teenagers

What teens can teach you about tech

Last week, I attended a few panels at an SDForum event titled "Generation Tech: Plugging In With Teens," and I learned two things. One, I hate commuting and am perfectly happy to keep spending obscene amounts on rent to live in the city where I work. And two, teens are fascinating creatures. They offer some excellent insights about technology, and not only about what is "in" (though they're a great measure of that). What is most eye-opening is what a testament they are to the exponential progress of technology. The thing is, I wasn't … Read more

Chatting 'bout an IM generation

LOS ANGELES--Power is in the hands of the IM set.

A buzzword here at the OnHollywood conference this week is the "IM generation"--a young age group that has adopted instant messaging and texting more than any other form of digital communication.

Tony Perkins, founder of OnHollywood and organizer of the AlwaysOn Network, launched the event on Tuesday night by saying that the IM generation is driving innovation.

Perkins' statement was followed by a Thursday discussion led, in part, by a group of young panelists. It focused on how teenagers tend to not look at their gadgets and … Read more

Be your own Tamagotchi

As the Tamagotchi enters its teens, manufacturer Bandai seems to have finally realized that it needs to figure out the next step in its virtual life strategy. And it's decided to takes its concept to the people--literally.

Enter the "Human Player." Rather than focus on the creation and sustenance of make-believe pets, the Human Player's goal is to create an "on-screen mini-you" by administering a 50-question test that yields 22 personality traits, according to Gearfuse.

You can then interact with other virtual souls, going so far as to venture into other people's digital … Read more

Teen repellant heads for U.S.

It still smacks of urban legend to us, but some people swear that teenager-repelling sounds do exist--and work. So we wouldn't be surprised to see some desperate parents and shop owners rushing to order the "Mosquito," an ultrasonic youth deterrent from the United Kingdom, which Gizmodo says is being imported to North America. The device, distributed by a company with the irresistible name of Kids Be Gone, supposedly creates an adolescent-free zone with a range of 40 to 60 feet. We'll be right back (need to find a tape measure).

Tamagotchi's terrible teens

The Tamagotchi craze may have subsided years ago, but its concept survived intact. And recently, we've seen other products taking on similar tendencies, so it's not surprising that toymaker Bandai would come out with a new version.

The latest incarnation, according to Uber-Review, is worse than ever: "Now kids have to manage the thing's education, help it get a job and guide it through its career, all the while attempting to play mini-games to earn intellectual, beauty or social skill points--or risk ending up with a stupid, ugly, antisocial pet."

Sounds to us as if … Read more