Math For Kids makes numbers fun

It didn't take long for my preschool grandson to discover the best place to learn his numbers is on his Android tablet. I've helped his parents pack the device with a variety of programs that mix learning with fun. The latest addition is Math For Kids from 360 Sages.

The app focuses on the early stages of math. Children learn to count from 1 to 10, add and subtract numbers up to 1,000 and do some simple multiplication.

The games use colorful cartoon animals and characters including frogs and dinosaurs to keep a child's attention. Each set has a series of matching challenges to make the lessons fun and entertaining and players are rewarded with scores for each round.

In addition to the Android version available in the Google Play store, the game is also available for Windows phones. 

By: Ric Manning On 6/12/2014

Continue Reading

True Detective on Blu-ray arrives for Father's Day

Still stumped for a Father's Day gift? If your dad is anything like me, he's a big fan of the shows on HBO. I was down with Deadwood, rabid in Rome, wired into The Wire, totally enlisted for Band of Brothers and all in for Game of Thrones.

So, of course I got hooked on True Detective from the first episode. It had all of the elements I love in a drama: a gruesome crime, a dark and spooky setting, crazy villains and great acting by the oil-an-water partnership of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.

And if you have waited until now to get something to give dad on June 15, your timing turns out to be pretty good. On Tuesday, the full season of True Detective goes on sale in a package that combines Blu-ray discs with a digital HD version that you can download or stream.

The package also include behind-the-scenes documentaries, interviews with Executive Producer Nic Pizzolatto and Music Director T Bone Burnett plus deleted scenes and audio commentaries that explore some of the creepier elements of story.

The best place to find the package is at Best Buy stores or at BestBuy.com where they have a full section devoted to HBO shows. Look for special prices until June 14.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

By: Ric Manning On 6/09/2014

Continue Reading

Hexama will let smartphones stand and deliver

You've been here before. You want to show your friends a cool new video or a collection of photos. Or maybe you want to watch a TV episode at your desk or in a coffee shop. You've got the material ready to roll, but you just can't get your phone propped up at the optimum viewing angle.

The folks at Hexama feel your pain. They're hard at work on a new and surprisingly simple design for a smartphone stand that will place you handset exactly where you want it and keep it there.

The Hexama stand is pocket-portable and and it works with almost any phone. The adjustable arm pops up and locks into place. Rub a bit of liquid on the surface of the micro-suction pad - a little condensation from a beer bottle will do - and pad sticks tightly to the back of the phone. Now you have a mini theater ready for the show.

You can't buy the Hexama stand yet, but the developers are putting together a Kickstarter campaign that they hope will finance commercial production. Check out the Hexama website for more details and watch the video below to see the stand in action.

By: Ric Manning On 6/08/2014

Continue Reading