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Willow's CES booth will double as a safe space for breast-pumping moms
CES is just around the corner and that means two things: the opportunity to get up close and personal with exciting new tech, and horrifyingly long lines for the men's bathroom. It's no secret that tech is still a very male-dominated industry, and to highlight the inequality that continues to abound, breast pump brand Willow is aiming to replicate the famous bathroom queues at its booth, which it is turning into a comfortable pumping space for conference-going moms.
The Daily Grind: Does your mom play video games?
Hey you! It's Mother's Day! What are you doing reading Massively when you should be calling your mom? In honor of moms everywhere, and with a tip of the hat to our comrades at Joystiq, we're pre-empting your regularly scheduled dose of Daily Grind snark in favor of mom-related questions. Does your mom play video games? Do you, as a mom, play video games? Let us know, and happy Mother's Day. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Hospital uses iPads to help moms stay in contact with newborns
As part of a program called BabyTime, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles recently deployed iPads in its neonatal intensive care unit to enable mothers to see their newborns and interact with hospital staff when they can't do so in person. Infants are typically placed in the NICU when they are born prematurely or have other complications that require specialized care and supervision. In some circumstances, the condition of the mother might preclude her from being allowed or able enough to visit her newborn in the NICU. Such scenarios might arise when a new mother has post-operative complications, an infection which may pose a risk to the newborn or is otherwise not yet well enough to leave her bed. Cedars-Sinai notes that approximately 20 to 30 percent of new mothers who undergo C-sections "do not feel well enough to travel from their bed in the Labor and Delivery unit to the NICU for the first 24 to 48 hours." With the iPad, however, these mothers can now see their newborn and, just as importantly, interact with the nurses and doctors keeping an eye on their baby. All in all, it's a great way to keep patients more involved and informed while also adding an overall sense of comfort to what can otherwise be a stressful and worrisome situation. Charles F. Simmons Jr., MD, who chairs the Cedars-Sinai Department of Pediatrics, touted the new program in a press release: BabyTime will help bridge communication with the family and the baby's medical team and is an excellent use of technology to help new mothers bond with their babies, even when they cannot be physically at their babies' bedside. When doctors and nurses are treating a newborn in the NICU, mom can be right there asking questions and getting updates, even if she's on a different floor. As one would expect, the way the program works is pretty simple. When a newborn is admitted into the NICU, one iPad is placed next to the baby's incubator while another is delivered to the baby's mother. The press release notes that the mother can log onto BabyTime twice a day. Over the past few years, Cedars-Sinai has particularly embraced the intersection of technology and healthcare. The hospital previously gave its staff iPhones to facilitate communication amongst nurses and doctors and was also one of the first hospitals to roll out an iPhone app which enables doctors to remotely access EKG results and fetal monitoring.
Nissan Leaf gets the 'family' review treatment, earns high marks
The writers over at Busy Mommy Media have run the Nissan Leaf through a special battery of 'family' tests to produce the kind of review of the EV that we don't see every day around here. Still, the family perspective is an especially interesting one for the electric vehicle, since widespread adoption will largely depend on how it fares in just such lifestyles. So how did the Leaf fare? Exceedingly well, it turns out, getting high marks for performance, cargo space, and interior space. The only problem raised was the fact that the reviewer could not fit all three of her required car seats into the back seat, but was able to change them out for slimmer models which did, in fact, fit. Check out the video after the break for the full mommy (and daddy) treatment.
Breakfast Topic: Mothers' Day edition
I know you're out there! WoW moms, like me, getting your Azeroth fix in when not making meals, reading stories and otherwise performing all of your maternal duties. Hopefully you are enjoying a nice sleep-in right now, maybe some breakfast in bed. May your day be filled with flowers, candy, jewelry and/or clay-blobs that are supposed to be frogs, hearts or whatever they are making these days instead of ashtrays. Enjoy your day and I know you'll make sure your mom is appreciated today, too.To all you non-maternal Azerothians: after taking care of orphans for a week, or subjecting them to atrocities, whichever... perhaps you have more of an appreciation of what motherhood is about? Or not. But still, today is the day to show your mom that you appreciate her (or remember her fondly if she is no longer with us). Even if she isn't the greatest, she is still responsible for your existence, if not your monthly payment to Blizzard. So, give a call/flowers/chocolates or, if you can afford it, a nice computer with a copy of WoW on it. If you are separated by distance, weekly visits on a nice, quiet PvE server can be a whole lot of fun.Are you a WoW mom? Does your mom play WoW? Are you part of one of the many families who game together? Tell us your stories!
Breakfast Topic: Sunday is Mother's Day
Just a reminder that Mother's Day is coming up on Sunday, May 11. If you're planning on sending a gift, flowers, or a card, it's about time to get them in the mail. For the record, I have never met a Mom that didn't treasure a pretty bracelet given to her by her son. All of these things are positively fantastic for a traditional Mom, but we've got a lot of WoW Moms that might like something a little different. Even as I get older, I've found that my Mom, and other Moms around me still enjoy homemade gifts. Our Thursday column, World of Warcrafts, has given us some excellent ideas on some very special gifts. Last week Shelbi showed us how to make a lovely Basket of Flowers. I'm also fond of her wonderful guide for making Super potions. I'm pretty sure my Mom would like these (even more than the paperclip necklace she treasured for years.) You may also consider World of Warcraft T-shirts, or even paid play time. If you don't have a lot of money to dedicate to Mother's Day Shopping, you can give your WoW Mom the gift of playtime or even something special in-game. For those of you with less fantasy-oriented Mom's, here are some easy links to get gifts online: Flowers 1-800-Flowers FTD Teleflora Food: Ethem M Chocolates Harry and David Godiva Remember, you only get one Mom (ok, so in modern families, you may have 2 or 3), and Mother's Day only comes once a year. Make it count! What's your plan for your mom? (I can't tell you, my mom reads WoW Insider.) * This public service announcement was brought to you by gamers who love their moms.
Divorce, 360 style
What do you do when your scumbag ex-husband runs off with the nice computer, the big screen TV and, consequently, your children's love? You buy an Xbox 360 for bait and start the emotional manipulation. Your kids might be psychologically scarred by divorce, but they'll be entertained. Might help snag a new guy too.[Via GamerScoreBlog]
