Howie Mandel & The Talking Pine
Howie Mandel tries to come up with a holiday campaign for Buy.com. Buy.com has millions of items at amazing prices, free shipping, video reviews, over 20 major categories of products.
New Rap Music
Search Emerging Artists & Help Vote Them Into Stardom. Join Today
TidalTV
Today's Hit Shows. Classic TV. Plus the Best Shows You've Never Seen. Watch it all Now for Free on TidalTV.
Blackberry Storm Debuts to Long Lines The Blackberry Storm was released today. The Blackberry Storm is the first BlackBerry device to offer a touch screen interface. Long lines were reported at Verizon Stores - see here, here and here - where the Storm is being sold. Verizon Wireless is offering the Blackberry Storm for $200 to customers who sign a two-year contract. Reuters says this is the same as the iPhone-AT&T offer.
Verizon Wireless is making a big bet on the Storm for the crucial holiday season. The No. 2 U.S. mobile service heavily promoted four different phones last holiday season, but its focus this year is on the first touch-screen BlackBerry.
Both the Storm and iPhone cost $200 for customers who agree to a two-year service contract and both come with a built-in camera, and music and video players
The touch screen gives Blackberry a device that can challenge Apple's iPod Touch and iPhone.You can see the Blackberry Storm and the iPhone side by side this video. Wired's Gadget Lab also has a comparison between the two rival gadgets here. The Blackberry devices have a devoted following because it has been a consistent and reliable tool for delivering emails and text messages. The Blackberry Storm's touch keyboard may not be for everyone. Blackberry users may desire a more familiar keyboard and prefer one of the Blackberry's other models - like the Blackberry Curve or Blackberry Bold.
Survey Finds Holidays Cause Women More Stress Than Men Market research firms KW Strategems and Decipher recently conducted a study about how much people are stressed out by the holiday. The study found that the holidays are more stressful for women. It also found that finances are the most likely cause of holiday stress - that's a stressor that will be in play this year for many families. Here are some highlights from the study's findings.
Overall, Americans claim to be good at handling holiday stress
On a 10-point scale, Americans rated their stress level at 3.44 points.
Finances are the most likely cause of holiday stress
Two-thirds of Americans claim financing the holidays is a significant stress factor.
Slightly more than one-half of Americans will try to spend less this holiday season.
The holidays prove to be a more stressful time for women
Seven-in-ten women are moderately or significantly worried about finances during the holidays.
Nearly one-half of women are moderately or significantly worried about their weight during the holidays.
Except for health, Seniors (age 60+) were less stressed by the holidays than any other age group.
The study also surveyed people to find out things they could in the holiday to feel less stressed. Several of the responses suggest that people would simply feel less stressed about the holidays if they had more time to get prepared or were able to stick to their regular exercise routing during the holidays. Of course, those are things that are easier said than done. Time seems to speed by extra quickly in those final weeks leading up to the holidays.
Spend Less - 57%
Finish my holiday shopping early - 39%
Prepare earlier for the holidays (shop, cook, etc.) - 31%
Exercise more - 28%
Buyer fewer sweets for home - 27%
Stick to my regular exercise routine - 27%
Bring healthy food to share at gatherings - 17%
Serve healthy options at gatherings - 14%
Do all my holiday shopping online - 13%
Escape for a girls/guys night out - 11%
Go to fewer holiday parties - 11%
If you are curious the 17-page PDF file for the holiday stress survey is available here.
Interactive Toys at Hamleys in London ITN's Dominic Reynolds went to Hamleys in London to play with this year's crop of interactive toys. The toys he plays with include a robotic dog that offers its paw and Elmo Live. He looks like he is having fun aside from the baby that wets himself. Take a look:
Study Finds Away-Facing Strollers May Stress Out Babies The AFP reports that a new British study has found that babies riding in forward-facing (or away-facing) strollers could become "emotionally impoverished" because they have no face-to-face contact with the parent who is pushing them.
Having infants facing their parent gives them positive reassurance and reduces mental stress, said the study by researchers at Dundee University in Scotland, believed to be the first of its kind.
"Neuroscience has helped us to learn how important social interaction during the early years is for children's brain development," said Suzanne Zeedyk of the university's School of Psychology.
"Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful. Stressed babies grow into anxious adults," she added.
Specifically, the study found that 25 percent of parents using face-to-face buggies actually spoke to their baby, more than twice as many as with away-facing buggies, which are the most common type.
If the study is correct then babies may be happier in strollers where the infant faces the parent. The study involved 3,000 parent-infant pairs with the parent pushing the infant for one mile. Half the time the parent was facing the infant and half the time the infant was not. The study found that parents using strollers with the infant facing them also spoke to their baby more frequently.
It's a surprising study because technically a parent is not very far away from their child at all in either type of stroller. CNN's article has a quote from developmental psychologist Suzanne Zeedyk who led the study. She says, "Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful."
Try a search for "parent facing strollers" if you are looking for the type of stroller this latest study says less stressful for infants. Some strollers are also reversible so the baby can be facing either way - like the Stokke Xplory Complete Single Stroller seen here. Babyproducts.about.com has a list of nine reversible strollers here.
The rumored MAC Hello Kitty products have been confirmed. WWDreports that there will be two Mac Hello Kitty collections: the Hello Kitty Colour Collection and the more high-end Hello Kitty Kouture. Here's a sample of what you kind find in the Hello Kitty Colour Collection.
The bulk of the items are in the former category: six shades of lipstick with names like Fashion Mews and Strayin', each $14; six Lipglass shades, each $14; and two tinted lip conditioners, $14.50 each; two eye shadow palettes, which each contain four shades and retail for $38; two shades of pigment are $19.50 each, and two Reflects Glitter stockkeeping units - one blue, one pink - are $17.50 each. Four Glitter Eye Liners, each $16.50, two shades of Beauty Powder, each $22; three shades of nail polish, each $11; a black mascara, $12, and false lashes, $12, round out the color offerings. Shades range from pinks and turquoises to lavenders and greens.
Hello Kitty Colour items will be sold Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Macys, MAC stores and online at maccosmetics.com.
WWD says the Hello Kitty Kouture collection will only be available at MAC stores and maccosmetics.com and it will only be available for eight weeks.
Hello Kitty Kouture is intended to be the high end of the collection. Two shades of Dazzleglass, each $28, each feature a reusable silver chain pendant with Hello Kitty outlined in white Swarovski crystals on black with a pink crystal bow. Sheer Mystery Powder, $90 and available in three shades, is packaged in a silver powder compact with Hello Kitty outlined in white Swarovski crystals with a pink crystal bow on a black background.
There are also a few other items such as a plush doll ($42) and purse mirror ($22) that will be sold at Nordstrom, MAC stores and maccosmetics.com. The products will arrive on maccosmetics.com on February 10th, 2009 and will be in North American stores on February 12th, 2009 and in overseas stores in March, 2009. However, a waiting list will go live on January 7th on maccosmetics.com.