5 great websites that let kids get creative
Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by admin.
These artistic sites are fun, safe and free. Explore them with your children to get your creative juices flowing.
Draw and design. Shidonni lets kids draw animals online, give them names and design backgrounds for imaginary worlds. Winner of 2009 Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Ages 5 to 12; shidonni.com.
Devise games. “Fidgit” is a multiplayer game on PBS’ Design Squad site. Kids can also design and build their own games and challenge their friends. Ages 8 to 13; pbskids.org/designsquad/games/fidgit.
Craft cartoons. Kids write, read and tell stories by creating comic strips online, then printing or e-mailing them to friends or relatives. All ages; makebeliefscomix.com.
Program a video. Create movies, music and video games at Scratch, developed by MIT Media Lab members. Ages 8 and up; scratch.mit.edu.
Make music. On Crank It Up!, kids can compose and record multilayered rhythms using pots, pans, wooden spoons and even the computer keyboard to create a masterpiece. All ages; pbskids.org/arthur/games/crankitup.
Paul Wisentha, USA Today Weekend
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BlackBerry Still Dominates Smartphone Market
Posted on 09. Jan, 2010 by admin.
A recent report by ComScore shows that, while the iPhone gets all the press, BlackBerry remains the smartphone leader. December data shows that BlackBerry commands 40 percent market share, compared to iPhone’s 25 percent. And that number does not appear that it will change in the near future. In a survey, ComScore found that shoppers of smartphones will be purchasing more BlackBerrys (51 percent) than iPhones (20 percent). At the bottom of the pack is T-Mobile’s MyTouch (5 percent), Palm Pre (2 percent) and Palm Centro (1 percent).
For Web professionals, this is something worth noting. iPhones are slick, but the raw numbers show that the “pedestrian” BlackBerry is much more widely used. This has plenty to do with the number of businesses and employees using BlackBerrys. That means when planning your mobile strategy for 2010, don’t get hung up on the iPhone. Make sure your mobile marketing is aimed across all available mobile devices and that your campaigns will render on every screen, not just the iPhone. For example, perhaps a big-budget app for the iPhone can wait, instead focusing on mobile campaigns like SMS coupons or something as simple as email geared toward reading on a mobile device. After all, the smartphone (and BlackBerry’s dominance) is still centered around communication and connectivity.
The coming release of Google’s phone should make these numbers even more interesting later in 2010. ComScore reports that 17 percent of consumers plan to buy an Android-supported smartphone in the next three months. With the abundance of devices capable of running Android, this is furtner proof that the iPhone should not be the sole, or even majority focus of mobile marketing.
In light of all of this is a very interesting bit of information for mobile Web developers. iPhone users and Android users interact with mobile media at a stronger clip (94 and 92 percent, respectively) than average smartphone users, including BlackBerry (80 percent).
This is going to be a big year for mobile. Keep an eye out for data like this to ensure you are aiming at the largest possible target.
Source: Website Magazine
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Boost for Green Products
Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Oakland, CA — A monthly index measuring consumer attitudes found that interest in green products improved modestly last month, although the uptick could be due more to purchases in the last six months, rather than those that are planned.
The Green Confidence Index (GCI) from GreenBiz.com, Earthsense and Survey Sampling International
The GCI is a monthly snapshot of American attitudes in three areas: purchasing, awareness and information, and how leaders and institutions are addressing green issues. In November it stood at 103.2, a 3.2 percent improvement since GCI’s launch in July. The Purchasing Index spanning past and planned green purchases grew 5 percent in November, compared to the month before.
The latest figures are a “tiptoe” in the right direction, according to Earthsense chief research officer Amy Hebrand.
“Pent-up demand remains stable, with more consumers intending to buy green products in the future than do so now across consumable products,” Hebard said in a statement today. “That pent-up demand is especially evident among ‘big ticket’ items, where green purchasing is more dependent on price parity with conventional products — a situation likely to change as credit markets loosen and consumers can take a longer view of expenditures.”
The release of the latest CGI figures comes at a time when world leaders are gathered in Copenhagen in an effort to draft a post 2012 climate change treaty. The results suggest Americans believe, by a 2-1 margin, that businesses should support regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions even if prices increased as a result. Just 23 percent feel businesses should resist climate change regulations.
Read entire article at GreenBiz.com
