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iPhone-related stories
Baby iPhone App, Boy Finds Missing Man, and More - Links We Love
Deciding who's in the delivery room is a big decision. Image: sxc.hu
When 11-year-old Logan Roberts when looking for a missing bottle in the woods, he didn't realized he'd come back a hero. Roberts found Ross Abinanti, a 63-year-old man -- suffering from dementia -- who'd been lost for 10 days. -- The Mommy Blog
You want a baby; he's not ready. How do you decide when the right time is to have a baby? And is there ever a perfect time to become a parent? -- CafeMom
One mom's dilemma: Who do I allow in the delivery room? May hospitals have a limit, but some don't. How did you decide who got to be there for the birth of your baby? -- MomLogic
The FDA -- concerned about overdosing -- may soon ban infant Tylenol. If they don't, here are tips for safely using it with your smallest children. -- On Parenting
Dad hopes she'll forget it about it, but Mom decides -- much to his dismay -- to eat the placenta after birth anyway. This seems like something that a couple should agree on first. -- Whoa, Momma!
Jon Gosselin is moving on: He was spotted with his new girlfriend -- daughter of the doctor who did Kate Gosselin's tummy tuck -- in France. -- Popeater
My husband loves to run and hopes his kids will too. Here are a few ways to get your kids into a pair of running shoes. -- That's Fit
iPhone "Baby Shaker" App Pulled - What Was Apple Thinking?
Health & Safety, Weird But True, Gadgets & Tech
The description of the now-unavailable app read, "On a plane, on the bus, in a theatre. Babies are everywhere you don't want them to be! They're always distracting you from preparing for that big presentation at work with their incessant crying. Before Baby Shaker there was nothing you could do about it."
And of course, the description included a disclaimer: "Never, never shake a baby."
As you might imagine, there was quite an uproar over this app, primarily from parents. Patrick Donohue, founder of the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, an organization that helps parents and medical professionals deal with Pediatric Acquired Brain Injuries such those as caused by Shaken Baby Syndrome, wrote directly to Apple CEO Steve Jobs to express his dismay: "As the father of a 3-year-old who was shaken by her baby nurse when she was only 5 days old, breaking 3 ribs, both collarbones and causing a severe brain injury, words cannot describe my reaction." Marilyn Bar, the founder of the US Center for Shaken Baby Syndrome, goes even further: "Not only are they making fun of shaken baby syndrome, but they are actually encouraging it. This is absolutely terrible."
How Safe is Dairy
Does milk really do a body good? Are the hormones safe? Does yogurt help with weight loss, and does kefir promote better digestion? It can be maddening trying to muddle through all the conflicting information out there. We have the down low on which dairy products your family should be eating, drinking and slurping.
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Milk: It's one of the best sources of calcium, needed for building strong bones and teeth and safe weight loss, according to one recent study. Plus, milk is full of protein, fortified with vitamin D and protects against colon cancer. So what's the problem? Well, lactose intolerance for many, probable increased risk of prostate cancer and possible increased risk of ovarian cancer. That's the hormones, found in standard and organic milk (thanks to dairy cows being kept pregnant so that they'll lactate). And that weight-loss study? Funded by the National Dairy Council.
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Verdict: There's currently no good scientific evidence that says that drinking more than one glass of milk per day is necessary, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Given some of the risk factors associated with consuming too much dairy, best to look to non-dairy sources for your daily requirement of calcium (1,000 to 1,200 milligrams). Go for leafy greens, beans and whole grains -- all of which offer countless other health benefits, too.
Ray Kachatorian
Cheese: Cheese is the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of the dairy world. On the one hand, we can appreciate delicate shavings of parmesan enhancing the flavor of a salad, or a slice of Bucheron complementing a glass of wine. On the other, we see a slop of melted cheddar oozing over nachos, a roadside stop on the path to obesity or clogged arteries.
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Verdict: Think moderation. Most cheese is high in sodium and isn't exactly low-calorie. But the combination of fat and protein in cheese is very satisfying, and it can keep your appetite in check for hours after eating. The endless variety of cheeses can accommodate most tastes and diets: Feta is low in saturated fats, firm ricotta is low in sodium and Swiss offers a real protein punch. Plus, cheese happens to be great for your teeth -- in addition to providing calcium, it changes the pH in your mouth to discourage bacteria.
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Yogurt: Yogurt offers all the benefits of milk, and then some. It's more easily digested than milk and contains friendly bacteria that's good for your intestinal tract. Some studies even show it to boost immunity and fight cancerous tumors. Unfortunately, most of the yogurt you see on supermarket shelves is so highly sweetened that most of the calories in the product come from the sugar, not the yogurt itself.
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Verdict: Buy plain yogurt. It is more nutritious in every way and it's easily sweetened with fruit, maple syrup or agave nectar. Or, don't sweeten it and use it in place of sour cream, milk or mayonnaise when making pancakes, muffins or tuna salad. Also, avoid any yogurt at the store called "lite," as it likely contains artificial sweeteners and colors.
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Kefir: Kefir, which is just now more widely available, is a cultured, enzyme-rich food that contains even more beneficial bacteria than yogurt, as well as healthy yeasts. It also contains the essential amino acid tryptophan, which has a calming effect on the nerves.
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Verdict: Ta-da! Kefir is he healthiest of all the dairy products. But, as with yogurt, it's best to avoid the overly sweetened commercial varieties. Choose plain kefir, or, better yet, you can purchase a starter culture and easily make your own using whatever milk you normally buy.
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Apple has removed the program from their iPhone app store and the developer, Sikalosoft, no longer lists it on their website.
We've all experienced the frustration that comes with a baby that won't stop crying. I spent the first three months of my oldest son's life trudging up and down the stairs all night long because that was the only thing that would stop him from crying. And it can be even worse when it's someone else's baby disturbing your meal or interrupting your movie. But, of course, physical abuse is never an option for dealing with an unhappy or inconsolable child. And yet, the developer of this application seems to find this kind of behavior amusing.
I'm sure someone, somewhere, thought, at some point, that this was funny, but someone at Apple, which has been criticized for being too particular about the apps they do approve, certainly made a mistake in approving this one.
Tech etiquette - Do you let the kids play with your iPhone?
Toys & Games, Gadgets & Tech, Extreme Childhood
I have an iPhone; I bought it for work, but I have to admit that the Cool Factor was also important to me. I also must confess that it can do some pretty awesome things, most of which are not necessarily work-related, like checking Twitter or downloading music from my college days or seeing what's hot at Fashion Week. (Okay maybe that last one is kind of work related. Possibly.)My kids are not allowed to mess with my iPhone. They don't watch videos on it or play games. Occasionally they get to check the weather, and if we are stuck somewhere waiting for something, they can flip through my pictures, and of course they sometimes get to talk on it. But beyond that (and those moments are very, very few) my iPhone is off limits. Completely.
But not all parents feel the way I do. Victor Agreda at TUAW lets his kids play with his iPhone, and it raises an interesting question about technology and kids, though: "what's the harm? Is there harm? I've limited their use to the inevitable 'we're waiting right now' moments. But still, no matter what we've done that day that was new and exciting, if my son plays with the iPhone for 5 minutes that's all Mom hears about when he's going to bed. ... I grew up with an Apple ][ in the house and I'm sure that had a hand in my love of tech. But there's also a case for letting kids find their own way, at an age-appropriate level. I cringe when they swing my naked iPhone around using iSaber, expecting Wii-style damage to our windows and the device itself. Yet I can't help but think that getting used to technology early -- something that will increasingly invade their lives as it becomes more embedded in our world -- is maybe a good thing. Everything in moderation, of course."
What about you -- do you let your kids play with your iPhone (or your Blackberry or whatever you're using these days) or is it off-limits? And what about the bigger point here, that technology is an inevitable part of our kids' lives? Is that true in your house, or not so much?
The pressure of being a teen
Teens & tweens, Money & Work, Health & Safety, Eating & Nutrition, Life & Style, In The News, Environment, Media, Gadgets & Tech
Every generation thinks they have it tougher than the one before. And, you know what? They probably do. Like the new iphone, every generation is expected to be smarter, faster, better, and thinner than the last. So it is with teenagers, teenage girls to be exact. It's no newsflash to anyone who's ever been a teenager that being one is full of pressure. I remember an ad I saw in a women's magazine when I was a teen that resonates with me to this day: You can never be too rich or too thin (bonus points to any of you who remember what product that ad was selling).
Current research shows that not only such magazines but now too the wonderful world wide web are contributing to making girls feel miserable with regard to being, well, as rich and as thin as possible. In the Generation Under Stress Report, two out of five teenage girls felt more poorly about themselves after looking at pictures of models, music stars and actresses in magazines. And the pressure doesn't end there. Girls also reported feeling pressure to act and dress more like adults, to be sexually active before they were ready and to invest in expensive material items like Ipods, cell phones and brand-name clothing and accessories (what teenager NEEDS a Prada bag?). Add that to the eating disorders and bullying and you have a recipe for disaster.
So what do we do? Send our teenage girls off to the convent? If you have the answer, please let me know--I am about to have a daughter and am feeling the pressure before she's even been born. Not too long ago I saw a onesie that said, "Does this outfit make my butt look big?" HELP!
Pic by POSITIv, used in accordance with its CC license.
DailyDish: Turn off your cell phone
Fun & Activities, Life & Style, Gadgets & Tech, Home Remedies, Resources
Turn off your cell phone.
Teen hackers unlock whatever they want
Teens & tweens, Gadgets & Tech, That's Entertainment
As you're almost certainly aware, technology companies spend millions upon millions of dollars, trying to limit the ways in which people can use their products, or restrict consumers' access to certain kinds of content. For most of us, these are impenetrable barriers, so we're forced to accept them. However, with a little elbow grease, an inquisitive mind, and a lot of technical expertise, it's possible to hack just about anything.
But what's surprising, is that these multi-million dollar systems are often cracked by kids who are still in high school.
Like the 17-year-old from New Jersey, who recently "unlocked" the iPhone -- allowing customers to use the coveted mobile device on rival networks. (Otherwise you're forced to contract with AT&T to use the device.) The hack involves a combination of soldering and some serious ability with software, so it's certainly not an option for the everyday user -- but the fact that it's even possible is mind-boggling when you consider the time, effort, and money both Apple and AT&T put into making their product hacker-proof.
Or the Australian high school student that cracked the government's $84 million Internet porn filter in just 30 minutes. Not only that, but the teen did it in a way that covers his tracks, so his parents wouldn't notice that the filter was no longer working.
Not that I'm advocating teens spend their Internet time scouring for porn, but I think it's amazing that kids who are barely old enough to drive are picking apart some of the most sophisticated security software in the world. The pace at which technology evolves gives a kind of power to younger generations that's very exciting to see.
Dad gets vasectomy for iPhone
As you may have noticed, everyone on the planet is obsessing over the new iPhone. And today, in a hysterical post on Gizmodo, we learn that one man was apparently such a fan that he was willing to undergo a vasectomy just to get his hands on one.
It's not as strange as it sounds.
Apparently Sean Johnson and his wife agreed that he'd already spent too much money that year, and thus didn't have the $500 needed for the new "Jesus Phone" (as it's called on tech blogs). But, during a road trip with the kids when his wife stayed home with the baby, temptation proved to be too much for Mr. Johnson, and bought the iPhone anyway -- without his wife's permission!
Needless to say, Mrs. Johnson soon found out, and the new gadget was quickly returned to the Apple store, and Mr. Johnson's money was returned. However, the poor man begged and pleaded so much that finally his wife relented and agreed to let him get the damn thing.
That is, if he'd finally make that appointment for a vasectomy.
According to Mr. Johnson, his new iPhone is fantastic.
Even 1-year-olds can use iPhone
I'm not normally someone who lusts after gadgets, but the new iPhone (dubbed the "Jesus Phone" by tech bloggers) looks amazing. The idea of being able to browse my favorite websites with my finger as I walk down the street is so enticing, that, if the cost of an iPhone wasn't well beyond my budget, I would've been camping out in line outside my local Apple store -- just so I could've been one of the first to buy it.
And little demonstrations like this only make me want it even more. In the above video, Daddy Chad takes his one-year-old son, Trey, through the basics of iPhone use. After some quick instruction, Trey is able to flip through photos like a pro.
It's funny, just last night I was saying to my girlfriend that the generation being born now probably won't ever have a need to print photographs -- they won't see the point. If Trey is any indication, it seems I might have been right.
Knitted iPhones: totally shatterproof
What do you do when you're afraid your kid is going to a) break your totally awesome new techno-gadget, or b) use it to call 911 over, and over, and over? Make them a knitted version!
That's what Greg at Daddy Types did (or, at least, got his mom to do), and the results are fantastic. Not only is this a surprisingly accurate representation of an iPhone (which already makes it cooler than most toys), but, because it's hand-knitted, your kid can't break it -- no matter how many times he or she throws it against the wall, steps on it, or puts in the dog's mouth. Awesome!
Check out Greg's post for instructions on how you can make your own.
