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MummyWrap fends off radiation from fetuses
As the ongoing battle between the naysayers and the paranoid continues, Neil Bullock is making sure that those situated squarely in the latter camp have a way to "protect" their unborn child(ren). MummyWrap is a "sleeveless, loose-fitting garment for pregnant women made from a light-weight copper-based cotton fabric known as Swiss Shield," and according to its creator, it can "minimize the risk of electro-magnetic radiation (EMR)" warping your kid's brain before he or she ever sees the world. 'Course, we're not going to step in and suggest that you do / don't need this, but for those who'd rather be safe than sorry, you can order one now for $69.95. As an added bonus, it should go great with your Isabodywear underwear.[Via Textually]
And all the gamers say awww
No, no, we're not looking at the adorable baby. Okay, you can look at the adorable baby, but also observe the blurry yellow bits above the adorable baby. What could they be? If you guessed question blocks, you're the big winner!If nothing else, this craft project definitely sports an accurate title: this may, in fact, be the coolest mobile ever, but now we can't stop thinking of ways to expand on this theme. Controller cut-outs were suggested, but what about little character figures? Or better yet, tiny plushies! Gamer babies can learn to love Mario and company from an early age, right? Come February, this very blogger just may be testing that theory. Which means we might need a couple of these as well. Have some slick gamer craft projects to show off? Don't forget about our weekly feature dedicated to all things gaming.
Samsung files patent app for fertility measuring phone
Believe it or not, we've seen something like this before -- out of Japan, naturally -- so we're a bit surprised to see a patent app roll in from Samsung for a phone capable of tracking a woman's fertile periods. The idea is to keep the user updated on her "baby" and "no baby" times of the month when she places a call by measuring distance to the eardrum (using either ultrasonic or laser sensors) combined with infrared to get a temperature reading. This corresponds to a woman's basal body temperature cycle, which in turn maps to her menstrual cycle. In Japan, the concept was intended to boost birth rates by keeping couples in the know on exactly when they might have success -- but elsewhere we imagine the intent might be just the opposite. We'll leave it to our readers' active imaginations to decide just when and how the user should be kept abreast of said information.[Via Unwired View]
Britax unveils speaker-packed car seat to rock baby asleep
Let's face it, it's not exactly feasible (or safe) to rock the kid to sleep whilst manning the wheel down I-5, which is why you should seriously look Britax's way for your next baby-related purchase. This luxurious car seat reportedly sports a "Reflection Sound System" that cranks out tunes around the infant's head, and while we all know it's just a ploy to keep the youngster from wailing any longer, the manufacturer is boasting about the mental benefits of piping Bach into your kiddo's brain at an early age. Portable sounds aren't the only thing it's got going for it, however, as the safety factor is also pretty high considering the well-padded surroundings, height adjustable head guard, automatic shoulder belt adjusting device, and a soft mat on the bottom to protect your whip's interior. Click on through for another snapshot while you mull over the ???710,000 ($767) pricetag -- hey, there's only 364 days 'til Mother's Day, right?[Via AVing]
Wii Sports: Golf = hilarious
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Wii_Sports_Golf_hilarious_for_babies'; At least, that's what babies think as the embedded video (available past the post break) demonstrates. Every time Daddy takes a swing in Wii Sports: Golf, the baby goes nuts, laughing up a storm, which then causes all of us here at Wii Fanboy HQ to let out a long and spirited awwww. You can let out one yourself, as you check out the video.[Thanks, Kian!]
Italy intros sensor-laden foundling wheels to care for abandoned babies
While dealing with a widespread problem of abandoned children is an issue we have no interest in tackling, Italy's Family Affairs Minister Rosy Bindi apparently feels that hooking up hospitals with "modern-day foundling wheels" is the best solution. Based on an idea that dates back hundreds of years, the sensor-laden hatches that are now being installed in Italian hospitals are accessible only from the outside, and feature a specially designed window in which an unwanted child can be deposited into a warm, cushioned bed. In a recent incident, the sensors alerted the staff at Casilino Hospital, which arrived in a mere 40 seconds to care for the infant and find him a proper home. In an effort to get the message out, flyers in six languages have been posted around hospitals that encourage troubled parents to bring their child to one of the newfangled incubators. Still, we're not experts on foreign policy nor on taking care of rejected youngsters, but going from the cold, ruthless streets to a heated cubicle doesn't seem like such a raw deal for the kiddos.[Via MedGadget]
Peapod DAP can handle vicious babies, but Apple legal?
You'd think that Apple's, um, loving oversight of its trademarks and trademark applications would scare potential DAP manufacturers away from using any combination of the letters p, o, and d in their product name, so we assume that Calgary-based Peapod Toys hasn't been following the American legal scene all that closely. In any event, the small company has just announced its self-titled, baby-targeted MP3 player at the International Toy Fair, which allows the one-and-under crowd to rock out to up to two hours of their favorite Raffi tunes. But infants and electronics go together like elephants and antique shops, you say? Not to worry: the Peapod is wrapped in a soft rubber shell that promises to protect it from mushed carrots, multiple collisions with the wall, and even the occasional teething session. It also sports a built in speaker (babies + headphone wires = potential disaster), a claimed 40 hours of battery life from a single AA, and support for select educational content available on the Peapod website. No word so far on price or release, but we'll go out on a limb and assume that we're looking at "cheap" and "soon," respectively.[Via Gadget Lab]
Gamer babies need hot accessories, too
We have extreme amounts of love for anything game-related, the wackier the better, but even if we didn't, it would be hard not to coo over this Nintendo-themed baby blanket. Gotta hook 'em while they're young, after all, if we want to make them lifetime gamers.We tend to think the best part of this particular blanket is that the mushroom is up top, at optimal gnawing range.
We asked, you delivered: Wii baby
As promised, we went from grey gamers to serious gamers and have now arrived at the next hot new thing: the Wii baby. Training 'em young is what we're all about, and this baby is really working it. We've got the iSnuggle suit going on (in white, naturally), the hip updo -- tousled but not too messy -- and what's that we see? Flying without the wrist strap? Oh, baby, you're so bold!We're not sure if this precious young fanboy-in-the-rough belongs to tipster Tommy or not, but we hope so. This kid is obviously benefitting from the influence of a hardcore Nintendo fan in the home. We totally approve. Another Wii baby appeared in the comments on the most recent portrait of a Wii gamer we put up, and he may be even cuter than this one, but infinitely more dangerous -- check after the jump to see why. And definitely keep sending us your favorite shots of Wii gamers in action.
i'coo offers up Pico-iPod stroller: will the madness ever end?
Seriously, one day this mayhem has to end, but we suppose today isn't that day, so we'll just take a look at yet another (admittedly useful) product that'll probably sell at least three times as well as sufficient alternatives simply because you can strap your iPod into it. The Pico-iPod (which comes in black and white, to no one's surprise) appears to be a suite of iPod-laced goodies to pamper your child, including a stroller, car seat, and diaper bag, all entirely more attractive than your average kid carrier due to its DAP connection. In the hood of the stroller you'll find a holster for your dock-connecting iPod, volume / track controls, and built-in speakers to drown out those piercing screams lull the kiddo to sleep. While there's no apparent pricing listed on their site, we're seeing that it'll run you right around $300 from other outlets, so your kid best really love music before you throw down on this.[Via TUAW]
New PlayStation 3 commercial breaks a few eggs
Sony's new television ad campaign for the PS3 is either brilliant or insane, depending on how you look at it. We'll admit that the Rubik's Cube commercial is pretty freaking awesome. Simple, funny and has an unexpected "in your face!" moment. Then there's the baby commercial, which is just plain ... wrong. It's creepier than the scene in Trainspotting where the baby goes crawling across Ewan McGregor's ceiling while he's detoxing from heroin. How is a crying baby doll going to sell consoles?Next in the series is what will fondly by known as the eggs commercial, spotlighting the SIXAXIS controller. It's a bit avant garde -- using the controller as a magnet to pull eggs across the floor and then smash them into the opposite wall where they crack open and release fully-grown ravens. Student film meets Hitchcock meets the PS3 marketing team. It's unclear if they're trying to show off that the SIXAXIS has motion-sensitive controls or not. If we didn't know the PS3 spex by heart already, we'd say it was highlighting the fact that it's wireless. As we've already pointed out, would it kill 'em to show us some of the cutting edge graphics we've come to expect from the PS3? Still, Sony gets kudos for trying something different. If they can top the Rubik's Cube commercial, then they've got something.
Falling birth rates? NTT DoCoMo has the answer
If there's two thing we know Japan has, it's a steadily declining birth rate and insanely advanced mobile technology. Doesn't it seem like one could be used to solve the other? (No?) Leave it to the good folks at NTT DoCoMo to have a crack at it, releasing the new D702iF FOMA clamshell from Mitsubishi. It seems innocent enough, but a few keystrokes allows the user to track his or her (hopefully her) menstrual cycle and be notified during the most fertile times of the month. The somewhat unusual function, along with the phone's bullet-shaped design and pastel colors, are the brainchild of Japanese designer Momoko Ikuta. The decidedly feminine phone also features a built-in recipe database (which we hear features a mean white bean chicken chili) and a "camouflage melody" function -- a fancy way of describing a fake ring for those times when you want to completely ignore the people around you.[Via CNET]
