kaboom
Latest
Sling TV just added even more kids programming
It seems like every other month, at least, Sling TV brings new content to its video-streaming service. That's great for those of you who pay $20 (or more) for the monthly subscription. The latest update, announced today, focuses on adding even more programming to the Kids Extra bundle. You'll now find over 200 on-demand TV shows and movies from Kabillion, Kaboom and Splash, in addition to what's been available from Disney Junior, TeenNick, NickToons and other similar channels.
Parenting Tip: Limit screen time using Kaboom App Timer
Limiting screen time is a challenge for any parent. It's easy to hand an iPad to your kids and even easier to get distracted and forget to take it away. One way to move that responsibility away from your forgetful self and onto the device is using the Kaboom App Timer. As its name implies, Kaboom is a timer that runs in the background while your child plays with your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Kaboom has two timers -- one called Play and one called Rest. Play is the amount of time you want your child to use the device, and rest is the amount of time the device is not accessible to play. Each timer is based in minutes / hours and can be set for as little as five minutes or as long as 24 hours. Unfortunately, there is no clock option so you can't set the device for play time from say 8:00 - 10:00 AM and rest for the remainder of the day. Before you can use Kaboom, you have to set up the alerts in settings > notifications and change the alert type from banners to screen alerts. Once that is done, you can open Kaboom, set the play and rest timers and let your child enjoy some time with your iOS device. When their play time is up, a screen and sound alert will let your child know it is time to take a rest. During rest time, the app disables your device by sending a screen alert every time your child moves away from the Kaboom app. These alerts have a Close and OK button. Pressing Close will send a continuous stream of alerts to the device, while pressing OK will bring your child back to the Kaboom app and put a stop to the alerts. These constant, nagging alerts make it difficult, if not impossible, for your child to use the device during rest time. Of course, savvy children will learn very quickly that they can just turn off the timer in the Kaboom app to stop the nagging alerts. Thankfully, a parental lock feature prevents kids from making any changes without typing in a passcode. If they are determined, a child can fight their way through the stream of alerts and turn off notifications in the settings. Hopefully, an attentive parent will notice this flurry of alerts and intervene to take the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch away. Kaboom - App timer is available in the iOS App store for US$0.99. It's well worth the dollar to help you control your children's time in front of the screen.
JVC Kaboom adds a guitar input, dares you to get the band back together
New audio input capabilities are nothing new for JVC, but soon you'll be able to show off your guitar chops alongside whatever bands you choose to idolize -- so long as you're kosher with rocking a boombox atop your left shoulder, of course. The company has announced that the 2011 offering from its Kaboom line will showcase a guitar / microphone input (1/4-inch) with mixing capabilities to allow for gigs to be played from anywhere you darn well please. The RV-NB70 will have all the key ingredients of previous models, including an iPod dock (updated to be both iPod and iPhone compatible), a USB host that enables use of a mass storage device, an audio input and CD / radio playback. True to the original's design, this fellow features much of the same look while promising 40 watts of guitar soloing power. Your next box 'o fury can be had right now for $299.95, and if you're eager for an encore, the full presser (as well as a demo vid) is just past the break.
Video: Activision, circa 1981
It was a wonderful time for America and an even more wonderful time for video games, which would, in a few years, emerge as the most important thing ever. But, back in 1981, Activision, a young scrapper in a booming industry who would one day become champion of the video game world (after defeating Apollo Creed, of course), created a now-hilarious video as a means to market the company and its products -- and that's probably the best part of this little spiel: the products. Peppered throughout the video are brief commercials for some of the company's games, including Kaboom!, Stampede and Ice Hockey -- ads very different from how Activision would market something like, say, Call of Duty: Black Ops, today. Man, remember when you could just go and call a game Ice Hockey? The times, they've done changed! [Note: Embedding has been disabled, so you'll have to head on over to YouTube to watch the video.]
JVC unveils a wide array of ominous iPod docks
For those about to dock, JVC has plenty iPod / iPhone sound systems coming out this year. First off, the company has unloaded a pair of shelf systems with dual iPod docks that each sport a USB port for mass storage playback and the requisite audio input, video output, CD player, and AM/FM receiver. Either get the UX-F3 (60 watts) for $200 when it comes out in May, or drop $400 for the 230 watt NX-D2 with Sound Turbo for "wall-shaking, bone shattering, low frequency performance." (Woah!) For nano fans, the SP-A130 is a compact powered speaker available in the four iPod nano 5G colors. Get yours in March for $29.95. If you spend a lot of time in bed (or wakin' up), the new RD-N1 ($130) CD player/tuner/iPod dock is one-piece tuner / CD player /clock radio with front facing audio input. Available in April. If you want to save a few bucks, the RA-P1 eschews the CD player and is priced for $60. Available in April. Last but certainly not least, the JVC Kaboom! is an iPod dock / boombox with USB for external media playback, CD player (with WMA and MP3 playback), FM tuner, and front audio input. Available this month for $300. PR after the break.
Activision joins the return to retro
A slightly old news story about games that are very old. If you aren't sick of retro games yet, then Activision would like for you to read up on their offering of repackaged classics. Activision Hits Remixed will feature more than 40 games from the Atari 2600 era, such as Pitfall, Kaboom!, Chopper Command, Stampede, and Keystone Kapers. Thankfully, games that feature multiplayer will utilize the Game Share feature of the PSP, so that you and a friend can duke it out with a single UMD.The disc will also feature "modernized front-end graphics" (as fancy as the PS3's front-end?) and unlockables. I would get excited, but I'm too busy not caring.[Via Gamespot]
