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SFU techies pick their tech toys for Christmas
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December 3, 2002
All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth… and an Apple iPod with 20 gigabytes of storage space. Or maybe a Firebird II remote control airplane. Or possibly an ARCHOS Jukebox Multimedia device. Or how about an iSunSport Portable solar charger?
Those are some of the gadgets that the tech-happy folks at Simon Fraser University Surrey are dreaming about this holiday season. The Surrey campus, which offers the Interactive Arts and Information Technology Program, has an above-average number of high-tech savvy professors, students and staff, and they were quick to respond when asked what tech toys they would like to see under the tree on December 25.
Lecturer Herbert Tsang would love a subscription to the PockeboxOffice, described as the "World's First Mobile Entertainment Network." The service for people with web-enabled cell phones includes live audio feeds from broadcasters, puzzles and lots and lots of games. Tsang also likes the iSunSport Portable solar charger. The compact device uses solar energy to recharge batteries for cell phones, personal digital assistants, walkmans and other devices. So you can lie in the sun, recharging your batteries while you recharge your batteries.
Stephanie Chu, a research coordinator and educational analysis, wants a GameBoy Advance. "It's a portable gaming system by Nintendo that can play any of the previous Gameboy games. However games made specifically for this system are the best, with outstanding graphics, sound, variety and portability." But it's not all fun and games for Chu. "My favourite 'useful' tech toy is the LG TM520 PCS phone. It's one of the smallest and lightest (108 grams) phones, 1x data ready with external caller ID LCD and many other features you'd expect; however the voice-activated dialling is oh so cool."
Assistant Professor Vive Kumar wants an NEC MobilePro 880 touchscreen computer. Smaller than a laptop, but bigger than a PDA, the MobilePro can be operated either by touching the screen or using the built-in keyboard.
Several SFU Surrey students, faculty and staff have been e-mailing Santa asking for portable music storage. The stylish iPod from Apple is a favourite, but the RCA LyraHD and the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox were also mentioned. Lecturer James Phillips and media developer Jason Toal are both partial to the ARCHOS Jukebox Multimedia. More than just an mp3 player/portable hard drive, it also includes a built-in microphone, photo album and carousel, still camera and camcorder, plus video player and recorder.
Dan McGuire wants a remote controlled airplane from Santa. The intellectual property acquisition coordinator for eLINC would prefer the GW Tiger Moth, but is willing to settle for the simpler Firebird II if necessary.
There were several votes for the Sims Online, a recently announced expansion pack for one of the more popular computer games of the past several years (described by the manufacturer, local company Electronic Arts, as "the only game that lets you build a simulated neighborhood and run - or ruin - the lives of the people that live there." Appropriate, perhaps, because one of SFU Surrey’s professors, Steve DiPaola, worked on the facial animation software for the Sims.
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CONTACT
Terry Lavender, SFU Surrey Media & Public Relations, 604.586.6176
terry_lavender@sfu.ca
Those are some of the gadgets that the tech-happy folks at Simon Fraser University Surrey are dreaming about this holiday season. The Surrey campus, which offers the Interactive Arts and Information Technology Program, has an above-average number of high-tech savvy professors, students and staff, and they were quick to respond when asked what tech toys they would like to see under the tree on December 25.
Lecturer Herbert Tsang would love a subscription to the PockeboxOffice, described as the "World's First Mobile Entertainment Network." The service for people with web-enabled cell phones includes live audio feeds from broadcasters, puzzles and lots and lots of games. Tsang also likes the iSunSport Portable solar charger. The compact device uses solar energy to recharge batteries for cell phones, personal digital assistants, walkmans and other devices. So you can lie in the sun, recharging your batteries while you recharge your batteries.
Stephanie Chu, a research coordinator and educational analysis, wants a GameBoy Advance. "It's a portable gaming system by Nintendo that can play any of the previous Gameboy games. However games made specifically for this system are the best, with outstanding graphics, sound, variety and portability." But it's not all fun and games for Chu. "My favourite 'useful' tech toy is the LG TM520 PCS phone. It's one of the smallest and lightest (108 grams) phones, 1x data ready with external caller ID LCD and many other features you'd expect; however the voice-activated dialling is oh so cool."
Assistant Professor Vive Kumar wants an NEC MobilePro 880 touchscreen computer. Smaller than a laptop, but bigger than a PDA, the MobilePro can be operated either by touching the screen or using the built-in keyboard.
Several SFU Surrey students, faculty and staff have been e-mailing Santa asking for portable music storage. The stylish iPod from Apple is a favourite, but the RCA LyraHD and the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox were also mentioned. Lecturer James Phillips and media developer Jason Toal are both partial to the ARCHOS Jukebox Multimedia. More than just an mp3 player/portable hard drive, it also includes a built-in microphone, photo album and carousel, still camera and camcorder, plus video player and recorder.
Dan McGuire wants a remote controlled airplane from Santa. The intellectual property acquisition coordinator for eLINC would prefer the GW Tiger Moth, but is willing to settle for the simpler Firebird II if necessary.
There were several votes for the Sims Online, a recently announced expansion pack for one of the more popular computer games of the past several years (described by the manufacturer, local company Electronic Arts, as "the only game that lets you build a simulated neighborhood and run - or ruin - the lives of the people that live there." Appropriate, perhaps, because one of SFU Surrey’s professors, Steve DiPaola, worked on the facial animation software for the Sims.
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CONTACT
Terry Lavender, SFU Surrey Media & Public Relations, 604.586.6176
terry_lavender@sfu.ca
Most tech toys are aimed towards boys (of all ages). SFU Surrey Research Assistant Cynthia Poremba is studying how to interest girls in technology. She has some suggestions for the techie girl in your family
Tech Gifts for Girls
Looking for an excellent gift for your daughter/niece/granddaughter? Consider buying a tech toy! Often when we think of tech, we think of boys—but remember there are a number of cool options for girls on your list as well:
Chat Toys:
The biggest tech toys for girls are ones that let them communicate with their friends. Girl Tech Laser Chat(Radica) uses infrared to send a voice message to another Laser Chat within 12 metres. Similarly, Power Talk (Tiger Electronics) can send 10-second voice messages to other Power Talk units, from about 15 metres away inside a building and 30 metres outside.
Media:
Girls will like anything that allows them to take their own pictures, listen to their favorite music, and exchange media with their friends. Hit Clips (Hasbro) plays music stored on postage-stamp-sized discs that can be swapped among friends. For young filmmakers, the Barbie Wireless Video Camera (Mattel) is a girl-friendly option. For older girls, standard MP3 players and digital cameras draw girls toward the computer in order to swap songs and email photos.
Privacy:
Girls have always been interested in keeping their own secret space. Two more of the great products by Girl Tech are Password Journal 2, a programmable locked journal and a voice activated Password Keepsafe Box, for storing other sorts of secret items.
Game Consoles:
Thinking of buying a game console this year? Videogames and consoles are often targeted towards a young mail audience. If I was to pick the most female friendly console, I would pick the Nintendo Game Cube (Nintendo). Not only is it the easiest to learn, but it has the widest range of gender-neutral games available, such as Pokemon, Mario Party, and Pikmen.
Robotics:
The Lego Mindstorms (Lego) series is fantastic fun for older girls who enjoy crafts and projects. The programming interface is simple and intuitive. The one drawback is that the Mindstorms series is marketed towards boys, even though the technology itself is entirely gender-neutral. I’d suggest picking up the book " Creative Projects with Lego Mindstorms" (by Benjamin Erwin) as well—it has sample projects built by both boys and girls.
The most important thing to remember is to take into account the individual preferences of the girl—a girl who is particularly feminine may see the Lego toys as "boys toys," but may like a robotic "Digital Pet." A girl who really liked the movie "Spy Kids" may not mind some of the spy gadgetry traditionally sold for boys. Whatever your decision, remember to consider technology-based toys as an option for boys and girls.
Tech Gifts for Girls
Looking for an excellent gift for your daughter/niece/granddaughter? Consider buying a tech toy! Often when we think of tech, we think of boys—but remember there are a number of cool options for girls on your list as well:
Chat Toys:
The biggest tech toys for girls are ones that let them communicate with their friends. Girl Tech Laser Chat(Radica) uses infrared to send a voice message to another Laser Chat within 12 metres. Similarly, Power Talk (Tiger Electronics) can send 10-second voice messages to other Power Talk units, from about 15 metres away inside a building and 30 metres outside.
Media:
Girls will like anything that allows them to take their own pictures, listen to their favorite music, and exchange media with their friends. Hit Clips (Hasbro) plays music stored on postage-stamp-sized discs that can be swapped among friends. For young filmmakers, the Barbie Wireless Video Camera (Mattel) is a girl-friendly option. For older girls, standard MP3 players and digital cameras draw girls toward the computer in order to swap songs and email photos.
Privacy:
Girls have always been interested in keeping their own secret space. Two more of the great products by Girl Tech are Password Journal 2, a programmable locked journal and a voice activated Password Keepsafe Box, for storing other sorts of secret items.
Game Consoles:
Thinking of buying a game console this year? Videogames and consoles are often targeted towards a young mail audience. If I was to pick the most female friendly console, I would pick the Nintendo Game Cube (Nintendo). Not only is it the easiest to learn, but it has the widest range of gender-neutral games available, such as Pokemon, Mario Party, and Pikmen.
Robotics:
The Lego Mindstorms (Lego) series is fantastic fun for older girls who enjoy crafts and projects. The programming interface is simple and intuitive. The one drawback is that the Mindstorms series is marketed towards boys, even though the technology itself is entirely gender-neutral. I’d suggest picking up the book " Creative Projects with Lego Mindstorms" (by Benjamin Erwin) as well—it has sample projects built by both boys and girls.
The most important thing to remember is to take into account the individual preferences of the girl—a girl who is particularly feminine may see the Lego toys as "boys toys," but may like a robotic "Digital Pet." A girl who really liked the movie "Spy Kids" may not mind some of the spy gadgetry traditionally sold for boys. Whatever your decision, remember to consider technology-based toys as an option for boys and girls.