gadgets and gadget lust

Is it just me, or is it a distinctly male thing in this modern world to be fascinated by mechanical things (ex. electronics, cars, motorcyles, guns, power tools, music equipment)?

Well, as of Wednesday, I'm another Nintendo DS lite owner (in a nice, beautiful onyx black)... not only have I been playing some of my old Gameboy Advance games, I've been completely hooked on the addictive Brain Age - a game that convinces a teacher like me that the field of "educational games" to help students build basic skills in things like math, reading, and analytical thinking is still a (sadly) untapped goldmine.

When I first heard of the Nintendo DS lite, I thought it was a bit of an off-beat idea (playing games with a stylus & touch screen?), but it wasn't until I got to try hands-on the DS lites of Fong and Reg that I became convinced of how innovative and fun the system is... plus, the addition of wireless multiplayer is definitely cool. Now that several members of our Wudan small group have one, we can add some geektastic gaming sessions after our usual meeting. There's nothing like 5-8 grown men yelling, smack-talking, and laughing at each other while they're struggling for supremacy in a round of multiplayer Mario Kart and Tetris.

Overall, the Nintendo DS lite is a great gadget. It has the potential to really transform gaming here in the US. Already in Japan, it's causing a mini-revolution as not only kids and guys, but traditionally non-game playing demographic groups like women and the elderly are scooping it up as the Nintendo DS has suddenly emerged to dominate the Japanese market, an impressive feat considering that Nintendo's Gameboy series was a previous record-holder in terms of longevity and total purchased.


.:.


In other gadget related news:

Apple has recently announced a new line porducts - iPod Nanos that harken back to the iPod mini's colors and aluminum casing, while a completely new iPod shuffle just got really tiny.
posted by G at 11:24 PM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33