Because trouble comes in all sizes.
Vincent Daly 
Apple released a powerful short film about an autistic teen’s use of technology to transform his life. Autism Acceptance Month focuses on telling stories about people like Dillan Barmache. Voices once mired in deafening silence now can be heard by all.
The New York Auto Show has always fascinated me. More so than any other indicator in the United States, the automobile reflects our aspirations for the future. After all, transportation is an integral part of American culture. What one drives represents a personal choice in lifestyle. Even if you’re driving a clunker today, you’re motivated to obtain your dream vehicle. Auto Shows provide the perfect venue to take a first hand look at what vehicles spark your imagination. From the practical to the exotic, your automotive dream machine awaits.
One of the trickiest parts of assembling a home office is choosing a desk. The choices can be overwhelming. Yet for the most part, the standard desk is a stationary, non-adjustable piece of furniture. Specialized desks do offer customizable options yet they command high prices for the convenience. And you still have to search for a suitable chair. Enter the Edge Desk System.
The first official trailer for the reboot of Ghostbusters was released. There’s an abundance of special effects scenes as well as a tip of the hat to the beloved original movie. Yet that feeling of infectious zany joy one experienced watching the 1984 comedy classic seems noticeably absent. It’s still too early to cast judgement on the reboot since movie trailers are often quite different than the actual film. Hopefully this re-imaging of the Ghostbusters franchise will offer a compelling story.
I was asked if I’d like to review a Dyson Small Ball Multi-Floor Upright Vacuum. Normally I’ve never taken any interest in household appliances. Yet Dyson vacuums always seemed to be the exotic sports car of the vacuum industry. They’re packed with innovation as well as a unique exterior design. Indeed, they’ve achieved the level of status symbol even outside the stereotypically smug home and garden crowd. Naturally I couldn’t resist the opportunity to test one out.
During my childhood, growing up in New York meant a love/hate relationship with cold weather. Basically, I wasn’t fond of the snow. Yet when Mother Nature blanketed our neighborhood with the cold white stuff, I’d venture outside for Winter fun with my friends. Still, once a mere sliver of snow made contact with my skin and slid down the back of my neck, I was done for the day. Besides, hot chocolate with marshmallows awaited and who was I to deny myself a superior experience? Now as a Dad, the paradigm has shifted. Once cold weather hits, I’m officially on the job.
The idea of a Robot as a mortal enemy to humanity has been featured in numerous works of science fiction. Yet with ground-breaking technological advances in the 21st century, science fiction has begun the transformation to reality. Boston Dynamics, a cutting edge robotics research company, creates a variety of robot prototypes. They range from big to small in size as well as animal-like or humanoid in design. A recently released video features our original robot overlord Atlas, the next generation humanoid robot. Atlas endures harsh physical treatment by its human handler. This does not bode well for the existence of humanity. Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence could produce sentient robots capable of revenge. Indeed, historians may recognize this video as the moment humans started the robot wars.
Another Toy Fair has come and gone. In taking the time to process what I’ve seen I couldn’t help feeling we’ve collectively lost our way. Let me preface by stating I love technology. I’ve been fascinated by innovation for as long as I can remember. I’m old enough to have experienced life without the internet, cellphones or personal computers. Yet we had books, newspapers, theater, television (broadcast only), and movies to spark our imaginations. In the late 20th century, young Americans often discussed the topic of living in the 21st century. We were obsessed with the future—a transformative leap into a remarkable world with infinite possibilities. Yet here we are in 2016, torn at the seams between the digital and analog fabric of our lives. The NY Toy Fair suddenly becomes a checkpoint for society—a snapshot of what lies ahead.
Captivated yet deeply bewildered. That was my initial impression upon watching the first few scenes of Yo-Kai Watch. Based on a video game of the same name developed by Level-5, Yo-kai Watch is an extremely popular kid’s anime style animated series. Just how popular you might ask? The movie version of Yo-kai Watch beat out Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the top movie in Japan. The good folks at Hasbro sent me a set of Yo-kai Watch based toys and a dvd featuring episodes from season 1 of the anime style animated series. Myself, along with my in-house toy expert staff aka my children, couldn’t wait to find out if Yo-kai Watch lived up to the hype.