by Lori Cunningham

Thank you to who?Comics for sponsoring this post and encouraging my child to read biographies in comic book form! Please click here to learn more about the app. And follow who? Comics on Twitter for updates.

While at a great Clever Girls Collective event, during BlogHer ’11 in August, I met with some folks from Podotree.  Podotree told me about a new app they were launching soon called Who?Comics.  Who? Comics is an iPad app that showcases biographies various influential leaders of today and yesterday but they do it in a unique way.  To capture kids’ interest, they wrote all of the content in cartoon form.  As a child reads the speech bubbles from various characters in the biography, they can better visualize and understand the personality and emotions of the people involved.

I knew this would be a perfect app for my 8-year-old daughter, who LOVES learning about famous people. Recently, when I was given the opportunity to review Who? Comics and I jumped at it.  I was pleased to see the biographies they have already compiled, namely:

Oprah Winfrey

Bill Gates

Hillary Clinton

Steven Spielberg

J.K. Rowling

Barack Obama

Warren Buffett

Stephen Hawking

Nelson Mandela

Jane Goodall

Louis Braille

Martin Luther King

Walt Disney

Nelson Mandela

and 14 more!

Here’s a brief video that gives you a glimpse on what the biographies look like and how they work:

I couldn’t wait to start reading some of the biographies with my daughter.  We learned that Bill Gates’ mind was a sponge and as an elementary student and he read his entire encyclopedia set.  He could memorize verses from the bible, after reading them only once!  He had an appetite for learning.  When his parents transferred him to a new school he was like a fish out of water.  He didn’t fit the mold of the popular kids.  But he found like-minded kids who were fascinated by computers.  It was at this school that Bill met Paul Allen.  Together they embarked on an adventure to learn all they could about computers and programming.  Both Bill and Paul would stay up all night coding games to play on the computer and learning how to code.  Bill envisioned that one day they would start-up a software company together.  And they did.

I have to say, seeing the funny cartoon expressions on the characters’ faces and how they react to things really adds to the story.  I think back to the many other biographies we’ve read with no pictures and how dry they can get sometimes.

 

Two days later we read the J.K. Rowling biography.  My daughter is a BIG fan of Harry Potter, in fact, we all are.  She has read the first three books…two times!  To our surprise, we learned that Rowling loved to spend time in the nearby church cemetery.  It was quiet there and she found the names on the tombstones so fascinating, some of which made it into her Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling’s mom passed her love for books onto her daughters.  J.K. Rowling couldn’t get enough of her books and she loved to write her own stories.  Her creative imagination was the impetus of many fun games she would invent for her sister and friends.  Rowling tried to take a traditional job route after school, but she’d often get distracted and begin writing stories.  She never lasted long at her jobs.  When she finally gave herself permission to write down her encompassing  thoughts about a wizard name Harry, she began to live.  Though her manuscript was turned down by numerous publishing companies, it only took one to say yes for her to realize her dream.

What I loved best about both biographies is that they taught my daughter that often our life-long passions are discovered during childhood and it reminded me to really

encourage my childrens’ interest and support them early on.  I also liked how that the life dream that Bill Gates and J.K. Rowling had as a child came true as they grew into adulthood.  These stories are teaching important lessons to my children…and to me.

The who? Comics app is available in the iTunes Store for $9.99 and includes two free biography comics – Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates.  Each additional book is $4.99 but you can buy collections (Activists, Politicians, Artists in sets of 6) for $9.99 each set.

Right now Podotree is offering the opportunity to buy the 29 book comic series for only $29.99, which is a fantastic deal since buying each of these books separately would equal $149.99.

 

 

 

 

Thank you again to who? Comics for sponsoring my post. Please click here to learn more about the app. Visit who? Comics for updates.

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by Lori Cunningham

This is my third year covering CES, the largest Consumer Electronics Show ( 2011) in the US.  Executives from every major industry attend this show to find new ways to keep connected and conduct business.  This year’s show was the largest show ever since its inception, with over 3,100 exhibitors and over 153,000 attendees.  Over 20,000 new products were launched during CES.  Phew!

Exhibits and press meetings were spread between the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Venetian hotel and Sands Convention Center, located at the Venetian.  As many of you know, I love my Striiv pedometer.  I was curious to see over the course of the week, how long I actually walked.  To my surprise, I walked the equivalent of a full marathon – over 26 miles in five days.  No wonder why I’m so  tired.

I wish I could say I’m resting all week but we are in the process of moving into my dream home…the WellConnectedHome, a home I’ve decked all out with the latest home technology – much of it DIY.  Be sure to subscribe to theWellConnectedHome.com to find out about the latest cool home tech for home automation, entertainment, and more.

Anyways, back to CES.  I’ve included some pictures here to give you the sights of the show and some of the parties I attended as well.

Press Day starts a couple days ahead of CES.  Most of the larger companies “wow” the press with their latest innovations at this time.  Panasonic surprised the crowd at the end of their conference when Justin Timberlake made a presence to talk about MySpace.com’s latest venture,  MySpace TV.  MySpace TV allows mySpace friends to communicate on their TV as they are watching sports and shows on their TV’s.  Timberlake took on an ownership stake in MySpace.com in June, apparently after seeing the possibility of future ventures after appearing in the movie, The Social Network.

Panasonic also announced that this year’s 2012 Olympics in London will be filmed using Panasonic’s 3D cameras…which means we will be able to watch the Olympics like never  before.  Due to the discounted prices and bundling of TV/Blue  Ray or TV/Video Console packages this Christmas, 3D TV’s  are increasingly becoming a part of home life.  I recently purchased a smart TV with 3D — not because of the 3D  but because of the TV itself.  I for one am THRILLED and can’t wait to see the Olympics in 3D with my family.

Sony was another fun press conference to attend.  Upon arrival, we were all given 3D glasses.  Sony introduced their new line of products initially through an interesting 3D video.  It was great to see their products “come alive” so to speak.  Sony introduced their new S tablet with enhanced entertainment features – what you’d expect from an entertainment company.

One of the entertainment aspects of the tablet is called PlayMemories.  PlayMemories allows you to share content from your tablet, camera, PS Vita, PlayStation 3 console, TV’s and smart phones to your other devices enabled with PlayMemories.  PlayMemories is included with many of Sony’s 2012 product line and is available for download as a  free  app through iOS and Android now.  PlayMemories works by allowing you to save pictures/video to the cloud and accessing it from different devices.

Sony sported a number of guest appearances during their press conference featuring Will Smith from Men in Black (MIB3) and Kelly Clarkson, who sang a song live for us.  I will post these on on our WellConnectedMom channel on YouTube  later.

SHARP’s press conference was interesting.  I never realized that SHARP is a vertically integrated company, meaning they make all the components for their TV’s themselves.  Being vertically integrated allows them to lower their costs and go to market faster.  There’s no doubt SHARP’s Quattron yellow color produces rich colors in their TV’s.  New this year are a more developed platform for  their Smart TV’s and a beautiful 85″ Quattron TV.  Aquos Live is built-into all new Aquos TVs – meaning you can call into their support line and they can log into your TV to assist you.

I loved their Freestyle TV’s which promote mobility.  Want the kids to watch TV in another room, but you don’t have a TV there?  Just move your SHARP Freestyle Wi-Fi-enabled TV in there.  They’ll be watching shows off the Net in no time.  Take the TV out to the pool with you, it’s no problem.  All you need is a plug.  What a novel concept, moving your TV with you instead of buying a TV for each room.

While walking around at one of the press events, I ran into Bob Marley.  Marley was showcasing off his new audio equipment which is sold at the HouseofMarley.com.  I’d say all of his jammn’ has served him well.  At age 66, he looks great!

The showroom floor was packed as business execs, buyers, and the press (reporters/bloggers) roamed the floor.  Having a hands-on experience enables a better understanding of a product’s features.

LG’s booth was pretty impressive, as usual.  As attendees entered the hall, they were handed 3D glasses to take advantage of LG’s 3D video showing the possibilities of 3D in filming.  I have to say, 3D videos are fun to watch.

LG showcased a number of 55″ OLED TV’s which were no thicker than a pencil.  Absolutely incredible, with a contrast ration of 100,000,000.  Last year, OLED TV’s were on display, but they screen size was not very large.  OLED TV’s will be pricey, probably in the $2,500 range, but expect the price to drop as more manufacturers jump on board to produce them.

Ever wanted your picture with the ViewSonic birds?  Attend CES next year, they’re there every year!

Samsung’s booth did not disappoint.  Samsung debuted their 55″ OLED TV’s as well.  Samsung’s model boasts a dual core processor and the ability to process “smart content,” which will be introduced at a later time.

IGN and Qualcomm hosted a hip party at the Surrender Nightclub at the Encore.  The drinks were good and the drink ice sculpture was cool.  The nightclub had a great vibe and a photo booth provided extra entertainment for the night.

Other interesting products on the CES showroom floor included Xi3 modular computers.  These computers are so small, you can carry it in your hand.  They come in a variety of colors and can actually be hooked up to the back of your monitor so you don’t even see them.

Xi3 differs from other computers in that it separates its motherboard into three distinct components 1.) the processor and memory area 2.) display and power options 3.) I/O or special connectivity options.

This means you can swap things out such as hard drive space, RAM, and more as technology advances. They have a separate external storage drives as well that you can add on as your fill up your memory in your Xi3. Pretty slick.

One of the many things I like about CES is the opportunity to meet the people behind the ideas that make it to the marketplace.  I met Adrian Mirando, Chief Creative Officer at Poldera.com.  Adrian came up with the concept of putting a retractable chain on his iPhone after leaving it behind at a restaurant establishment last year.  The phone disappeared quickly. He vowed to not let that happen again.

He created the iKeep retractable cable clip that attaches to your iPhone and then clips to your belt, purse, backpack, etc..  Having lost phones myself before, this “leash” would have been most helpful.  I could also see this helpful in tethering your iPhone or iPad to your purse or child’s belt loop, so s/he doesn’t leave it behind when you let him/her borrow it for a few moments.

Another item I like even more is the iKeep Charger which is the iKeep with an included charger.  I have  been to many conferences where I borrow a plug somewhere to charge my phone.  Clipping the phone to my bag will help secure it better and ensure that I remember to unplug it when I grab my bag.  Love it.

I loved meeting 13 year old, Taylor Burghard, the Chief Design Officer TekChick Designs where “smart is cool.”  Taylor recycles used Apple laptop keyboard keys to create fun messages on earrings and necklaces.  Messages include:

I-CTRL-U

LOVE

YME?

and my favorite, GR8-MOM - among many more.

Her dad was on hand as her official Involved Parent, as his card read.  Taylor really impressed me with her candor and how well she related her story to buyers and members of the press.  Right now Taylor’s factory is in her basement, but she is hiring “staff” as her business grows.  Great job, Taylor, you’re an impressive young entrepreneur!

Well that about “wraps up” my CES in pictures, though I have hundreds more to share!  Stay tuned for the WellConnectedMom’s 6 Trends of CES 2012, and my top favorite products for moms from CES this year.

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