Friday, 22 November 2013

A Little Bit Of Technology This Christmas...?

So, today saw the release of the XBox One, and my goodness, don't I know it!

The men in my house - one is aged eight years, and one, well, he is aged a tad over thirty years - have both done nothing but rave about their need to have this console in the house, and today - the release day - has been the worse by far.

Totally Computer Crazy.

So, why so excited?

Well apparently, the new generation consoles - the XBox One and the PS4 - are "taking console gaming to a whole new level" (I quote the Hubby here).

So naturally, these are going to be the sought after Christmas item to have Santa bring down the chimney this year, and I know for sure that Old St Nicholas had better have reserved one for this household.

Or there could be tears....
And I'm not too sure how my eight year old would react either...

Computer's are bound to be craved for by the kiddies - young and old - we really do live in a technological era - even my Grandma adores her Nintendo DS.

Everyone wants to own the latest "it" thing.

And my home isn't any different.

We already have a Nintendo 3DS, and a PSP, both of which help to make car journeys incredibly peaceful if nothing else.

I don't mind my son playing on these because I can monitor what he actually is playing, and encourage the more educational games where I can.

Educational technology also branches out into things like tablets that available for younger children, where development can also be supported through learning apps and programmes.

So - back to this year's "must haves".

The XBox One sounds pretty fab and it is very obviously "built for the future".

To be honest, a lot of the technological jargon is lost on me, however, I do find it amazing that it will recognise voices and will switch on when you say "XBox On", and it will even turn on the TV.

I am keen for my son to have one, because he really does enjoy his computer games - in moderation to everything else of course - and we already have an Xbox 360, so the XBox One seems like the natural progression.

Games such as the Lego series; Minecraft; and the ever changing Skylanders are all XBox friendly, and they provide lots of entertainment, as well as being age appropriate for a younger child too.

Of course, older "children" don't miss out either, with the Assassin's Creeds, the Grand Theft Auto's and the Modern Warfare's available to keep them interested.

But I'm much happier to hear that Lego have brought a new superhero game out, "Marvel Super Heros" and that the new Skylander's Swapforce is available just before Christmas.

Very Helpful Stuff.

Of course, all of these fab games are available for the PS4 too, however this is a little bit of a mystery to me I must admit, but it sounds quite fantastic too - it apparantly "puts gamers first" and offers "stunning graphic performance".

What to choose eh.

I have to admit, the only thing I find a tad annoying about having a gaming household, is the noise.

Honestly the music on some of the games is enough to drive any sane person a little mad, and I have come to the conclusion that only one of two things will save my sanity this Christmas:

1.  I make sure we have a gaming headset to plug into the console and block out all of the noise,
or
2.  I invest in another suitable TV specifically for gaming purposes, and allow my son to have it in his bedroom.

Now, Option Two is the one that my son has been trying his damnedest to get, for well over a year now, but I'm not convinced that it would be all that healthy for him to be allowed a TV of his own just yet, mainly because I know I would never see him - he would be constantly shut away in his bedroom at every given opportunity.
Which I don't agree with, and I don't want either.

Nevertheless, I decided to indulge his wishes a little, and asked about the type of TV he would like if and when he was allowed one - and well - the ones he came up with...wow...they were bigger and fancier and a whole lot slimmer than the one I have in my living room.

Oh, and it would have to be HD to make the graphics better - of course - silly me, how could I possibly forget that.

The winners of his vote were:
Sharp LC39LE751E 3D Full HD Smart TV with Freeview


Toshiba 32inch LED HD Ready Freeview TV with built in DVD player (very important apparently for watching films at a sleepover!)

How old is my child again....?  Sometimes I wonder...

So whilst the jury is still out on Option Two, for a good few years at least, Option One, our Gaming Headset Option, is a great idea and I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of  buying a console.

Simply for the peace they create.

At the moment, the range of  headsets available for the new generation consoles is fairly limited.
Gioteck however, are due to release some fantastic looking PS4 gaming headsets within the next few weeks, just in time for the Christmas rush, and I'm sure they will fly off of the shelves.

Each headset is designed for a different purpose - more details can be found here...I for one really like how they look!


Very Futuristic.

I just hope the XBox One will have a nice little range like this too.

So you see, it's quite easy for the kiddies to keep up with the latest technological advances, and to stay up to date with their friends, and all whilst having a little bit of education thrown in for good measures.

Perhaps a new generation console will make it into your house this Christmas

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