly perhaps) searchable by your computer.

In my experience it worked very well under all conditions. I was able to scan many, many negatives as well as photos without hardly any hiccup.

But the most important thing about this blog post is that it's available now from Amazon.com for only $93.24, which is 33% off the regular price. So if you've been putting off this chore, now might be the right time to start archiving. (Oh, and once you do, don't forget to back up your hard work - but that's another blog post.)

Epson Perfection V300 Photo Color Scanner, $93.24 from Amazon.com.

CES 2009: NVIDIA Brings 3D To PC Games WIth GeForce 3D Vision

Chris Ford — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT

See those two dudes playing Guitar Hero with the funny 3D glasses on? They're rocking out in 3D thanks to the new NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision. And you thought it wasn't possible to look geekier playing Guitar Hero.

The GeForce 3D VIsion is a box that hooks up to your computer monitor (it's only for PC gaming) and works in conjunction with software you install on your computer. The cool thing is it doesn't require any versions of the games you want to play - as most all video games are created in 3D "space" anyway. NVIDIA has confirmed it works with 358 PC games, but it may work with others as well.

NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision - $199 from NVIDIA.com

Loving LEGO Batman: The Videogame

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:04:00 GMT

Even though the incredible LEGO Star Wars saga and equally worthy LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures were serious video games for serious players, they maintained enough levity that kids and casual gamers alike could still giggle their way through the games' more intense levels. But what happens when you bring Batman to the series -- can the Dark Knight (especially the Christian Bale version) retain his brooding edge in a world made of block-people and visual punchlines?

The answer, I'm happy to say, is sort of: LEGO Batman: The Videogame's visuals are sufficiently dark and gritty, and the Danny Elfman soundtrack is a great mood-setter, but come on, this is still a LEGO game: Don't expect to see the Joker's magic trick done with minifigures.

Like its predecessors, LEGO Batman offers a ton of cutscene goofiness, and the game's cartoon violence, while intense enough to keep things exciting, is likely no worse than what your kids are already acting out with their own minifigures (at least if they're like my boys): Stuff flies around, minifigs break apart, and the villains (including some lesser-known ones -- Clayface and Man-Bat, anyone?) stay on your trail. That is, if you're not being a bad guy yourself.

You begin your journey through Gotham City playing as Batman and Robin, but the heroes only account for half the action in LEGO Batman's 30 levels: The remaining 15 levels find you completing the story as villains -- from Joker and Riddler to the aforementioned lesser baddies -- in a nice twist on the way LEGO games usually force you embrace your dark side in Free Play mode.

The game's core features, on the other hand, will be pleasantly familiar to anyone familiar with LEGO Star Wars or Indiana Jones. Besides having the new ability to buy vehicles and actually play them (hands down, one of the game's best breaks with formula), you collect studs, including pieces of minikits, as you move through the levels fighting bad guys.

The AI, unfortunately, is a bit weak, so there are times when you're playing alone as one character while your buddy just sort of lags behind you. As an older, more patient gamer, I was mildly put off by what's now an expected element of any LEGO game, but my kids (5 and 8) often got frustrated when playing the game alone, especially during puzzles and other challenges that require two characters to interact. Definitely plug in a second controller for this if you've got one -- it makes the game all that much better.

Rated "E10+," LEGO Batman: The Videogame is available everywhere for PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PC, Sony PSP and Nintendo DS, and if you pick up an Xbox 360 Core Arcade Bundle at Amazon (click for offer details), they're also throwing in a copy of the game free.

The Babble Review: Kung Fu Panda the Game

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:04:00 GMT

Unfortunately for the often great kids' movies that spawn them, video games based on CGI animated flicks tend to be so generic, bug-laden and unplayable that they end up doing more harm to the franchise than good (I'm looking at you, Ratatouille). So my expectations going into Kung Fu Panda, the new game based off the awesome Jack Black flick many Babble readers have no doubt been standing in line for the past few weekends, were a little less than high. Sometimes, though, it's good to be wrong: Not only is Kung Fu Panda one of the better movie spinoffs to hit game consoles in recent memory; it's also one of the more enjoyable kids' games that've landed in our mailbox this summer.

In a Nutshell: If you're an experienced gamer, you'll probably want to skip Kung Fu Panda altogether. With its tiny learning curve and relatively simple controls, the game can be beaten in a little less time than it takes to sit through the movie. It's a great game for younger players, though, with a fun script (complete with a dead-on Jack Black sound-alike) that uses the film's story as a springboard for bigger tales, as well as a big, jolly sense of humor to balance its cartoonish kung-fu fighting. And just as importantly, unlike so many movie-themed games, it plays as though it's more than a quick cash-in, with actual care put into easily botched stuff like graphics, gameplay and storyline.

Age-Appropriateness: Full disclosure: I reviewed the Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS versions of Kung Fu Panda with my two sons, 7 and 5, fighting for controller time by my side, so right off the bat I defied the game's "E10+" ESRB rating. Odds are, though, that you may not be considering more than the "E" in a game's rating to determine whether it's suitable for your under-10 kiddoes, and with Kung Fu Panda itself being so appealing to a younger audience (in the theater where we saw it, giggling, cheering preschoolers far outranked any 10-year-olds), I figure it's only sensible to put the game in the hands of the age brackets that are probably asking for it. The good news is, at least one of those age brackets had no problem diving into the game and enjoying it -- more on the other in a bit.

Po and two of the Furious Five take on the evil Tai Lung.

Plot and Gameplay: Kung Fu Panda follows its jelly-bellied title character, a bumbling-but-aspirational panda named Po, across multiple stages on his quest to become the fabled Dragon Warrior and stop the recently prison-busted Tai Lung from returning to destroy the village that spawned them both. Sounds just like the movie, right? Well, unlike the movie, the game packs a host of other animal bad guys to take on, and if you thought Tai Lung's nerve strikes were nasty, just wait till you have to rescue a group of baby turtles from the Croc Gang while flying down whitewater rapids and dodging flying arrows. Other levels allow you to play as Po's warrior counterparts, the Furious Five, or as their master, Shifu, while taking on similarly nasty animal crews created just for the game.

Close call: Crane hoists Po and a baby turtle up, up and away from a hungry croc.

As with other multi-console games, your experience with Kung Fu Panda is going to differ depending on the system on which you're playing it. However, even though the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions offer some bonus content and unlockable items , their basic action doesn't differ much from that of the Wii, PS2 and PC versions. Also, with minigames and missions being key parts of the game, the action isn't completely focused on combat (and I do use that term in the jolliest sense here). Of course, combat makes up the best parts of Kung Fu Panda's action, and your kids will have a blast figuring out the different moves and combos for each character as they clobber their way through the game.

Getting Personal (My Kids' Hands-On Experience): Where gameplay was concerned, my 5-year-old suffered most: After getting his butt kicked in a few rounds of combat and not being able to grasp the controls and combo moves as quickly as he'd hoped, he gave up on the Xbox 360 version. Unfortunately, even though the DS version offers a relatively simpler side-scrolling experience (read: you move from one side to the next, hurdling over obstacles and jumping up to different levels as you go), it ended up being twice as frustrating for the little guy, and he gave up after being unable to clear the first few screens. (Poor kid is still just learning to read, so the reading required to follow instructions -- par for the course in many DS games -- usually ends up being a point of frustration, anyway.)

A shot of Tigress in combat, from the Nintendo DS version.

The good news is that his brother, though three years younger than the ESRB's recommended age for Kung Fu Panda, had no trouble getting cozy with the controls and knocking out the bad guys -- although after playing the far more expansive, open-ended and graphics-rich Xbox 360 version of the game, he rarely went back to the DS version. Out of curiosity, I went back to the DS version and found it a blast, and if your kids are familiar with a game like Spider-Man 3 -- which combines the sort of side-scrolling action mentioned above with clever touchscreen controls (in this case, you move with the directional pad and put together your fighting moves with the stylus/touchscreen), they should have no problem getting cozy with this different, but equally solid, version of the game.

Grab your own copy of Kung Fu Panda the Game at Amazon.

Video Game Round-Up: Licensed Fun for Everyone, Part 2

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:03:00 GMT

(Screenshot from D3's new Ed, Edd n Eddy: Scam of the Century)

Last week, I rounded up five new licensed video games aimed at kids; this week, part two of my feeble attempt to crawl out from beneath the landslide of licensed properties, with more tie-ins to movies, toys, TV shows and books still yet to come before the holidays. Hooray!

Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (Destination Software)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Aesthetically based as much on the animated spinoff as on Dr. Seuss' classic book (with Jim Carrey thankfully out of sight), this game puts you in the role of the Grinch -- meaning, yes, you use your DS skills to navigate obstacles as you sneak through Who houses, pilfer Who presents, and generally rob Whoville of its Christmas joy. Ho-ho-ho indeed! (It does eventually bring you 180 degrees toward good cheer.)
Who'll Dig It: Any kid whose heart is two sizes too small.

Go, Diego, Go! Safari Rescue (2K Play)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Like its Dora counterpart, this simple-but-fun game puts kids on a quest -- play as Diego to rescue the jungle animals that've had their identities mixed up by a magician's mischievous spells -- and incorporates some nifty features along the way. Among other tricks, you can snap photos with Click, call animals through the DS' microphone, and blow into the mic to ride a hot-air balloon.
Who'll Dig It: Diego fans. (Surprise!)

Ed, Edd n Eddy: Scam of the Century (D3)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Cartoon Network's trio of tricksters lose their trusty scammer's playbook to the neighborhood kids, spending the game's 13 levels tasting their own medicine while uncovering special items and abilities, unlocking minigames, and ultimately recovering the Book of Scams from the dreaded Captain MelonHead.
Who'll Dig It: Fans of the series, obviously (the loose, scribbly animation stays true to the toon's image), although you don't need to be an Ed-head to enjoy the mischief here.

Hot Wheels: Beat That! (Activision)
Available For: Xbox 360, PS2, DS, PC
The Deal: No surprises from the umpteenth Hot Wheels spinoff, although kids won't care: Race through five competitive modes, compete against friends via the multiplayer option, and get special codes (or, just visit the site above to grab 'em) to unlock bonus vehicles. Cool points, however, for recreating the feel of a bedroom track, complete with other toys to dodge and high-speed action beneath the floorboards.
Who'll Dig It: My 7-year-old is a good barometer for most any Hot Wheels game, so let's ask him: Loud noises? Fast cars? Cool-looking tracks? Gold. If you're serious about racing games, skip it.

Shrek: Ogres & Dronkeys (Activision)
Available For: DS
The Deal: In this Shrek-themed spin on the Nintendogs idea, you train and raise your ogre or dronkey offspring, play games (blocks, catch) to sharpen their reflexes and earn bonus items, and finally send the wee beasties into the world for adventures and interaction with other characters from the series.
Who'll Dig It: Any kid who's a fan of train-'em, play-'em-style gaming -- we parents already have our hands full with real monsters.

HP TouchSmart PC: Computers Designed for Families

modmom — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 11:02:00 GMT

A computer screen that's okay for your kids to write on? Get in touch with technology + keep your family connected, organized + entertained with the HP TouchSmart PC. Touch the screen to get instant access to the internet, television, music, movies, photos, family schedules + information on your PC. It’s easy enough for the whole family to use. Manage your family’s schedule by updating calendar events + creating your choice of voice, written or typed messages. The 19" flat panel monitor space-saving all-in-one design looks great in any décor. ($1,849 here) See it live! Click here to watch the video!