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Gadgets that make great Mother's Day gifts
Show mom how much you care with one of these thoughtful tech gift ideas for Mother's Day.
The best tech gifts for new moms
Here's a list of the best tech gadgets for new moms, as chosen by Engadget editors.
Amazon's Kindle e-readers are up to 41 percent off right now
The standard Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Oasis are all enjoying sizeable discounts as part of Amazon's Mother's Day sale.
Facebook cuts its Portal smart display to $99 for Mother's Day
Mother's Day is less than a month away, and it seems Facebook is hoping you'll consider giving your Mom a Portal or Portal+ to keep in touch with you -- it's running a Mother's Day sale on the smart displays. Until May 12th, Portal will set you back $99 instead of $199. If you decide to pick up a pair of them (maybe, possibly one each for you and Mom), you'll get $200 off, as long at least one is the larger Portal+.
Animal Crossing tale of mother's love retold for Mother's Day
You may already know the tale of a child connecting with their mother via Animal Crossing - it's an older story, one we brought to you back in 2007. Now that story has been retold by artist Alex Cherry, and it's just as inspiring. Happy Mother's Day everyone. [Thanks, Alex] [Image: Alex Cherry]
Facebook reminds you to celebrate your first friend this Mother's Day
Every now and again, Facebook likes to wheel out a clip to celebrate a special event, and today is no exception. If you are a mom, then congratulations, and if you have one, then why not take the Zuck's advice and wish them a good one. Just remember, if you forgot to get a present, then breakfast in bed will do as a short-term solution until you can get to the store.
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!
What our moms think about video games
On Sunday, moms, mothers, mums and at least one half of the pop group responsible for California Dreamin' will be celebrated for Mother's Day. Since our moms taught us everything we know (or so they tell us, anyway) the Joystiq staff wanted to celebrate by asking them what they thought about the industry, whether or not they partake in the favorite hobby of their sons and daughters and quiz them about what it is their children do for a living. From all of us at Joystiq, we wish all moms a very happy mother's day!
For Mom: Korus delivers wireless audio without hassles
Given the wide assortment of wireless audio technologies in today's ecosystem, it's easy to get bogged down in sound quality and engineering specs. What's not so easy is explaining to a parent or less tech-savvy relative how they should use their devices and connections amongst the current crop of systems and speakers. Between the industry leader Sonos, Apple's native AirPlay, a wide variety of Bluetooth-connected portable speakers and the evolving multi-vendor Play-Fi standard, there are plenty of good choices -- but each of those approaches requires setup, syncing and pairing before you can get to the actual, fun playing-of-the-music part. That's why the alternative approach taken by Korus with its v400s and v600s wireless speakers is so intriguing, especially as a gift or recommendation for Mother's Day. I wouldn't want to have to explain Bluetooth pairing or WPA2 Wi-Fi encryption to my mom just so she could play music wirelessly, and with the Korus speakers I wouldn't have to. All the Korus speakers use a small dongle called a Baton to connect sources to speakers, and as soon as you plug the Baton into your Lightning port, 30-pin iOS port or computer's USB port, you can stream clear audio up to 65 feet (quite a bit longer than Bluetooth) at an audiophile-friendly 480kbps bit rate. No configuration, no tweaking, no pairing and no aggravation required. Both speakers come in a basic piano black finish that's unfussy and handsome, although it might not be to every decorator's taste. (Korus has a promotional deal with Dancing With The Stars, so Mom may have already spotted the units on TV.) The Baton-to-speaker connection is based on a protocol called SKAA, which makes me want to put on my black suspenders and play some English Beat. Korus licenses the SKAA tech from audio chipset designer Eleven Engineering, which also provides the wireless interconnect underpinnings for several other speaker makers. Using the SKAA-based Batons, each speaker can cycle through up to four connected devices by pressing the connect button on the very minimalist control cluster. Additionally, it's easy to combine up to four Korus speakers together for multi-room listening. There's even an iOS app to control the relative volume of the teamed speakers. Korus sells the shelf-sized, corded v400s and the room-filling, nominally portable (it can run off D batteries for a rated 90 hours) v600s in bundles with all the available Batons (Lightning, 30-pin, USB) plus two device charging cables that sleeve over a connected Baton to charge your phone or iPad while you listen. The v400s bundle is currently $350 and the v600s is $450, discounted quite a bit from the nominal list price (and with free shipping, at the moment). That's roughly comparable with the Sonos component pricing, but the big difference is that the Korus units aren't trying to be part of a bigger music management picture, library consolidation or streaming service approach -- they're just going to play what you're playing on your iPhone, iPad or computer, end of story. (There's not a Baton for Android or Windows Mobile devices, at least not yet, but the speakers do include a standard 3.5mm audio input jack.) Simplicity is commendable, but what about streaming and sound quality? I tested both the v400s and v600s speakers in my house, with plenty of wireless chatter and interference to keep them honest. To my surprise, I was able to easily stream to the kitchen or living room from my iPhone in the furthest corner of the second floor -- a range where Bluetooth would have given up completely and even Wi-Fi streaming might have been touch and go. I stepped out to the backyard and even over 50 feet away I could still hear the music playing with no skips or slurs noticeable. Korus does acknowledge that you may sacrifice some range if you're using the charging cable while streaming, but within 20-30 feet I didn't perceive any issues. Korus also claims near real-time synchronization between device and speaker for drift-free playback on videos or gaming, which held up in a brief iPad video playback test. Both speakers also delivered clear, room-filling sound without distortion or static. I'm not a particularly audiophilic listener, but I found the smaller v400s to be great for bedroom or kitchen audio when playing classical, jazz or rock. The larger v600s delivers more low-end sound and held up very well in the living room with high dynamic range tracks from iTunes Plus and Spotify. I didn't try out the USB version of the Baton, but it seems like a good fit for karaoke, video streaming or other Mac-centric playback. Of course, the obvious drawback of a dongle-centric system like the Baton is that teensy adapters have an unfortunate tendency to wander away and go missing. With a $50 retail price tag for a new Baton, losing one is no small matter. I would have loved to have seen a small storage panel or other way of securing the Batons to/inside the speaker when they're not in use, but barring that there are always other ways to solve the problem. The Korus speakers aren't a minor investment, and certainly if you're planning out a high-end wireless home system they may not be the complete package. If, however, you want to put good sound in a convenient location and you don't want to worry about fussy networking or having to configure visiting devices just so they can join the playback party, give the Korus chorus a listen. Rating: Three out of four stars possible
BroApp coming to iOS amidst firestorm of opinion
BroApp, a US$1.99 Android app that sends automated texts to friends, partners, and family is heading soon to iOS. The app acts on your behalf as a kind of techno-Cyrano. It messages your recipient with a fortune cookie of attention. "Thinking of you." "Can't wait to see you." "Good morning! I hope you have a great day!". It's also smart enough to disable itself when it's near a target's Wi-Fi network by detecting SSIDs. The website advertises that the product "messages your girlfriend sweet things so you can spend more time with the Bros" (hence the name). And, already, Wired has taken a stance suggesting that some apps may turn us into sociopaths. Me? I disagree. We already live in a Hallmark age. A pre-printed sentiment is now de rigueur for nearly every holiday and life event. If you inadvertently skip these plastic emotions, the social sanction can be be harsh. BroApp is no more unrealistic than the over-the-top sentimentality we witness on Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and New Years. BroApp isn't creating a pathology. It just reflects the reality of one that already exists.
5 last minute WoW Mother's Day gifts
The world's a busy place and grabbing time to go shopping can be difficult. But the nice thing about straddling your life between the real world and Azeroth is that there are plenty of opportunities for virtual gifts. Here's 5 last minute gifts you can grab to delight Mom without resorting to in-game trinkets. (Don't get me wrong: in-game gifts are awesome, but that list could get gigantic.) 5. StarCraft Anthology If Mom hasn't spent time blowing up zerg and getting caught up on Blizzard's other Craft game, now's the time to look at the StarCraft Anthology. Boasting hours of gameplay and that nurturing-with-lasers aspect every gaming Mom loves, you can even enhance this gift with a few hours of alone time to make it even better.
Breakfast Topic: What type of character would your mother play in WoW?
Happy Mother's Day! I suspect that many WoW Insider readers are probably not mothers themselves (though surely some of you are), but I do know most of you are human, which means most of you have a mother or two. As such, I thought I'd use the day to ask this question: what would your mother play in WoW? Would she be a paladin? A warlock? Would she roll as a gnome or a tauren? What about her spec? To answer the question myself, I really had to consider all the angles. Generally I think of my mother as being very kind and nurturing, but I've also seen her stand up to people three times her size and threaten the neighborhood bullies with a gaze of death when I got picked on as a kid. All in all, I figure she's probably a druid since she's fairly attuned to nature and can make anything grow. She'd probably go main spec kitty DPS (she has her moments of being super sneaky) and restoration as her secondary spec. As for what race she'd be ... I see her more as a night elf but I know she'd pick tauren since the cows are so cute. My stepmother, on the other hand, would totally go dwarf elemental shaman. Granted, she'd probably also have four level 90 alts and a bunch of battleground achievements ... She's pretty hardcore when she gets into stuff. She's told me herself that she'd get addicted if she ever started. So, what about your mothers?
Battleblock Theater adds 'Rose' prisoner in honor of Mother's Day
Mother's Day is tomorrow, in case you had forgotten, and to celebrate the Behemoth has released a new, limited engagement prisoner actor for its grand shows of bravery and daring do: Rose. Anyone that logs into Xbox Live and boots up the full version of Battleblock Theater between now and Thursday, May 16 should receive Rose automatically. What you won't receive automatically, however, is a happy mama, so make sure and do something especially special for the special lady that made you special.
Talkcast tonight, 7pm PT/10pm ET: Mamas edition!
Not just Sunday, but Mother's Day Sunday! Once you've wrapped up brunch and presents for Mom, join us for the show tonight! We'll have a little news about system updates and new maps but mostly we want to talk to moms. We'll spend some time with a few of our favorites, provided they aren't still off getting massages or enjoying a Mother's Day that extends well into the evening. Kelly hosting the show means Kelly hosting the aftershow, and you know that's always a good time. Join us for the non-recorded, off-topic, random conversation. Since it's really all about you, the community, join me won't you? To participate, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for +5 Interactivity, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (Viva free weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free X-Lite or other SIP clients (aside from Skype or Google Voice), basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!
5 apps for Moms on Mother's Day
It's Mother's Day here in the US and in a handful of other countries around the world. To celebrate this holiday, I've compiled a list of five outstanding apps that are perfect for all the iPhone-toting mothers out there. These titles will help Mom get organized, share memorable moments and have some fun. If you have any suggestions not on this list, please add them in the comments. Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and Moms-to-be! iAllowance ($3.99) iAllowance is a versatile chore manager that lets you set up comprehensive chore charts for several children. Besides listing each child's responsibilities, you can assign a value to each task and let your child earn money, stars or time for each job they do. The app keeps track of each child's earnings, so you can dole out rewards when they reach a specified amount. iAllowance is chock full of features that'll make doing chores as much fun as possible for both parents and their children. Pic Collage (Free) Pic Collage is a free app that lets you choose the best photos of your kids and assemble them quickly and easily into a collage. You can import photos from your camera, your photo library or even Facebook. All photos are dropped onto the canvas and you can resize, rotate and move them to get the right look. Once you've arranged your photos to your liking, you can change the background, add some text and send the masterpiece off to the grandparents. Day One ($1.99) If want to remember those precious times with your kids, you can't go wrong with Day One, a terrific journaling app that makes it easy to jot down your daily thoughts. Day One's strongest feature is its cross-platform availability. You can use Day One on your Mac, iPhone or iPad and sync your entries across devices. Unfortunately, Day One doesn't let you import photos, so you can't add that precious photo of your baby to an entry. Photo support is on the developer's list of upcoming features, and, for me, Day One is such a good journal that I am wiling to wait. If image support is a must-have, then you should check out alternatives like MyOwnDiary HD, My Daily Journal or Dailybook for the iPad. SpellTower ($0.99) There are so many iOS games, but one that always seems to be at the top of my list is SpellTower. The word puzzle game challenges you to spell words using adjacent letter tiles. The game includes several modes including a Tower mode that lets you spell as many words as possible, and a Puzzle mode that adds a row of letter tiles every time you spell a word. There's also a local multiplayer mode, so you can challenge your spouse or kids. AllRecipes Dinner Spinner Pro ($2.99) AllRecipes Dinner Spinner is a cooking app that'll help you find the perfect meal. The DinnerSpinner lets you add an ingredient, shake your phone and retrieve a matching recipe. You can read reviews for each recipe and add the ingredients to your shopping list. If you're an AllRecipes member, the Pro version of Dinner Spinner lets you view your recipe box on your iOS device. You can also share your favorite messages with your family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.
The Joystiq Indie Pitch: Offspring Fling
Indie developers are the starving artists of the video-game world, often brilliant and innovative, but also misunderstood, underfunded and more prone to writing free-form poetry on their LiveJournals. We believe they deserve a wider audience with the Joystiq Indie Pitch: This week, Kyle Pulver's Offspring Fling is the best PC and Mac game you could ask for in the week approaching Mother's Day. Or any other day, really. Pre-pitch-post-gray-intro note: Offspring Fling launched on Steam today for PC and Mac, and it's 20 percent off through May 18. It includes the Mother's Day Update, which has a level editor, replay and sharing features. Go make momma proud!What's your game called and what's it about?It's called Offspring Fling, and it's a game about a poor forest creature that has misplaced her children in a mostly happy but sometimes spooky forest. She'll have to make her way through more than 100 levels of baby throwing, puzzle solving, button pressing, bee-avoiding action if she wants to get them all home by dinner.What inspired you to make Offspring Fling?May 2011: I went to a local game jam in the Phoenix area. The theme: Motherhood. After an hour or so I had an idea of a puzzle-platformer game where you have to get a bunch of babies safely to an exit, and you could use them in all sorts of ways to solve puzzles and platforming challenges. Forty-eight hours later I had a pretty solid prototype of the game with 15 playable levels, and I ran with it from there.
Last-minute Mother's Day gift idea brought to you by Activision, the makers of Prototype 2
Surprise! It's Mother's Day. You forgot -- didn't you? No worries. Activision has you covered. Just zip this, uh, prototype card over to ma and get back to enjoying your Sunday.
Dear Aunt TUAW: What apps should I buy for Mother's Day?
Dear Aunt TUAW, Mother's Day is coming. What apps should I buy for the beloved of my life, the mother of my children. Tom
TUAW Talkcast tonight: Moms, Macs, and mirth at 10 PM EDT
Sunday night is the night that all of your favorite TUAW bloggers and commenters get together for the fun-filled hour called the TUAW Talkcast. Tonight's show starts at 10 PM EDT sharp, and we'll be talking about our mothers (hey, it is Mother's Day and we need to work that into this show somehow...) and as many Apple-related topics as we can possibly come up with. To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk with you then! Note: For those who want to listen to the show on iPads or iPhones without calling in, you can try this MP3 streaming link once the show begins -- we're not 100% sure it will work, but do let us know.
PopCap offering 75 percent off Zuma for yo' mama
Out of observance for this most matronly of holidays, PopCap has reduced the price of its Aztec themed casual puzzler Zuma by 75 percent. Until May 12, you (or your female progenitor) can pick up the PC or Mac version of Zuma for just $4.95 on PopCap's official site. If you ask us, it makes for a much better Mother's Day present than assorted chocolates. Or store-bought flowers. Or bath salts. Or the three-disc Blu-ray Extreme Unrated Edition of Fried Green Tomatoes.
