Britney Loses Her KidsPlease tell me it wont get worse than this

Wednesday October 3, 2007

Britney Loses Her Kidsâ??Please tell me it won't get worse than thisâ?¦

It's been a quite harrowing six-month stretch for the formerly awe-inspiring Ms. Spears. Like many, I am still holding out hope that Brit will pull it all back together, but this recent news makes that seem near impossible. A judge ruled Monday that Spears was to relinquish custody of her two sons to ex-husband Kevin Federline starting Wednesday. While no specific reason was given for the decision, I'm guessing Britney's hit-and-run misdemeanor, allegations of her driving while drinking a margarita, and also driving without a valid driver's license could have had something to do with it. Britney dropped off her sons, Jayden and Sean Preston, on Monday with Federline's bodyguard, two days earlier than she was supposed to. In true train-wreck fashion, can you guess what she did?  Brit had a night out on the town! KIIS-FM's Ryan Seacrest reported this morning that Britney went the tanning salon first and then cruised over to Nobu. And, yes, she is still driving without a license.

Update

Good news! Britney has been issued a California driver's license according to People.com and Perez Hilton. Bad newsâ?¦apparently there is a sex tape of her and a random guy she slept with in Hawaii, Star reports. Apparently the guy taped Birt without her knowledge, and is embarrassed by his own performance in the tape. He Is still deciding whether or not to release it. Nooooo!

Toys to Go: Summer Travel Must-Haves

Chances are you'll venture on a family trip this summer. Whether you're traveling by car, plane or train, kids get restless. Thankfully, there are plenty of age appropriate toys and gadgets that can help tame the inevitable "are we there yet?" questions...and meltdowns...that long journeys bring with them.

3 - 5 year olds

Preschoolers can have fun while learning on the Leapster from LeapFrog. We love the "Letter Factory" and "Talking Words Factory" titles that can either play an educational video or offer interactive learning tools. $59.99 at LeapFrog.com

This colorful one-player magnetic farm maze is the ideal size for a travel. All the pieces are enclosed - which means no lost pieces - or spills when maneuvering sharp curves. Perfect to keep little hands busy and enhance eye/hand coordination. $19.95 at FatBrainToys.com

{pagebreak}

6 - 9 year olds

VTech's Nitro Notebook looks just like a real laptop - complete with a keyboard and mouse. Pre-loaded with dozens of simple games (plus you can buy additional cartridges for more fun), kids will love the Nitro's "grown-up" look. $59.99 at eToys.com

Sandisk's Sansa Shaker MP3 player is a fun, child-friendly way to let the kids bring their music with them on the road. The device features many ways to enjoy and share songs, including two headphone jacks (no more fighting over who gets to listen!), a built-in speaker for headphone-free play, and the ability to play SDâ?˘ cards loaded with their favorite music.

Available in Pink or Blue - $39.99 at Amazon.com

Staying Connected During the Summer Rush

With summer quickly approaching, friends and family will have plenty to celebrate! Graduations will kick off the festivities in May and continue through June; weddings will begin hogging calendars on back-to-back weekends; and summertime birthday parties are a dime a dozen! And let's not forget vacations, baby's first step or the 8 year-olds first trial on a bike without training wheels. No matter what the activity is, there will be plenty of memories to capture and treasure. Today, parents can go beyond just picture-taking by upgrading to video and interactive media tools. With tons of low cost (or even free) services offering ways to show off homemade videos or establish an online photo album, the Internet is helping loved ones connect and share key moments with each other 24-hours a day.

With the resources available, even the most tech-challenged parent can easily learn how to digitize images, create videos, develop a Web site and share all of it with loved ones. Sometimes certain events aren't open to everyone, like a graduation where five tickets just isn't enough to bring along Aunt Mary and Uncle Joe. A wireless connection will be the "golden ticket" for broadcasting the event live for the rest of your friends and family.

As a Geek Squad agent and father of two, I'm already preparing myself and my computer for the upcoming summer events. From the kids' graduations to the summer parties my wife will be dragging me to, my computer and software need to be ready for the massive amount of uploads and time I'm about to spend online. With proper set up and networking, I'll be able to broadcast and share all of this summer's memorable moments.

{pagebreak}

Geek Squad offers the following tips on how to use technology to capture your action-packed summer: Get connected. Be wireless. Get personal.

1. Establish your network: If you don't have an Internet connection yet, or are looking to go wireless at home, you'll need a high-speed modem (i.e. DSL, Cable) and a router for starters. To go wireless, you'll need a wireless router and either a desktop with a wireless Network Interface Card (NIC), or a wireless-enabled laptop.
   
• A wireless network means you can access the Internet without the restrictions of wires, turning a laptop into an on-the-go movie studio or the world's largest photo album.
• You can "unwire" whatever you need, from a single laptop to a multi-computer home office so that capturing memories can happen whether you're playing catch in the front yard or doing cannonballs in the pool.
  
2. Get the tools you need: If you're going the digital family tree route, you'll need to pick up a Webcam or digital camcorder to make your family album.
   
• If video or photo editing on your computer is sluggish, adding more memory could help.
• Run a virus scan and spyware check to make sure your computer is clean and all its resources are going where they should.
• Install a digital music or digital video applications to bring your family memories to life.
  
  
  
3. Share those special moments with family and friends. So you've successfully completed your album or video of little Mikey's graduation - now what? If you're ready to share the album or video with out-of-town Aunt Nelly, check out the following sites and upload for free:
   
   Pickle: www.pickle.com
   DropShots: www.dropshots.com
   Famster: www.famster.com
   MyPhotoAlbum: www.myphotoalbum.com
   MotionBox: www.motionbox.com
   
   When done properly, you can share videos and photos with every family member who has a computer and internet connection and keep out the unwanted public eye at the same time.
   
   {pagebreak}
   
4. Back up EVERYTHING: You don't want to spend weeks editing your video or resizing photos only to have everything vanish from a computer crash. Back up everything frequently, and in multiple places.
   
• You can manually save items to CDs/DVDs and store those in a safe location. If you label them when you're done you'll save a lot of time in the future.
• External hard drives can be set up to automatically back up the data on a regular basis, meaning less work and more security
• Online backup services are available should your office or home computer get damaged.

The time we spend with family and friends continues to decrease as we work more and more, so finding ways to conveniently capture the moments forever is important. Technology allows us to not only seize the day, but more importantly it helps us share the memories with family and friends near or far. Whether it's an experience you've lived, or one that you are sharing virtually, no one needs to miss out. Take advantage of the tools and technology at your fingertips and the resources available to help you make the most of capturing memories for a lifetime.

---

Trent Kannenberg is a Deputy of Special Operations with Geek Squad, a 24-Hour Computer Support Task Force. He is based in Minneapolis, MN.

Games Women Play

A recent study by Real Networks found that more women are playing casual -- i.e. card and puzzle -- games online than any other group. Most interesting was that women overall are choosing specific games to help them troubleshoot specific issues ranging from extreme stress to needing a quick break from the kids.

advertisement

Here's a look at some games women prefer to play when they need some support:

Extreme Stress: - Hotel Solitaire - Bejeweled 2 - Feeding Frenzy 2
Mental Block: - Sudoku - Latin Squares Gold - Scrabble - Cinema Tycoon
Boredom: - Diner Dash 2 - Cake Mania - Delicious
Trouble Sleeping: - Mah Jong Medley - Aloha Solitaire - Tropix!
Quick Break from Kids: - Super Collapse 3 - Luxor - Adventure Ball

So, do you play games online? Take our poll and see what other Modern Moms said...

Your browser does not support JavaScript, therefore the poll can not be rendered.Online Poll Using WebSurveyor

Must-Have Gadget: Hitachi’s DVD Camcorder

When you're shooting a movie, there are often great moments that would make the perfect photo...and with Hitachi's DZ-BX35A (yup, it's a mouthful), you can grab photos from any video frame and quickly copy it to the camera's SD card to print or share.

For example, you're playing back the video you just shot of your daughter's first softball game - while watching you can stop at a specific point in the video and send that image to the camcorder's SD card, which can then be taken to any digital photo booth or a home printer to make a high-quality photograph. Plus, this camcorder records right to DVD, so there aren't lengthy, difficult transfers...just point, shoot and watch. If your computer is equipped with a DVD drive, it's that much easier to upload videos to YouTube and share or burn more DVDs.

advertisement

Though it lacks some bells and whistles you'll find with more expensive DVD camcorders, this lightweight, moderately priced model ($329.99) offers everything you'll need to capture those special family moments.

Hitachi DZ-BX35A DVD Camcorder - $329.99 at CircuitCity.com

Our Sponsor


Check out Vincent’s Summer Sale – stylish quality shoes and sandals for toddlers and kids now up to 75% OFF!
www.vincentshoestore.us

Our Sponsor

Our Sponsor