Socal Stuff

Driving Miss Peachy: Mario Kart Wii

Disclosure: I am one of the blogging moms who is part of the Nintendo Ambassador program, and have enjoyed receiving review copies of their games for the Wii and the DS.

I would write about the games more often, but for one thing: the minute my daughter sees that a new one has arrived, she pounces on it -- and I'm lucky to ever see it again.

I've been trying to convince her that SHE should start writing game reviews for me, but so far, that sounds too much like homework to her. So you will just have to wait for my somewhat late reviews of the ones I eventually get to play with.

But if Megan and I are often found fighting over who is going to play with what game, my husband manages to stay out of it. He's just not that into it. Sure, he enjoys challenging himself to downhill skiing on our Wii Fit (a thorough review to be published here later)... and he has been known to actually beg the rest of us to play Wii Tennis with him (when he remembers we own a Wii). But game playing just isn't first on his list of fun things to do with the family...

...so I chuckled to myself when my friends at Nintendo asked if my husband would enjoy opening a Mario Kart Wii on Father's Day.

"I don't know," I told him. "But I do know my daughter would enjoy it."

So when the new toy arrived last week, I did not hold it for Father's Day. Sure enough, the kid glommed onto it immediately, and pronounced it "way cool." Then she began nagging the two of us to play it with her.

And now, my husband is a Mario Kart Maniac.

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT MARIO KART WII:

* It's a classic.Who doesn't like playing Mario Kart? (I realized after seeing the game that it had many of the same tracks as the old Mario Kart for the GameCube, which my husband has played many times with our nephews in the UK. He loved it several years ago; of course he's loving it now that we have our own updated version for the Wii.)

* It's got several cool new tracks. All your old Mario Kart favorites are there (with updated graphics) plus several new ones.

* The Wii Wheel adds a new dimension to the game. This is a wonderful innovation. Of COURSE a driving game should be driven with a steering wheel. Duh.

* You don't actually need the Wii Wheel. Additional wheels may be purchased separately, but you can use the Wii remotes and nunchuks you already own to enjoy multi-player local games of up to four people.

* You don't actually have to be in the same home to play against your friends. You can connect with up to 12 friends over the Internet.

WHAT WE DON'T LIKE ABOUT MARIO KART WII:

So far, I've got nothing to report here! I think we're going to have to play it a lot more... Let me get back to you AFTER Father's Day.

Releasing Your Inner Hitchcock with the Flip Camcorder

People who meet me today might be surprised to learn that my college major was Radio-Television-Film. I was one of those kids who liked to make my own little films with my dad's 8mm home movie camera (these were the days before the invention of consumer video camcording).

Movies, music and television were my passions, and I could not think of anything else I wanted to do with my life. This became a problem for me when I got older and realized I'd gone as far as I was going to go in the entertainment business (my friends and I used to joke about how we'd clawed our way to the middle).

So you can see why I've had my eye on the Flip camcorder since I first heard of it through some of my blogging friends. (Note to PR people: In my case, reading about this device on blogs TOTALLY sold me. Just thought you should know.)

I received my Flip over the weekend as a birthday present, and it's everything I'd hoped for -- and more. I've been putting it through the paces, and you can see some of the results here:

Megan at the Gym: 5/19/08 from Donna Schwartz Mills on Vimeo.

FLIP PRO'S:

• The camera is small and light enough to fit in your handbag.
• Simple controls - this is really the easiest video camera I've ever owned.
• Works well in low light.
• Records to built-in flash memory, so you never have to fumble for a cassette.
• Direct USB connection to your computer; no need to carry around a separate cable
• Shoots broadcast quality video that you can output to a television.
• The built-in video software makes it amazingly easy to create professional looking videos, in several different styles. You can even add music.
• Post to YouTube and AOL within the Flip program.
• Inexpensive: The top of the line Ultra model retails for $149

FLIP CON'S:

• Not much of a zoom, so this is not the camcorder to take to your kid's sports events.
• Record/Stop button a little tough to engage - but that could just be me.
• Can't expand the flash memory; advise buying the Ultra model with 2GB (60 minutes)
• The interface for the built-in Muvee software can be a little bit confusing.
• Hard to edit clips shot out of sequence.

50-50:

• Uses AA batteries (some people like that, some would prefer a proprietary rechargeable option. You can use rechargeable AA's).
• You can upgrade the software for under $100 and get more features (such as the ability to edit clips shot out of sequence, save to other video formats or add titles).

The quality of the raw video I shot looks a lot better than what you see in the clip. This is because the software automatically prepares the video for use on YouTube. I am going to experiment with editing the videos with some other programs I own to see if I can upload to Vimeo in a higher quality format. If that doesn't work, I will be sorely tempted to upgrade the Muvee software that's built right into the Flip.

I loved the fact that Pure Digital Technologies packaged the camera with a little pouch, so I can carry my Flip in my handbag without getting it all scratched up. It's quick and easy to whip it out, turn it on and start recording the moment you have an inspiraton.

The bottom line: I can't decide which of the two new toys I got for my birthday is my favorite (the other one is a Wii Fit, which I will be reviewing here tomorrow). In fact, I'm going to shoot some video for that review so you can see both toys in action!

In the meantime, catch my first attempt at vlogging at SoCal Mom here.

First Look: Workout Fun with the Wii Fit

Many of my readers know that I recently lost 56 pounds.

There's no real secret to how I acccomplished this: I did it the old-fashioned way, through a program of diet and exercise. But a lot of people don't know that I supplemented my program with technology: While watching TV at night, I worked Sudoku and other Brain Age puzzles on my Nintendo DS, which broke my habit of night feeding...

...and on days when I couldn't make it to the gym, I fired up my Wii and played a couple of rounds of boxing... and maybe some tennis.

The problem with these games is that -- to be perfectly honest -- I suck at them. I am the most unathletic person who ever lived, and no matter how much practice I get, I still lack coordination and accuracy... even on something as easy as the Wii. That's why on the DS, I veer towards mind games like puzzles...

...and why I've been so eager to get my hands on Nintendo's newest Wii add-on, the Wii Fit, a device that promises to help you better use the Wii in your workouts.

Wii Fit will not be released in the U.S. until May 19 (one day before my birthday -- hint, hint!) -- but earlier this month, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a sneak preview of the device. I brought my girlfriends, Mary Ellen, Sue and Michele, and we all had a chance to give it a little test drive.

The Fit add-on is a compact white platform that functions as both a scale and a balance board. The scale is pretty accurate, too – our visit with the Nintendo folks occurred right after I’d been to the weight loss clinic, and the Fit reported the exact same poundage I’d weighed in at an hour earlier.

The Fit also computes your Body Mass Index (BMI) and tests your balancing skills before giving you a Wii Fit Age (similar to the mental quickness assessment you receive when you play Brain Age). Mine was 56, which is only four years older than I actually am. (How nice it would be to get it down to something incredible, like 40. Or 30!)

You can then set a goal and work towards it: The Wii Fit informs you that folks who have a BMI of 22 tend to live longer. Mine is 23.5; to get it down another 1 ½ points, I need to lose eight more pounds, so that’s the goal I set for myself.

Here’s what’s cool: Once you’ve hooked up the Fit to your Wii, your display will include a Fitness channel, and you will receive gentle reminders when you haven’t worked out in a while.

Here’s what’s even cooler: You can password-protect your weight and fitness information, so other family members won’t know your exact vital statistics. (And up to eight family members can do the same!)

Once you have figured out your Wii Fit age and stats, you’re ready to start your workout. The Fit gives you four choices: Strength Training, Aerobics, Yoga and Balance Games. And you get to select the personal trainer you prefer: a male, or a female – and then you can choose if you want to have your trainer face you, or follow him or her from behind. (I learned quickly that it is easier to use the right hand-foot combinations if you are looking at your trainer’s back.)

As our time was limited, we only got to sample a few of the activities available on the Fit: I did some basic step aerobics (which was a little like Dance-Dance-Revolution… and I was just as lame attempting the moves!). I then moved on to some basic Yoga stretches, before tackling one of the balance games: Table Tilt. My friends also tried out the Soccer Heading and Ski Slalom.

All of us left the hotel suite exclaiming that we cannot wait for this baby to be released, because we all want one!

I will say that I will not be using the Wii Fit as a replacement for my regular gym-based exercise routine, or my trainer (much as I would like to get rid of that expense). HOWEVER, I think this will be a wonderful supplement to the program I’m already doing, especially on those days when I can’t get to my gym.

And… it’s a heckuva lot more FUN.

21st Century Clock Radio

The month before I started junior high, my parents gifted me with my very first clock radio. It was a Motorola model which only tuned into AM stations. (This was 1968 and that's the only thing I listened to, anyway).

That clock radio was my ally for the next six years of junior and senior high school, waking me up early enough to shower, breakfast and get to my first class on time.

So with my daughter beginning middle school this week (and knowing that I am going to have a helluva time waking myself up early enough to get her up on time), I decided to continue the tradition and get her a clock radio of her own.

As this is 2007, her clock radio would need more than AM band access. FM, of course. But I was hoping to find one that would allow her to dock her iPod and listen to her own music.

But the first one we found was disappointing. Sure, the iHome unit is beautiful -- as sleek and simple a design as the iPod itself. But its $99 price tag (at Linens & Things) was more than I wanted to spend for this item. We kept on looking.

That's fortunate, because we eventually stumbled upon the iSoundSpa clock radio from Homedics, the same company that makes that nice foot soaking unit I love so much. It may not look as cool as the iHome, but it packs a lot more features, including a sound machine, projection clock and interchangeable color face plates that enable my daughter to change its look in a snap.

And at $59, it's a lot nicer on the budget.