As much as we all love our gadgets, video games and computers, it is important, especially for kids, to power down once in awhile.  As a parent, I think the amount of time spent on TV and video games by children is one of the hardest things to monitor.   Well, moms and dads, I’d like you to meet Bob.  Made by Hopscotch, Bob is a TV and video game timer that allows you to set time limits on video games, television viewing and computer usage.  By simply plugging any video game console, such as Wii or Playstation, TV, or computer into Bob’s locking receptacle, parents have indirect control of the device.  Before the attached video game console or computer will power up, you child must enter his or her 4 digit pin.  The Hopscotch timer will automatically shut down the video game or computer device when your child reaches his or her pre-set limit.  In addition, parents can further monitor computer and video game use by completely blocking out some time periods, such as homework time.  If you’re exhausted by trying to figure out how to reduce the amount of time your child spends playing games and surfing the net, the Hopscotch TV timer may be just for you.  I found Bob at www.dvo.com. 

I’ve been using my Blackberry Curve 8310 for 6 months now and I truly believe I could not live without it.  In my opinion here are the best features of the Blackberry Curve.   My Blackberry 8310 seems to be durable.  I’ve dropped it (more than once) on concrete and it seems to be unphased.  Secondly, I love the camera on the Blackberry 8310.  The pictures come out looking great thanks to 5X digital zoom.  And thirdly, the Blackberry Curve is easy to use.  I had mine figured out in a matter of days, and I use every feature on it except for GPS.  Just haven’t activated the GPS yet.  Here is one thing I think could be improved with the Blackberry Curve:  the buttons are very,very small.  I do fine with them, but it’s obvious that someone with bigger hands might not do so well. 

I know that digital photo frames are all the rage right now, but I still like these little digital photo albums that you can take anywhere.  I found this one at Fresh Finds for $29.95.  Weighing in at a mere 1.6 oz. , this digital photo album comes with 2MB of storage space and holds 54 digital photos.  It’s a keychain design, which allows you to attach the it to the outside of your handbag or backpack.  The digital photo album shown above comes with a USB cable and batteries, and is compatible with XP,Vista, and Win2000.  If you’re one of those people who can’t find the right digital pictures just when someone wants to see them, this digital photo album looks like a great idea.