> Santa's top tech toys
Santa's top tech toys
Contact:
Toby Donaldson, School of Computing Science, 778.782.7433, tjd@sfu.ca
Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 778.782.4323
Toby Donaldson, School of Computing Science, 778.782.7433, tjd@sfu.ca
Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 778.782.4323
November 26, 2007
What do you get for the person on your holiday list who’s hard to buy for? How about a cow duck? Or a ticket to ride? Or zillions of games?
Those are some of the suggestions from Toby Donaldson, a computing scientist at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus who helps Santa shop for toys for thinkers every year. Here’s Toby’s list of no-fail hits for 2007:
Stonehenge
Billed as an anthology board game, Stonehenge comes with instructions for five games all using the high-quality pieces in the box. What sets this apart from other games is that you are encouraged to design your own games using the pieces, and to post it on the Stonehenge website. paizo.com/titanicGames/library
Ubuntu 7.10: Gutsy Gibbon
Ubuntu is a completely free Linux-based operating system that you can use as a professional-quality replacement for Windows. The most recent version comes with a spectacular graphical interface. www.ubuntu.com/
The Create Robot
Based on the popular Roomba and Scuba household cleaning robots, this inexpensive but durable robot is a great toy for anyone who wants to learn more about practical robotics. You will need to know --- or learn --- how to program to get the most out of this. www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=305
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is a popular family board game that combines card-play and train-track building in a surprisingly fun way. Your task is to complete routes between cities before your opponents, and you pay for them by cashing in sets of like-colored cards. The longer your routes, the more points you earn --- but the more cards you have to collect. www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/
Portal
If you've ever wanted your own "portable hole,” then Portal is the video game for you. Your only tool is the portal device which you use to solve a series of clever puzzles. The game's back-story has already become the stuff of video game legend: it’s funny, thought-provoking, and has one of the best endings of all time.
orange.half-life2.com/portal.html
Wits and Wagers
A party trivia game where it doesn't help to know a lot of trivia. The answers to all the questions are numbers, and you first make your best guess, and then you bet on whose answer you think is closest to being correct. www.boardgamegeek.com/game/20100
Ingenious
This is a clever variation of dominoes where you must collect points in various colors. Your final score is the color you have collected the least of! www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9674
Zillions of Games
Why buy one game when you can get zillions? This Windows PC software comes pre-packed with thousands of computerized board and puzzle games, plus the ability to program your own. www.zillions-of-games.com/
The Cow Duck
It's a cow! It's a duck! It's the cow duck!
Picross
Picross is a Nintendo DS version of a paper-and-pencil game called "Paint By Numbers." You start with an empty grid and numbers around the edges telling you how many filled-in squares appear in each row and column. Using logic, you eventually fill in an entire picture. If you like Sudoku, you may find this to be an addictive alternative. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picross_DS#External_links
Tip Over
A three-dimensional puzzle where you must tip-over blocks to form a path to your goal. It comes with 40 cards that range from easy to mind-melting. www.thinkfun.com/TIPOVER.ASPX?PageNo=TIPOVER
Those are some of the suggestions from Toby Donaldson, a computing scientist at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus who helps Santa shop for toys for thinkers every year. Here’s Toby’s list of no-fail hits for 2007:
Stonehenge
Billed as an anthology board game, Stonehenge comes with instructions for five games all using the high-quality pieces in the box. What sets this apart from other games is that you are encouraged to design your own games using the pieces, and to post it on the Stonehenge website. paizo.com/titanicGames/library
Ubuntu 7.10: Gutsy Gibbon
Ubuntu is a completely free Linux-based operating system that you can use as a professional-quality replacement for Windows. The most recent version comes with a spectacular graphical interface. www.ubuntu.com/
The Create Robot
Based on the popular Roomba and Scuba household cleaning robots, this inexpensive but durable robot is a great toy for anyone who wants to learn more about practical robotics. You will need to know --- or learn --- how to program to get the most out of this. www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=305
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is a popular family board game that combines card-play and train-track building in a surprisingly fun way. Your task is to complete routes between cities before your opponents, and you pay for them by cashing in sets of like-colored cards. The longer your routes, the more points you earn --- but the more cards you have to collect. www.daysofwonder.com/tickettoride/en/
Portal
If you've ever wanted your own "portable hole,” then Portal is the video game for you. Your only tool is the portal device which you use to solve a series of clever puzzles. The game's back-story has already become the stuff of video game legend: it’s funny, thought-provoking, and has one of the best endings of all time.
orange.half-life2.com/portal.html
Wits and Wagers
A party trivia game where it doesn't help to know a lot of trivia. The answers to all the questions are numbers, and you first make your best guess, and then you bet on whose answer you think is closest to being correct. www.boardgamegeek.com/game/20100
Ingenious
This is a clever variation of dominoes where you must collect points in various colors. Your final score is the color you have collected the least of! www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9674
Zillions of Games
Why buy one game when you can get zillions? This Windows PC software comes pre-packed with thousands of computerized board and puzzle games, plus the ability to program your own. www.zillions-of-games.com/
The Cow Duck
It's a cow! It's a duck! It's the cow duck!
Picross
Picross is a Nintendo DS version of a paper-and-pencil game called "Paint By Numbers." You start with an empty grid and numbers around the edges telling you how many filled-in squares appear in each row and column. Using logic, you eventually fill in an entire picture. If you like Sudoku, you may find this to be an addictive alternative. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picross_DS#External_links
Tip Over
A three-dimensional puzzle where you must tip-over blocks to form a path to your goal. It comes with 40 cards that range from easy to mind-melting. www.thinkfun.com/TIPOVER.ASPX?PageNo=TIPOVER