AGES 8+

USER'S GUIDE
Thank you for purchasing I-DOG@ AMP'D!
Instructions carefully before using this product, and keep this guide as a reference.
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.- GETTING TO KNOW YOUR I-DOG@ AMP'D PET =

GETTING STARTED

Your I-DOG AMP'D pet is p a g b g e d in "TRY-ME" mode. When you bring I-DOG AMPvDhome, activate its full range of features by moving its TRY-ME / ON Switch to the "ON" position.
1. Turn I-DOG AMP'D on by pawsing the Nose Button. I-DOG AMP'D will show you that it's awake and ready to play by moving its head/ears/tail/foot and playing a special sound and L D light E animation1 2. When you are finished playing with I-DOGAMP'D. press and hold down the Nose Button for at least 2 seconds to turn it off. IDOG AMP'D will play an LED light animation and sound to signal that it's going to sleep.

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If you do not interact with I-DOG AMP'D for approximately one hour, it will automatically shut off.

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GIVE YOUR I-DOG@ AMP'D PET ATTENTION
3ive I- G AMP'D plenty of attention! Do this by stroking ts face: watch I-DOG AMP'D respond wh warm glowing i t.ED light patterns! You can also press the Nose Button and -DOG AMP'D will make a sound effect while displaying an.ED light pattern. Double-click the Nose Button quickly and epeatedly to hear music that represents the current mood ~f I-DOG AMP'D. (For information on Moods, see p. 7.)
f your I-DOG AMP'D pet needs:
more attention from you, it will whine occasionally an middle LED light will blink a pinkish color more music from you, it will bark occasionally and its middle LED light will blink a blueish color
T e faster the lights blink, and the more I-DOG AMP'D h ~hines barks, the more urgent the need for music or or ~ttention! , gJJLy--gqLL
f I-DOG AMP'D is severely deprived of both music and ~ttention, will get "sick": that is, it will whine and show a it ree en-and-yellow LED light pattern following any user input.
'FEED' YOUR I-DOG@ AMP'D PET MUSIC

Cannect I-DOG Affl

1. Plug end A of the C AMP'D. 2. Rug end B of the Connector Cord info: the headphonejack of a musical device (CD player, stereo, portable personal music player, computer, video game system, etc. - all not included).
I Device ( ~ oInoluded) t

the side of I-DOG

move the switch forwa and to the rear (down) you do this, you will see
NOTE: In normal "Hang Out" mode, f n d n g the tail of I-DOG AMP'D signals it to be quit%and 190G AMP'D will growl at you.

-DOG AMP" Pet To A

'lace I-DOG AMP'D ~ e a music speaker, where the volume is at w Y higher level, and wafch I-DOG AMP'D react! I-DOG AMP'D will lisplay various flashing L D light animations, chosen to fit the beat E >f the music! From time to time, when listening to music, I-DOG 4MP1D move its headlearsltail or tap its foot! will
on how much uch music you
-DOG AMP'D pet goes into Button, and I-DOG AMP'D usic and showing you one
of the following light p a t t w

ECSTATlC

Your I-DOGAMP'D pet is so we&Bd and cared for, it can't contain itself!

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ExCnED
You're "feeding" your I-DOGAMP'D pet lots of music and giving it a lot o attention.

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You're "feeding" your I-DOG AMP'D pet enough music and giving it enoua attention.

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NORMAL,,
four I-DOG AMP'D pet i content. It hasn't been getting too much s nusic or attention, but it's doing OK.

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CDOG AMP'D pet enough music or

LONELY

four I-DOG AMP'D pet needs to be "fed" more music andlor ihown more attention1Stroke its face or press the Nose Button, 2nd play it some mom music!
When you see yo yellow LED light p riff, this means I-D Nose Button a lot

T e happier I-DOGAM h

TURNING OFF MOTOR MOVEMENT
If you don't want to hear your I-DOG AMP'D pet r a !oo n k! t r sounds while you're listening to music, you can turn the motor sound off when bb#G AMP'D is in Listening Mode: 1. Play some music uhfflI-DOGAMP'D starts showing light patterns in W ; O s t"6 your music. FT n & 2. Press and hold down the Tail Switch. 3. While the Tail Switch Is held down. press the Nose Butfan. 4. You'll see spinning light effects to

udng the Tail 5. Adjust the vol Switch, as usu If you want to turrg,H'm motor sounds + back on, lift and hbI@ Tail Switch the up and press the Mase Button. Also, after the you turn I-DOG AMP'D off, the motor will default to being on.

TO REPLACE BATTERIES

Using a Phillipslcross screwdriver (not iml
included). Replace cov tighten screws.
4 CAUTION: TO AVOID BATTERY LEAKAGE
Be sure to insert the batteries correctly and always follow the toy and battery manufacturers' instructions; !. Do not mix old and new batteries or alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc) or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries; I. Always remove weak or dead batteries from the product.
IMPORTANT: BATTERY INFORMATION CAUTION:
1. Always follow the instructionscarefully. Use only batteries specified and be sure to insert item correcthr bv matchina the + and wlaritv markinas. 2. Do not mix old and new bgiteiies or st&dard ( c h i - z i n c ) h t h alkaline batteries. 3. Remove exhausted or dead batteries from the product. 4. Remove batteries if product is not to be played with for a long time. 5. Do not short-circuit the supply terminals. 6. Should this product cause, or be affected by, local electrical interference, move it away from other electrical equipment. Reset (switching off and back on again or removing and re-inserting batteries) if necessary. 7. RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES: Do not mix these with any other types of batteries. Always remove from the product before recharging. Rech batteries under adult supervision. DO NOT RECHARGE OTHER T Y P F OF BATTERIES.
Please retain this informationfor future reference. Batteries should be replaced by an adult.

CH TIPS -e

1. If your I-DOG AMP'D pet is whining and you want to quiet it down, you can tap its Tail Switch in Hangout Mode, and it will give you 5 minutes of peace and quiet. But beware! I-DOG AMP'D will get angry when you do this! T release I-DOG AMP'D from its 5-minute "time-out," o press the Nose Button. 2. If you will not be playing with I-DOG AMP'D for a while, remember to press and hold down the Nose Button for at least 2 seconds to turn it O F This will help conserve F. battery life. 3. I-DOG AMP'D may react to other sounds or noises that it hears, other than music.

II 113 product freezes up or acts erratically, press the Reset utton with the tip of a pen and/or change the batteries.
FCC STATEMENT This devlce complies with part 15 of @re FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the fdhwlng two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference. and this device must 2 accept any interference rekived, including interferencethat may cause undesired operation. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable ~rotection aaainst harmful interferencein a reside& ihstallatign. This eauipment aenerates, uses and can radiatekdio m-uency energy, and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interferencewill not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interferenceto radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/ TV technician for help.
Product and colors may vw-
Q 2007 SEGA TOYS CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Hasbro. All Rights Resewed. U.S. Patent Nos. D537,891 & D536.045. TM & @ denote U.S Trademarks.

ons? Call 1-800-844-3733

TIOERELECTRONICS.com

Reviews of software, tech toys, video games & web sites. for learning
Volume 15, No. 10, Issue 91
2Simple Math Games 1 Aftershock! All Pro Football 2K8 Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Backyard Hockey (DS) Boogie Bratz The Movie Clicker Paint Creativity Express Digital Gaming Headset (OT-8) Digitz DK Jungle Climber Drawn to Life Fishing Master FlyTech Barry B. Benson Freeze Up! Google Earth Help Me 2 Learn Language Arts Review 3a with sports Help Me 2 Learn Language Arts Review 3b with Sports Help Me 2 Learn Phonics 2b - Intermediate Level II High School Musical: Sing It! Hop! Study Hop! Writing I Can Play Guitar I-Dog amp'd InspireData 1.5 Joe Rock and Friends: Book 3 KidsSave LineRider (www.linerider.com) Littlest Pet Shop VIPs Moodle (www.moodle.org) MushABelly (www.mushabelly.com) MySims (Wii) Nacho Libre Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull NBA 08 Featuring The Life V3 NBA 08: Featuring Block Party NCAA Football 08 NoodleNet.com Operation Vietnam Peanuts: It's The BIG GAME, Charlie Brown Picross DS Pokmon Champion Island DVD Board Game Profcast 2.1 PSP (PlayStation Personal) skate Smart Boy's Gameroom Sonic Rush Adventure Spanish 1a with Phonics/Ingls 1a con Fontica SpongeBob Jellyfish Dodge TV Game Story Reader Limited 4-book Collector's Edition Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Turn It Around! Video Journal Whiz Kid Learning System: Thomas & Friends Wonder Words: Beginning Sight & Picture Words www.horseisle.com Zoo Vet: Endangered Animals

October 1, 2007

Shouldnt we be creating a virtual playground?
Peanuts: It's The BIG GAME, Charlie Brown from Viva Media, reviewed on page 12
Toys With Tags, Plus Thoughts on Vista
rendwatchers this fall cant help but note what Editorial were calling The Webkinz Effect the surge of toys with password-coded tags and a URL leading to an online playground. But how good is that playground? How does it extend the quality of the play? Parents and their children will soon realize that while its easy to judge the quality of a plush toy that you can hold in your hands and feel (e.g., its cute, it holds up in the washing Warren Buckleitner machine, and so on), rating the online equivilent isnt so easy. Thats why were spending a lot of time in toy stores this month, buying up the latest batch of tagged toys and testing the quality of the online experience. What weve found so far is a lot of mediocre experiences, and a few good ones. Watch for a complete report in our November issue. Another hot issue right now is Windows Vista. Weve had subscribers asking us if they should buy A telling sign: The Fisher-Price Digital Arts and Crafts a new computer Studio was obviously intended for Vista. But not any preloaded with more. A sticker covered the VISTA label in the unit we Vista, or stay with tested. XP. Based on our testing of titles such as the Fisher-Price Digital Arts & Crafts Studio, wait as long as possible to give Microsoft time to fix the bugs. If youre like us and you cant wait, make sure that your computer has at least 2 GB of RAM (Vista eats memory) and a good graphics card. We found a Compaq at a wholesale shopping club with an NVidia graphics card, and 2 GB of internal RAM for $850. Our experience so far? Mixed. Were continually disappointed by software that wont work, not to mention the startup messages that we have no control of. While were hopeful things will improve with Windows, weve been waiting a long time already. Perhaps its time for more consumers to think different.

The Northern Lights

Its a dark night, full of bright stars, and youre driving with your parents along a dark country road in Northern Maine. Suddenly, out of nowhere, you see a bright, yellow gold curtain of light wavering above the trees. Youve just witnessed the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis a ghost-like phenomenon seen in the polar (northern or southern) regions of the world. These free fireworks are caused when the Solar Wind is pulled into the Earths magnetic fields near the North or South Poles. These lights are as old as the atmostphere even the dinosaurs marveled at the Northern Lights! Ready to learn more?
1. A dumb question. Are the Northern lights ever visible in the south? Visit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2004525.stm The answer is yes. If you visit the BBC news site you can see some pictures of the Aurora Australis, the Southern Lights, taken at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. 2. What causes them? Visit: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/icons/solarexp.jpg According to the National Geophysical Data Center, the lights are caused when the solar wind particles collide with the Earth's upper atmosphere. The particles from the Sun are electrically charged and are drawn towards the Earth's magnetic poles. The beautiful illustration at the right, from the NOAA site, shows how the Earth acts like a giant magnet, shaping the tiny particles that shoot out from the Sun. 3) What colors can you see? Visit: http://www.alaskascience.com/aurorafacts.htm This link takes you to scientist Neil Brown, who tells us that the most common color is a brilliant yellow-green. It is produced by oxygen atoms that are about 60 miles high. High-altitude oxygen atoms (about 200 miles) produce rare, all-red aurora, and ionized nitrogen molecules produce blue light. 4) I dont live in the North. Can I see the Northern Lights? Visit:http://www.schursastrophotography.com/auroramain.html and youll learn that once in a while, a big solar storm can send a burst of particles toward the earth. When that happens, it may be possible to see the Northern Lights as far south as Arizona. But, this is very rare. 5) Do Auroras happen on other planets? Visit: http://odin.gi.alaska.edu/FAQ/#planets Yes. Just like the northern and southern lights on earth, auroras also occur on other planets that have an atmosphere and a magnetic field, such as Jupiter and Saturn. 6) Show me more! Visit: http://dhutchinson.mystarband.net/digital.html Learn how to take photos of the Northern Lights (if you ever get a chance to see them) by photographer Dick Hutchinson. Better yet, just visit YouTube and type Aurora or Northern Lights as keywords and youll see some amazing video. More photos are at http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/gallery.html
LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site, is sponsored by Computer Explorers (http://www.computerexplorers.com). Neither CTR or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, please contact bobbie@childrenssoftware.com, or call 908-284-0404 (9 - 3 PM, EST). These links were selected by Bobbie Nester.

Here are two of the better videos of the Northern Lights. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIXs6Sh0DKs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taLRQrNbipQ

HAVE A LOOK YOUSELF

OCTOBER 1, 07 Here's an alphabetical listing of new products, along with a full review, ratings and tester feedback. The "Entry Date" refers to the date we first learned of the product. The lead reviewer's initials appears at the end of the review. For a list of the reviewers, see page 2.

Aftershock!

Great for classrooms, Aftershock is a spatial reasoning game that challenges one to four players to race to stack 18 colored blocks, before a timer sets off the shaking base. Players press the Go button and the electronic speaker announces the next color to be placed on the wobbly base before time runs out. After you place your block, you must press the "Block the Shock" button to stop the timer. If you're not fast enough, the base will shake, knocking down the blocks. There are three levels of game play, with different amounts of time. Nick (12) played this game and liked the concept. It required him to think carefully about where to place the next block so that the tower would be balanced. Also, when playing against his brother, Daniel (8), Nick could strategically place his block so as not to give Daniel a good place to place his on his turn, causing Daniel to knock over some of the blocks. We noticed that although the base shakes when time runs out, the blocks do not always fall off the base, so they could just continue the game. This may be due to the fact that they never got the blocks stacked very high. The game requires three AAA batteries (not included). Details: Educational Insights, www.educationalinsights.com. Price: $30. Ages: 5-up. Platform: Smart Toy. Teaches/Purpose: logic, problem solving, spatial reasoning. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.2 stars. Entry date: 8/30/2007. [LD]

Feature Reviews

Ease of Use Educational Entertaining Design Features Good Value
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Based on the television show complete with the voice of Jeff Foxworthy, this game lets you compete as a contestant in the show, to answer up to 11 questions to win one million virtual dollars. The game features 28 subjects from grade school textbooks, and approximately 3,000 questions arranged by school subjects and grades, that are presented in a fashion similar to "Who Want's to be a Millionaire" (with easiest questions first). As in the TV show, players can choose to receive help from one of their five classmates and use "Peek" and "Copy" cheats to help them advance to the next round. If a player cannot answer all 11 questions correctly, they must admit they are "not smarter than a 5th grader". Testers found the graphics to be blocky, and "there's no shortage of demeaning, snide remarks" of the variety that could bring back some elementary school nightmares. The reality is that many of the questions are taken out of context or are written in a misleading way. So while that makes the game more fun for adults, the content is not representative of an actual elementary school curriculum. If you like general trivia games and are a fan of the show, you may find that this is interesting; otherwise pass. A Nintendo DS version ($30) is scheduled for release in the fall and versions for PS2 and the Nintendo Wii are slated for release in 2008. Details: THQ, Inc., www.thq.com. Price: $19.99. Ages: 8-up. Platform: Windows. Teaches/Purpose: trivia, math, reading, science, art and history. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 3.6 stars. Entry date: 9/10/2007. [WB]

ESRB Rating: Everyone

FEATURE REVIEWS, OCTOBER 1, 07

Boogie

Ready to get up and dance? Easy to play and sure to bring a smile to your face, this is a singing and dancing game for the Wii that has a very funky look and feel to it. Players create and customize their own "Boog" avatar by choosing clothes, hair styles and so on. They then move to the stage, where they control their player using the Wii remote and Nunchuk. It feels a bit like controlling a string puppetwith your movements mirrored onscreen by your alter identity. The closer your moves and voice match the music, the higher the score. The process requires a good deal of coordination, and our testers noted that they looked incredibly silly when playing this game. It would be good for a party game or perhaps an after-dinner family game. Note that some of the lyrics can contain suggestive language, resulting in the E10+ rating, although the songs are typical FM radio fare. Content includes a nice variety of 39 songs, including selections from The Jackson 5, Kool & The Gang, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cyndi Lauper, Black Eyed Peas and Britney Spears. Dances can be saved as music videos and played back. Visit http://www.ea. com/boogie/ for more information. Note that PS2 and Nintendo DS versions have also been announced. Details: Electronic Arts, Inc., www.ea.com. Price: $60. Ages: NA. Platform: Wii. Teaches/Purpose: music, movement, pitch, singing, rhythm. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.5 stars. Entry date: 7/26/2007. [WB]
Ease of Use 8 Educational 9 Entertaining 10 Design Features 9 Good Value 9
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+, Suggestive Themes Lyrics

Clicker Paint

Designed to work with the talking word processor Clicker, Clicker Paint will also function as a limited stand-alone drawing program. But it also has limited features, compared with other drawing programs. This can be both a curse and a blessing. For example, while teachers may have a good deal of control over the libraries of clipart, the selections are very small. The good part of this is that the interface is very gimmick-free, unlike KidPix. We tested the Mac version, and found the installation process to be complex, requiring the entry of a 16 digit code. Next, you select a project shape, from three choices; a rather cryptic operation for younger children. When in the drawing screen, it is easy to simply start drawing, but getting to the clip art requires understanding the menus. This program is really designed to be an add-on to Clicker. You can import any graphic format, or export in several formats, including JPEG. There are also some nice management features, such as the ability to limit the clip art gallery to just a handful of theme-related images. There's also a two-switch option setting. While Clicker Paint is clearly not for everyone, it is worth investigating if you're looking for a no-frills drawing program, and are currently using Clicker. A Single User license is $99, lab packs for five users are $229, and a site license for 30 users is $799. Details: Crick Software, Inc., www.cricksoft.com. Price: $99. Ages: 5-up. Platform: Windows, Mac OSX. Teaches/Purpose: creativity, art, drawing, language. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 3.6 stars. Entry date: 9/10/2007. [WB]

Google Earth

Have you used Google Earth lately? Since it was first released two years ago, it has continued to improve, with the most current version (4.2) including 3D buildings, siteseeing tours posted by other users, and views of space. Available as a free download, Google Earth is a stellar example of how interactive media can make abstract geographical and spatial concepts leap out of a textbook. Even though it is not specifically marketed to schools, this is a must-have classroom tool, as long as you have a current Mac or Windows computer with a good Internet connection. If you have that, you now have your own super globe, giving you the ability to search by keyword or address, and then zoom into satellite images. You can see the building you're currently in, or fly along a route. You can also view annotations left by other Google Earth users, such as the 88 locations mentioned in Shakespeare's plays. Younger children can get a sense of how their neighborhood fits into their town, their county, their state, and their continent. Other education applications are numerousboth for mapping and geographyas well as other more indirect uses, including science, history and math. Google Earth is free for personal use, although more powerful versions are available for purchase, offering higher resolution images. Details: Google, Inc., www.google.com. Price: $free. Ages: 7-up. Platform: Windows, Macintosh. Teaches/Purpose: geography, science. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 5 stars. Entry date: 10/31/2005. [WB]
Ease of Use 10 Educational 10 Entertaining 10 Design Features 10 Good Value 10
Ease of Use 9 This software is designed as a review for remedial and at-risk students. It uses young Educational 10 adult characters and sport games to engage students in language arts skills and help older Entertaining 8 students and adults improve their reading and comprehension skills. Activities include: Coach Time; Learn the Words - Speed Rounds; and Sports Games and Review featuring Design Features 9 basketball, karate, tennis and skiing games to challenge students. There is also a "Gold Good Value 10 Medal Motivational and Tracking System" whereby students receive a Certificate of Completion for completing each Coach Time activity, earn points in each "Learn the ESRB Rating: Words - Speed Round", and can earn a bronze, silver or gold medal in each sport game event. All Scores are displayed on the Gold Medal Progress Report and a report for each individual student or for the entire classroom can be printed from the Teacher's and Parent's section. Other features include pre-test and post-test program to help track the progress of each student and class. Prices are $25 for home edition, and lab editions are $140 for five students or $350 for 15 students, and $700 for site license. Details: Help Me 2 Learn Company, www.helpme2learn.com. Price: $25. Ages: 11-17. Platform: Windows, Mac OSX. Teaches/Purpose: word families, syllables, antonyms, synonyms, prefixes, suffixes, reading, spelling. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.6 stars. Entry date: 8/22/2007. [WB]

Help Me 2 Learn Language Arts Review 3a With Sports
Help Me 2 Learn Language Arts Review 3b With Sports
Designed as a review for remedial and at-risk students, this well-designed software uses young adult characters, with sport games to introduce or reinforce reading and comprehension skills, language arts skills, and to help older students and adults improve their reading and comprehension skills. Activities include Coach Time; Learn the Words Speed Rounds; and Sports Games and Review featuring stock car racing, hockey, bowling and baseball games. The "Gold Medal Motivational and Tracking System" gives students a Certificate of Completion for completing each Coach Time activity, they earn points in each "Learn the Words - Speed Round", and they can earn a bronze, silver or gold medal in each sport game event. The scores are displayed on the Gold Medal Progress Report and a report for each individual student or for the entire classroom can be printed from the Teacher's and Parent's section. Prices are $25 for home edition, $140 for five students and $350 for 15 students and $700 for site license. Details: Help Me 2 Learn Company, www.helpme2learn.com. Price: $25. Ages: 11-17. Platform: Windows, Mac OSX. Teaches/Purpose: word families, syllables, antonyms, synonyms, prefixes, suffixes, reading, spelling. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.6 stars. Entry date: 8/22/2007. [WB]
Ease of Use 9 Educational 10 Entertaining 8 Design Features 9 Good Value 10
Help Me 2 Learn Phonics 2b - Intermediate Level II
Affordable and full of useful educator features, this CD-based reading curriculum features eight stories and 18 games designed to introduce, teach and test syllables, R controlled words, vowel spellings, three letter blends, ending blends, plurals, complete sentences and spelling. A management system tracks each student from day to day, and student progress is recorded. Each concept is first introduced by way of a flash-based cartoon. It is then reinforced with a drill and then tested. For example, there's a fishing game, where children drag a lure containing the first part of a word to a string showing the last word part. Work is broken up with short arcade games that vary in quality. You have the option of running the program from the CD or installing it on your hard drive. If you have a child who could use some reinforcement with reading, this is a worth knowing about. Details: Help Me 2 Learn Company, www.helpme2learn.com. Price: $25. Ages: 7-11. Platform: Win, Mac. Teaches/Purpose: reading, phonics. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.6 stars. Entry date: 8/22/2007. [WB]

Ease of Use 9 Educational 10 Entertaining 7 Design Features 10 Good Value 10

I Can Play Guitar

Like last year's I Can Play Piano, I Can Play Guitar doubles as both a stand-alone toy and a TV-toy that delivers screen-based drills on note/key matching. The software comes on plug-in cartridges (one is included), and the guitar is powered by four C batteries. As electronic toy guitars go, this one is the most detailed, with a small colored button on every note found in front of the fifth fret--that's 30 total, plus 14 more on the outer strings. In addition, each of the six strings can be strummed together for chords, or individually for a melody. Plus, there's that all-important whammy bar. Sound complex? It is. The sound comes through an onboard speaker or your TV speakers when it's in the teaching mode. Any comparison to Guitar Hero is not really accurate. While both use a "follow the moving note" process, and the color coding idea is certainly the same, this guitar is much more complex, with a total of 44 fretboard buttons compared to just five for Guitar Hero. That's because the pedagogy comes from Allegro Multimedia, which has been matching colors and keys long before Guitar Hero. Other problems with this guitar include an overly animated rock-star narrator that won't let you choose options before he's finished speaking, and a confusing button system that includes a power switch on the back of the unit. Testers complained that the colors on the screen did not match those on the fret board. The fact that you can slow the notes down to a crawl helps, but not much. The process is like paint-by-number guitar, where quick matching plays the notes, sans any talent or pitch. So does it work? Perhaps, but not with the kids we observed using it. In fact, the complexity of the process could create music haters. Fortunately, it looks like a guitar and the buttons are fun to push. So at the very least, you could turn the thing off and use your imagination. Details: Fisher-Price, Inc., www.fisher-price.com. Price: $100. Ages: 6-up. Platform: Smart Toy. Teaches/Purpose: music, rhythm, guitar, pitch, musical notation. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 1.6 stars. Entry date: 2/26/2007. [WB]

Littlest Pet Shop VIPs

Following the success of Webkinzcollectible plush toys with codes that lead to accompanying web-based play spacescomes a similar option targeting girls that uses an existing line of plush toys from Hasbro. Littlest Pet Shop VIPs (Virtual Interactive Pets) is a series of five $15 large-eyed stuffed animals (a cat, dog, panda, penguin, and a turtle) designed to be collected. Another 18 VIPs are scheduled for next year. Each comes with a sealed secret code that lets you register at http://www.littlestpetshop.com to gain access to a virtual pet shop town. The special tagged versions of the animals will be released in the New York Metro market in mid-October 2007 followed by a global retail launch in early 2008. After you type in your code and choose a screen name, you can enter the simple 3D town, that can be explored using the arrow keys. We looked at an early version using a code supplied by the Hasbro PR department and found the screens to be fast loading and easy to use. There are many similarities to Webkinz. You dress your pet, read a daily newspaper and play 16 addicting mini-games to earn Kibble points. There's a hanggliding game where you steer your critter to gather coins, a bejeweled-like puzzle called Water Balloon Garden, a jigsaw puzzle, and a dress-up game. High scores are kept. We did not notice any chat features or other players in the environment. The Kibble points are earned by keeping pets happy and healthy by playing games or visiting the Get Better Center. A Breaking News alerts children to new activities and, as you might expect, which new pets are available to buy. Details: Hasbro, Inc., www.hasbro.com. Price: $15 each. Ages: 4-12. Platform: Internet Site. Teaches/Purpose: logic, classification, some creativity. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4 stars. Entry date: 10/1/2007. [WB]

Picross DS

You'll either love or hate this addicting soduko-like puzzle game, specifically designed for the Nintendo DS's touch screen. Players fill in squares using simple hints to reveal the hidden picture. Each puzzle has a sequence of numbers written in the margins of each column and each row. Those numbers show how many squares within that column or row need to be filled in. Your job is to deduce where each filled square is, based on the numbers in the puzzle. Incorrect guesses earn the player a time penalty. If players solve the puzzle in less than one hour, they can earn a reward picture. Puzzles range in size from simple 5x5 squares to more challenging 15x15 squares. It is possible to create and share your own puzzles using the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. You can also download bonus puzzle packs. Players can also play with up to five friends in Picross-themed minigames. Details: Nintendo of America, www.nintendo.com. Price: $20. Ages: 8-up. Platform: Nintendo DS. Teaches/Purpose: puzzle solving, creativity. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4 stars. Entry date: 7/24/2007. [WB]

Smart Boy's Gameroom

Here's a virtual preschool that fits in your pocket; one of the first and only developmentally appropriate preschool games for the Nintendo DS as of September 2007. There are 12 games, each represented by a labeled item in a playroom screen. Touching the piano, for example, leads to a one-octave keyboard, where you can play or record any song, as barking dog, an organ or a piano. At any time, a child can leave an activity to quickly get back to the main menuthere is no sign-in process or other complicated steps. More structured activities include a sound matching game, where you have five chances to match a set of car horns. Correct answers are marked on a large counter, from one to ten; a great early math experience. Time is represented by moving sliders, helping children understand where they are in each activity. One unique feature is the ability to enter the birthday of your mother or father in a calendar. Drawbacks include an inability to adjust the rather loud, low quality classical music; and some of the exit icons move around the screenit would be better if they stayed in a consistent spot. If you have a preschooler and a Nintendo DS in the same house, get this game. Designed by Starfish-SD Inc. for UFO Interactive Games. See also the Smart Girl's Playhouse. Note that this game also contains gender stereotypes that some may find troublesomein the whack-a-mole style counting game, found in both titles, the boys exterminate monsters while the girls feed hamsters. The game for boys features popular themes of airplanes, trains, space shuttles and cars and is designed for the youngest players. In most cases, all activities will appeal equally to either boys or girls. Details: UFO Interactive Games, www.ufointeractivegames.com. Price: $20. Ages: 3up. Platform: Nintendo DS. Teaches/Purpose: memory, creativity, hand-eye coordination. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.7 stars. Entry date: 8/7/2007. [WB] 12

Ease of Use 8 Educational 9 Entertaining 10 Design Features 10 Good Value 8

Turn It Around!

This is one of the most innovative uses of the Nintendo DS touch screen we've seen, Turn It Around uses just one type of control -- a spinning wheel, to play 24 mini-games. In some ways, this game resembles WarioWare, with a lot of fast-paced action. Players use the stylus to spin the wheel and master speed, technique or power in the various games, and can also compete against friends in three multiplayer modes. Activities include maintaining your balance on a crowded train, destroying all the blocks before you lose three paddles, turn the wheel to crush a robot, time your shot to make it to the green, make snow cones, and so on. Developed by 505 Games for Majesco. Details: Majesco Entertainment, www.majescoentertainment.com. Price: $20. Ages: 7up. Platform: Nintendo DS. Teaches/Purpose: logic, spatial relations. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.6 stars. Entry date: 8/24/2007. [WB]
Ease of Use 9 Educational 10 Entertaining 9 Design Features 9 Good Value 9
ESRB Rating: , Comic Mischief
Wonder Words: Beginning Sight & Picture Words
Affordable and well-designed, this workbook/CD combination continues School Zone's reputation for delivering a lot of content at a low price. The 128-page workbook is full of colorful paper and pencil activities including fill-in-the blanks, dot-to-dots and mazes. The software extends the workbook, by providing and endless supply of selfcorrecting activities, organized into two levels. Correct answers result in a rainbow being filled in, or some other mark of progress. Children color in the words that match pictures, put pictures in alphabetical order, or use context clues like word shapes to complete an activity. A clever visual hint system, such as an alphabet strip or highlighted letters provide help if needed. Cartoonish super hero characters appear between each game; but there isn't any overall context to the games, and no ongoing progress is tracked. This is a one-sitting type of activity. Features include the ability to embed a child's name in some screens (by typing it in at the start), or print a certificate of accomplishment. There are two levels that children can self select, putting a lot of choice at a child's fingertips, and it is possible to turn the sound off at any point. Drawbacks include some confusing icons children clicked on an arrow to continue but it kicked them out of the program. If you're looking for a light, playful way to reinforce pre-reading skills, this is an excellent choice. Details: School Zone Publishing, www.schoolzone.com. Price: $18. Ages: 5-8. Platform: Windows, Mac OSX. Teaches/Purpose: word recognition, reading comprehension, categorizing, sequencing, alphabetical order. Rating (1 to 5 stars): 4.3 stars. Entry date: 9/12/2007. [WB]

NEW & FUTURE RELEASES

OCTOBER 1, 2007

Digital Gaming Headset (OT-8) This PC gaming headset allows gamers to immerse themselves in the game by hearing every detail, both electronic and human, and communicating clearly with others. It features an adjustable noise-cancelling boom microphone that filters out background noise and focuses on voice recognition. It has comfort ear pads and connects by way of a USB connector. Details: Otto, www.hearotto.com. Price: $50. Ages: n/a. Platform: PC Gaming Headset. Teaches/Purpose: a gaming peripheral. Entry date: 8/22/2007. High School Musical: Sing It! Do you love the music in High School Musical? If so, you'll also love this two-microphone Karaoke system for the Wii or PS2. In the game, you try to sing your way to stardom, by staying onkey, and unlocking outfits as rewards. For those who are shy, you can pick up the Wii remote or Nunchuk, and move them to the beat to accompany the singers with percussion instruments; up to four players can participate at once. Because teams can compete, up to eight players could play by passing the remote and microphones back and forth. The price for the Wii version is $60, which includes the microphone. The PS2 version is $50 with the mic, or $40 without. Created by A2M for Disney Interactive Studios. Details: Disney Interactive Studios, www.disney.com. Price: $40 to $60. Ages: 5-up. Platform: PlayStation 2, Wii. Teaches/Purpose: music, singing, karaoke. Entry date: 9/12/2007. Hop! Study Hop! Study is designed to enable students to develop efficient work methods and provides them with tools to handle and process information. The program features a planner to distribute projects throughout the school year, and 11 project templates with information on how to do most types of schoolwork such as research, oral presentations, preparing for exams, and essay writing. There are four ways to organize information including a smooth diagram maker, a timeline editor, a Q&A cards tool, and a flashcard maker. Hop! Study also features 70 templates for diagrams, timelines and cards specifically developed for each type of project and a testing environment to review previously organized content. The price of $45 is for the home version on one computer. Additional options for schools are: $80 for one computer; $350 for a lab of five computers; $425 for a site license (less than 400 students); and $625 for a site license of more than 400 students. Details: Cyberlude, cyberlude.com. Price: $45. Ages: 10-up. Platform: Windows, Mac OSX. Teaches/Purpose: study skills. Entry date: 9/26/2007. Hop! Writing Hop! Writing is a story writing software program designed to encourage literary creativity and help students compose structured stories. It offers tools to help students become conscious of the writing process and turn their starting ideas into real, professional looking books. The software features seven screens: Work Schedule (shows what has been produced so far and what still needs to be done); Narrative Project (to prepare and determine the focus of the writing project); Characters, Places and Objects (to create descriptive file cards for the story's main elements); Vocabulary and Strategies (to create synonym and strategy file cards); Storyline (to spread out the narrative's events over the story's timeline); Manuscript (to draft a story without restrictions while following the storyline); and Page Setup (to add images and prepare the printing of the book). In addition, Hop! Writing also features databanks of random ideas, a directory of linking words, worksheets to further explore the narrative's elements, and assessment and verification grids. The price of $35 is for the home version on one computer. Additional options for schools are: $80 for one computer; $350 for a lab of five computers; $425 for a site license (less than 400 students); and $625 for a site license of more than 400 students. We have not yet tested this product. Details: Cyberlude, cyberlude.com. Price: $35. Ages: 9-15. Platform: Windows, Mac OSX. Teaches/Purpose: writing, creativity. Entry date: 5/10/2007.

I-Dog amp'd The Fall 2007 version of i-Dog includes stereo speakers, and works with any audio player with a headphone jack, such as an MP3 player, an iPod or a CD-player. i-Dog's head bobs, ears move, tail wags, and a paw taps to the music. The tail controls the volumemove up to raise volume and down to lower it. Audio sensors let the dog react to external sounds with movement and flashing LEDs. A life simulation mode uses the LED colors to indicate the current mood of the dog. You can turn the dog off by holding the nose for two seconds; a process that is well hidden. After an hour, the dog hybernates and stops listening in order to save the 3 AA batteries. Details: Tiger Electronics (Hasbro), www.hasbro.com/tiger/. Price: $35. Ages: 8-up. Platform: Smart Toy. Teaches/Purpose: a musical toy. Entry date: 9/11/2007. InspireData 1.5 This is the first upgrade to InspireData, released in 2006. According to the publisher, it includes more ways for students to gather, plot, interpret and analyze data and a new e-Survey tool to help students and teachers easily collect data online. There are new plot options and more than 100 subject-specific databases to use for starting projects. Expanded teacher resources include standardsbased lesson plans and classroom projects, learn-to-use handouts, and database templates for classroom analysis. A lesson plan book is included with ideas for integration with typical upper elementary and middle school science, mathematics and social studies lessons. The program is available as a download or as a disk, and $20 upgrades are available. Details: Inspiration Software, Inc., www.inspiration.com. Price: $79. Ages: 9-up. Platform: Windows, Mac OSX. Teaches/Purpose: math, statistics, quantitative relationships, science, social studies. Entry date: 9/26/2007. Joe Rock and Friends: Book 3 This is Book 3 of the Joe Rock and Friends reading adventure series. This two-disc set features three stories in English, French and Spanish. Readers can select one of three reading levels for each story and choose to read silently or to have any individual page or the whole story read to them. The read-to-me mode highlights words as they are read and dragging the mouse over any word pronounces it. Language learners can also choose instant translation mode to toggle between any two languages and can double click on any word for a pop-up translation. Each CD includes three original songs, which can be played in any of the three languages, with words displayed underneath an animated sequence. There is also a DVD which provides an alternate way to view the stories and songs. Details: BoggleNoggin Media Inc., www.bogglenoggin.com. Price: $25. Ages: 3-9. Platform: Windows. Teaches/Purpose: reading, language, French, Spanish. Entry date: 9/7/2007. KidsSave KidsSave is a savings program for parents and kids that is available as a download at www. kidnexions.com. Parents take on the role of the banker, set up the KidsSave account where they can schedule allowance payouts and offer savings incentives through reward matching and interest options. KidsSave then takes over and automatically records any allowance and reward transactions to the child's account. The software allows children to see the cause and effect of making deposits and/or withdrawals to their account, mimicking transactions an adult records in their checkbook. It also features a goal section designed to teach children to make appropriate and attainable goals. The "what if?" section allows children to project their future account value by experimenting with different variables such as interest, deposits, matching funds, etc. Price includes use on up to five computers in the same household. Details: Kidnexions, www.kidnexions.com. Price: $30. Ages: 5-up. Platform: Windows. Teaches/Purpose: money management, saving. Entry date: 8/8/2007.

NBA 08 Featuring The Life V3 This game features the third and final installment of "The Life" series. In Volume 3, NBA 08 focuses on Coach T's final season, the dynamic of team unity, and the journey to create a dynasty within the NBA. Players can play as each of the five starting positions, and there are 60 game scenarioseach designed to build the skills of a player's created character. Other content includes mini-games, drills, and clutch-win scenarios that help players build experience levels. The PS3 version is $60 and PSP is $40. Details: Sony Computer Entertainment America, www.scea.com. Price: $40. Ages: 8-up. Platform: PlayStation 2. Teaches/Purpose: sports, basketball. Entry date: 10/1/2007. NBA 08: Featuring Block Party Looking for a solid PSP basketball game? NBA 08 Block Party features an enhanced Conquest Mode, allowing players to cash in awards to upgrade player attributes as well as home city amenities. It also features a variety of classic mini-games including HORSE, Dodgeball, Own the Court, and PlayStation Skills Challenge. Additional games include Shooting Bricks, Breakaway, and Elimination. Carnival style mini-games include Pinball, Skee-ball and Block-a-Shot where players can earn tickets for unlockable items. The Season Mode has been enhanced with elements of player management and team chemistry settings, and updated pinball boards will be released to consumers regularly and team roster updates will be made available on a weekly basis for download. Players can alternate between 10 randomly selected NBA players controlled by the computer, or another player in an outdoor full-court game. An Ad Hoc connectivity mode for up to four PSP systems is available, or a Wi-Fi mode for online play. The PS3 version is $60 and PS2 is $40. Details: Sony Computer Entertainment America, www.scea.com. Price: $40. Ages: 8-up. Platform: PSP. Teaches/Purpose: sports, basketball. Entry date: 10/1/2007. NCAA Football 08 Players try to lead their team to the BCS national football Championship Game by controlling the action on the field using the Leadership Control Mode. The game also features a Campus Legend Mode where players can attend practice, learn the playbook, and earn reps as a college freshman while utilizing the simulation engine system to fast-forward through events they're not participating in. Players can also create video highlights of their favorite plays and share them online or download instant classics to their PC to share with friends. In addition, players can get real-time weather forecasts from the actual locations of their favorite campuses when playing their rivals online. (PS3 is also $60: PS2 is $50: and Xbox is $40). Details: EA Sports (Electronic Arts, Inc.), www.ea.com. Price: $60. Ages: 8-up. Platform: Xbox 360*, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox. Teaches/Purpose: football, sports. Entry date: 7/23/2007. NoodleNet.com NoodleNet is a program that creates a safe desktop and online environment by delivering an online "gated community" with controls for parents and age-appropriate content pre-loaded games, books, videos, puzzles, and online activities. Children cannot get out of the community without a password. This could be a child's worst nightmare. Details: NoodleNet, www.noodlenet.com. Price: $40 and up. Ages: 3-11. Platform: Internet Site. Teaches/Purpose: Internet safety. Entry date: 8/31/2007. Operation Vietnam Developed by Coyote Console for Majesco, this DS game allows players to command their soldiers through war-torn Vietnam. On a routine run over the Vietnam war-zone, the player's chopper is taken down in VC territory and the player must make it out of the VC infested region while freeing civilians and eliminating the VC. Players use the touch screen to issue commands, view the map, access inventory and select which squad members to control. Players can command up to four soldiers at once; use their squad to combat multiple enemy types including soldiers, tanks, turrets, and enemy barracks; and take advantage of different specialties and weapons per soldier including long range shot, grenade launcher and automatic weapons. The game also features 20 different jungle missions including rescuing POWs, saving civilians and hunting down VC. Details: Majesco Entertainment, www.majescoentertainment.com. Price: $20. Ages: 10-up. Platform: Nintendo DS. Teaches/Purpose: history. Entry date: 8/24/2007.

Pokmon Champion Island DVD Board Game This interactive DVD/board game for two-four players is designed to let players take on the role of a Pokmon trainer, as they test their Pokmon trivia knowledge. Players "roll the dice" by selecting a pokball icon, and move their marker along a game board, where they randomly find wild Pokmon. They can test their knowledge of Pokmon Trivia by using their remote control to select a question category from the DVD. The categories include multiple choice questions, visual puzzles and trivia mini-games. Players earn Pokmon with each correct answer and build their battle roster. Players can sharpen their skills with Pokmon Professors and train in practice battles for a chance to win the Academy Crest awards for Grass, Fire and Water. The first player to build their roster and collect all three awards is crowned champion of Champion Island. The game is for two to four players and comes with a fold-out Pokmon game board, game tokens and game DVD with hundreds of Pokmon trivia questions and puzzles that feature highlight clips of favorite Pokmon from the television series. Testers reported that the game would only be fun for existing Pokmon fans. Anyone else would be confused. Details: Snap TV, www.snaptvgames.com. Price: $30. Ages: 5-up. Platform: Interactive DVD. Teaches/Purpose: logic, reading, classification. Entry date: 8/3/2007. Profcast 2.1 Designed for presenters who use Macintosh computers (especially Macbooks with cameras), ProfCast is designed for recording "enhanced podcasts" (presentations including PowerPoint and/or Keynote slides). The latest version offers an integrated workflow that makes creating, recording, and publishing podcasts easy. Available as a download from www.profcast.com, the latest version (2.1) allows live presentation recording, synchronization of slides with audio, Keynote and PowerPoint support, RSS generation, and publishing support. Elements of your presentationincluding slide timings, bullet point builds, and voice narrationare recorded, so you can capture your presentation as you give it. Tools are also provided to help you publish your recorded presentation as an enhanced podcast, complete with RSS. Finished files can be saved in.m4a or.mov format, or imported into iTunes. Details: Humble Daisy, Inc., www.profcast.com. Price: $30. Ages: NA. Platform: Mac OSX. Teaches/Purpose: A Macintosh utility for recording lectures. Entry date: 7/20/2007. PSP (PlayStation Personal) The "Newly Designed" PSP (August 2007) includes a reduced price (from $250 to $170) and some other improvements that help move it further toward becoming a pocket-sized extension of your high definition TV. Other changes include a lighter battery, a slightly slimmer case, three color choices (silver, black and white) and a video-out feature for high definition TV screens. (Note that a separate cable is required for the video out feature.) The new system also comes with a simplified UMD loading tray and twice as much internal RAM, so titles load significantly faster. We also noticed that the START and SELECT buttons are larger and easier to find. Other features, including the screen size, controls and clarity are the same. Sony has continually been tweaking the PSP firmware, to make getting to and playing online content easier. Some miner quirks to note include a large power supply, and volume controls that are two small and hard to adjust. The UMD disks contain 1.8 GB of content (equal in storage capacity to three CDs). Younger children still have trouble figuring out how to open the tray and load software. We liked how easy it is to pause a game, and resume later on. If the battery dies in the middle of a game, no problem. Your sleeping game waits, frozen in time. It is easy to mistakenly pick up PSP backwards or upside down because of the unit's symmetrical shape. Strengths include the screen and sound quality. Movies look and sound terrific on the PSP. Battery life is acceptable, but not as good as the Nintendo DS. Our final observation has more to do with the psychology of the handheld experience for certain game genres. We noticed that most of our testers liked the sports titles, but not as much as the console's equivalent. As a portable device for movies and games, the PSP is great, but for long-term play, it doesn't compare to a console. How does the PSP compare to the Nintendo DS? It doesn't. The DS is an entirely different experience. While the PSP's screen is far better for movies, there is much more innovation and many more kid-friendly titles on the DS, not to mention the backwardcompatibility with hundreds of older GBA titles. Details: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., www.us.playstation.com. Price: $170. Ages: 6-up. Platform: PSP. Teaches/Purpose: a portable gaming platform. Entry date: 6/14/2004.