Admittedly, this may not be the most high-tech of gadgets, but a new toy mouse with a funny recording is worth a mention--and so thought The Sun, which broke the story early Monday. It all started with parents fretting over a $5 toy mouse; they claim the novelty toy sold in small shops and market stalls is singing "pedophile" instead of "Jingle Bells."
Parents in the UK are up in arms after claiming that a $5 toy mouse is singing "pedophile, pedophile" instead of "Jingle Bells."
(Credit: Screenshot by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore/CNET)For anyone who wants to hear it for themselves, here is the recording.
Toy distributor Humatt, which got the toys from China, says the man in the recording simply could not pronounce "Jingle Bells" correctly, so it was sped up to try to hide this fact.
"We've slowed the song down and it definitely says Jingle Bells, but we have recalled them now just in case anybody might take offense," a spokesperson says.
Ah, the power of concerned parents. But just as I managed to make it through such potentially hazardous childhood activities as dressing a Barbie doll that was sure to cause anorexia and making mud pies with dirt that was not certified organic, their kids will likely overcome their scary mouse encounters.
Cori sent us treats! <3
(Credit: The 404/Sadacori)Believe it or not, the fourth host on today's episode of CNET's The 404 Podcast is the Nook, Barnes & Noble's e-book reader with a color touch screen and Wi-Fi. The device is currently sold out and on back order throughout B&N, so it wasn't easy to obtain. We had to walk 500 miles and battle a Nazgul to get it, but the in-studio demo was worth the wait. If you haven't seen a Nook up close, you're in for a treat.
Speaking of treats, the holidays come early for The 404 this year! Today's episode starts off normal enough, with another story about a crazed girlfriend who destroys her boyfriend's precious PS3 and a couple making their own paranormal activity to fund their wedding, but the real story is the package we receive halfway through the live show from dedicated 404 listener Cori (Sadacori in the chat room). We've received care packages before, but this one is definitely the best. Just check out the picture up top! Thanks a million Cori, we really appreciate all the Yuletide pounds! :)
Our ill-deserved holiday break is coming up in two weeks, and we get awfully lonely if we don't hear from you, so won't you leave us a voice mail at 1-866-404-CNET and let us know how your holiday season is going? We'd love to hear your voices, but you can also e-mail us at the404(at)cnet[dot]com or add us on Twitter and Facebook as well!
EPISODE 481
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Call me a sucker for the holiday season, but at this time of year I just can't get into mowing down zombies and blasting TIE fighters. I need games that put me in a more, well, merry frame of mind.
Thankfully, the App Store has no shortage of holiday-themed entertainment. I've rounded up five festive games for players young and old.
Flight Before Christmas puts a cute, Santa-themed spin on Flight Control.
Christmas Match A holiday spin on the classic memory game, this one's designed for younger players. It has falling snow, jingle-bell sounds and music, and, of course, holiday-decorated cards to flip. Price: 99 cents.
Crazy Snowboard--Holiday Special I respect my bones too much to snowboard in real life, but I do love a good snowboarding sim. This one puts you in a Santa suit and sends you grinding down the slopes, where you'll smash past elves, candy canes, and, for some reason, zombies. Kooky, yes, but still great fun. Price: $2.99.
Flight Before Christmas It's Flight Control meets Christmas as you help Santa plot a flight path, delivering presents to all the houses while avoiding other air traffic: jets, helicopters, even UFOs. If you can hit multiple houses without altering your path, you score combo points. It's a great twist on an iPhone classic. Price: 99 cents.
Triazzle Holiday puts your puzzle-solving skills to the test--festively!
Santa's Run The game that Grinchmas should have been (and may yet be--updates are in the works), Santa's Run tasks you with flinging presents to various houses' chimneys and doorways. A power meter controls the strength of your toss, while wind speed and direction can affect the path. Plus, you play across four different backgrounds. Not a ton of replay value here, but it's fun while it lasts. Price: 99 cents.
Triazzle Holiday Remember Triazzle, the classic puzzle game that made a dazzling iPhone debut last summer? This four-level holiday edition adorns the puzzles with Christmas lights, ornaments, nutcrackers, and even dreidels for my fellow Red Sea pedestrians. Price: 99 cents.
Speaking of holiday apps, don't miss the cool Dr. Seuss Camera--Grinch Edition I mentioned a few days ago.
In the meantime, hit the comments and let me know what holiday-themed apps are visiting your iPhone or iPod Touch this year.
Stock up on free holiday music (for kids and adults alike) from Amazon.
(Credit: Amazon)Those of us who celebrate Chanukah may get eight nights of presents, but you X-mas folks get all the good music.
Thanks to Mrs. Cheapskate, who tinsels with the best of 'em, I've really come to enjoy Christmas songs over the years. Consequently, I'm always on the lookout for new (and cheap, natch) tunes to add to the holiday playlist.
Amazon has quite a bounty this year. For starters, check out these 29 free holiday tunes from artists like Tori Amos, Lady GaGa, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
Over at Dealnews you can find 11 more holiday freebies from Amazon, including the kid-friendly "Christmas with a Monkey" and funk-tastic "Boogaloo Santa Claus."
Finally, you can download a free audio book of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" from Learn Out Loud.
Got a few bucks to spare? For my money there's no better holiday album on the planet than Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which Amazon sells for $5.99 (two bucks less than iTunes).
Where's the Grinch? In this uninspired game, only his hand appears. Grinchmas, indeed!
(Credit: Oceanhouse Media)Maybe I'm feeling extra Grinchy today because stupid iTunes keeps timing out when I sync my iPhone, but I don't like Grinchmas.
In this new game from Oceanhouse Media, you're a disembodied Grinch hand that flings snowballs--or presents, if you're in more of a "Merry Grinch" mood--at houses down in Whoville.
And that's it. The challenge, if you can call it that, lies in flinging accurately: you have to swipe at just the right speed and in just the right direction to score a hit.
If I'm any indication, grown-up players will tire of this in about 18 seconds. The littler Whos in your house might enjoy it for longer--the game skews cute, colorful, and Seussian--but ultimately, Grinchmas works so hard at being "casual" that it forgets to be fun. Skip it.
Give your snapshots a fun, Grinch-ian makeover with Dr. Seuss Camera.
(Credit: Oceanhouse Media)The real Dr. Seuss-inspired fun lies in Dr. Seuss Camera: The Grinch Edition, which uses the iPhone camera to create whimsical, Grinchy holiday cards you can share with friends.
Start by choosing from 20-plus different cards, then point your iPhone camera (sorry, Touch users) at the kids, the dog, cranky Uncle Fred, etc.
Each card has either a face cutout area or an empty space alongside a Grinch-related character (if not the ol' meanie himself).
After you snap the photo, you can decorate it further with stamps and borders, then save it to your Camera Roll and/or e-mail it to friends and family.
It's a cute little app, easy to use, and a perfect slice of holiday fun. Here's hoping that "The Grinch Edition" subtitle means there are other versions in the works. (I've always wanted a photo of myself next to Horton the Elephant.)
The 404 <3 Katie and Jill.
(Credit: CBS)The holiday season is upon us and we know most of you are struggling to "find the money" to buy gifts for your friends and family, so we make the long trip across the hallway and invite Jill Schlesinger on the show to help us keep our heads above water. Jill is editor at large for CBS MoneyWatch.com and has plenty of experience with financial planning, so listen up!
As you might already know from past episodes featuring The Financial Decoder, Jill isn't the biggest fan of credit card companies, or "legalized drug dealers," as she calls them, but this time she has her scope pointed at the dangers of using a debit card.
Despite proposed laws that would outlaw overdraft fees, Jill suspects we haven't seen the end of hidden fees and actually recommends budgeting this season with presents that won't leave you with an empty bank account. Your dear old mom doesn't really need that Tiffany's necklace or box of Godiva chocolates! Leave that stuff for Mother's Day, and just go out and have fun together--it's free, and it won't drain your bank account.
Jill also drops knowledge on us (in a Bulgarian accent, no less) about how to develop optimistic (and realistic) financial goals for the year instead of frantically scrambling to plan around the holidays. With Valentine's Day coming up, it's too bad Jeff isn't here! Jill tells us the best way to stop the cycle of "hedonic spending" is to play a game she calls "Find the Money."
Have fun and play games while balancing your spending and saving money at the same time?! Be sure to listen to this episode of The 404 Podcast to get the whole story!
EPISODE 474
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The Riders hail from San Francisco, but their tunes seem torn between the small pleasures of city living and the hardy lifestyle of the nearby hills. Using campfire harmonicas and winsome guitars, they sing about the Laundromat yet sound like they recorded on Neil Young's ranch.
On "My Holiday," Smith turns her shimmering country-pop pipes toward the music of the season, and the style and the songs meet like old friends. Issuing gleaming guitars and wispy harmonies over both standards and originals, she homes in on what makes these songs matter.
Rock River Music Records had the genius idea to take a bunch of old Christmas records and let modern DJs, such as Dan The Automator, remix them. Amazingly, it works. This album offers the best of both worlds; traditional pop vocalists blended with dance beats.
The Brooklyn wunderkind's holiday record is a great window on his unique art. Who but the man behind "Come On, Feel the Illinoise" would rework a White Stripes song title into "Get Behind Me, Santa"? As usual, Stevens' banjo-driven indie-folk is darkly funny and spiritually deep.
