Mums represent $1.7 Trillion of the consumer market annually. 80% of the purchases decisions for the home are made by the mum.  68% of mums use their smartphone while shopping.  Its official- Mum is the CEO of the household.

Yet despite these powerful statistics, mums are often ignored and misrepresented when it comes to technology. The way most tech companies communicate to mums is as if they are still Betty Draper, the 1960s housebound housewife, whose soul purpose in life is to look after her children, dote upon her husband- thankfully we are not expected to smoke endless cigarettes in the process.

Nowadays, the expectations on mums could not be bigger.  Mums are expected to be at their whim of their boss 24/7, be at the doctors when their children are sick, cook fabulous culinary treats for their husband work colleagues and have a washboard stomach whilst performing all of the above-which lets face is is pretty darn impossible post babies (unless of course you subject yourself to eating just mung beans for the rest of eternity).

Technology can play a vital role for many mums.  My mum friends want to use technology but only to help them cope with what family life throws at them on a daily basis.  My friends are not interested in the difference between a megabyte and terabyte- they want technology to protect their kids from harm and keep track of what they are up to.  Mums want to be the emotional umbrella of the family.   Mums want technology to help them be not just the CEO, but the Chief Technical Officer as well.  And lets face it, mums are the gatekeeper to the home and ultimately they decide what’s allowed in.

The new campaign from Three is a good attempt to connect with mums. Their campaign is called “On the Go”.

Denise van Outen, is the face of the campaign and does a good job in sharing her experiences as a mother and describes how technology can help her navigate through motherhood.  The tone is not patronising  (it is a little Day Break though), but all in all its a well executed idea.  Our Lady Geek Mum panel said they would prefer a more ‘everyday mum’- despite this we think its a good step in the right direction.

Lets hope this is the first of many campaigns giving mums a voice and making their lives just that little bit easier with technology.

As we are only a few short hops away from Easter Sunday, the Lady Geeks would like to leave you a few eggs to open that will help you enjoy the Easter holiday to the fullest.

Angry Birds: Easter Edition – Android Market, iPhone, and the iPad.

This iconic smartphone app game has released it’s Easter Edition! Celebrate Easter in true Lady Geek fashion as our favourite Angry Birds go up against…green pigs wearing bunny ears. Fair enough. This should be a fun way to spend your Easter weekend, or if you have any long travels to visit family.

Cost: 59p

London’s Parks and Gardens App – iPhone and iPad.

Due to the extra long weekend away from school, work, or whatever forces you to keep your mind and feet moving during the week, we suggest taking some time to just slow down. There’s no better way to spend your Easter Weekend, weather permitting, than getting lost with loved ones in one of London’s famous parks. Sutro Media’s London Parks and Gardens gives you details about every one of London’s best outdoor grazing sports for a lovely day off from work.

Cost: 1.19

Easter App Hunt – iPhone and iPad.

Look around the Garden and try to find the Easter Eggs that Magic the Bunny has hidden. For a bit of fun that the kids can enjoy, download MagicSolver.com’s Easter App Hunt. For every easter egg you unearth you’ll unlock further Easter-themed games.

Cost: Free

UK Restaurant Guide – iPhone

And after all the fun, games, and Easter Eggs, what better way to end the day than with a meal with the whole family. With UK Restaurant Guide APP from Sardine’s Place.com, you’ll have your entire dining experience planned out with a few clicks of the button.

Cost: 1.79

We hope you have enjoyed your basket of Easter apps. Have an ‘appy Easter!

“Would you like some pepper?” asks the waiter. I stare at him. All of my concentration, every bit of will power I have ever possessed, is going into not shouting “TWIST IT!” in his face. I have not lost my mind, I promise.



Let me explain myself: I arrive very early for meeting a friend. The suggested pub is shut and it’s raining outside so I find a restaurant nearby, get a table and order a drink. I appear to have found a nice restaurant. There are tablecloths and olives. People are celebrating things. I am going to eat food I have trouble pronouncing. A nice restaurant.

I have 30 minutes until my friend arrives. I get out my iPhone and flick through some games. I’m looking for something discrete, something befitting of the ambiance, something that might look like I’m checking my emails when the waiter comes back. Bop It! That seems about right.

I don’t whip out the much loved plastic audio toy and pass it round my fellow diners, clapping as they PULL IT!, FLICK IT!, and BOP IT!. That would be ridiculous. I begin to play a solo round of the game as designed for iPhone and iPod Touch.

The game follows the same principle as its parent game. A demanding American man shouts at you to complete actions using the onscreen icons, instructing you at ever increasing speeds while some delightfully annoying music plays in the background.

You can play the game in a variety of modes: As a solo player you can play in classic mode, with the three original bop, twist and pull icons, basic mode with one icon at a time, extreme mode with up to six icons on the screen at one time, or play against the clock in blitz mode.

If you do feel the need to get the whole restaurant involved and pass the game around in multi player with basic, extreme and blitz modes, or you can play head to head with one other player. I am tempted to ask the waiter.

During the game you are able to unlock trophies and, if you feel the need to boast about your Bop It! prowess, you can share your scores on Facebook.

There are also a variety of settings that are very important to consider when playing in public. You can receive the commands through speech (shouting), sound effects or text, decide if you want to switch banter on or off (request setting transferal to the group celebrating – their banter is getting dangerous), and, most importantly, the one setting I failed to pay proper attention to – ‘Shout It’.

One of the icons that appears is a microphone and you are requested to SHOUT IT!. That can either be done by tapping the microphone (Shout It off) or shouting YEAH! at the screen (Shout It on). As I sit in the nice restaurant by myself a microphone appears and I have Shout It on. Oh well, at least I unlocked the ‘Yeah! Shout’ trophy.

The mobile version of Bop It! is exactly as enjoyable, annoying and frustrating as the original. It’s easy to play and the graphics are cartoony and colourful. I guess the most important information I can pass on is this: No matter how much you like Bop It!, there is a time and a place; and when the waiter approaches with a giant pepper grinder, the response should never be “TWIST IT!”.

You can download Bop IT here.

Ann Scantlebury is the accomplished actress and co-presenter of the award winning game show One Life Left.   Ann is a regular contributor to Lady Geek.

You know what would have been brilliant? It would have been brilliant if one of my Grandmothers had been from Russia.  Even better if she’d given me her antique matryoshka dolls and told me magical stories about ‘the old country’ while we played with them. That would have been brilliant and, for the purpose of reviewing Double Fine’s new Russian doll puzzle game, quite useful. But neither of them were from Russia, they were from East London and Kent, and they knew me well; one gave me toffee and the other gave me the excellent pop magazine Live and Kicking. That’s the kind of kid I was, the kind of girl I am. No Russian dolls. I did sit in boxes a lot as a child, so perhaps I had matryoshka sympathies.

It doesn’t really matter that I missed out on the hollow doll wielding Russian Grandmother experience, because with Stacking I’m right back in the 1930s of yore(ski). They certainly can’t be described as ‘the good old days’ though. Through one of the many silent film inspired cut scenes you learn that your family has been captured to work for The Baron, an evil industrialist who forces children to shovel coal.  Yeah, that kind of evil. You, Charlie Blackmore, the smallest of a family of matryoshka dolls, and your mother are the only ones that managed to evade him.  She cries a lot, so it’s up to you to rescue your family. And you will rescue them through the power of puzzles.

You solve puzzles by stacking yourself (teeny tiny Charlie) inside bigger and bigger dolls and using their unique abilities to move through the game.

Stacking’s cute design is easy to enjoy because the puzzles themselves don’t take a huge amount of brain power. If you find yourself stuck at any point you’re never more than a button click away from a handy blue line telling you where you should go next, or a set of tips on how to complete the puzzle. If you find that all too simple, there are plenty of other things in the game to keep you entertained. Go back and figure out all the different ways you can solve the puzzles – the easiest one isn’t the only one. Or earn more rewards by completing the Hi-Jinks. Or just walk around and talk to your fellow dolls. They can be very funny.

If you, like me, have lived a life largely devoid of dolls you can put in dolls, fear not: stacking is here to fill that hole! And then fill it again with something slightly smaller. And then fill it again with something slightly smaller. And then…

If that doesn’t sort you out, go and sit in a box. Nana Scantlebury will be along shortly with some toffee.

Stacking is available for download on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.

Ann Scantlebury is the accomplished actress and co-presenter of the award winning game show One Life Left.   Ann will is a regular contributor to Lady Geek.

When I was 14, I had my first kiss. I can’t say it was the best kiss I’ve ever had, it really wasn’t, but there were fireworks. It was bonfire night. At 14, giddy from fireworks and kissing, I thought that was as exciting and eventful as life could get. That’s what I was doing when I was 14. What I was not doing when I was 14 was making a chart-topping physics puzzle game.

Earlier this year Bubble Ball knocked Angry Birds from its position as the number one free game in Apple’s iTunes store, presumably by throwing a bird at it. And yes, Bubble Ball is a physics puzzle game, and yes, it was made by a 14 year old.

So, what do you do in a game made by a 14 year old? Here’s what you do: You are shown a ball and a flag. You have to get the ball to the flag. When you hit the ‘START’ button gravity happens and the ball can’t get to the flag. Gravity wins, and it sucks to be the ball. But wait! Seeing this is a problem (and, actually, the crux of the game) our 14 year old developer has given you apparatus to place around the screen, to harness the power of gravity and get that ball to that flag. Haha! Sorry, gravity. Through the 32 levels you’re given different apparatus to use, from wooden planks to power up buttons. You’re even able to reverse gravity. Poor gravity. Gravity’s been used, the ball has won and nobody’s bothered to ask how the flag feels about any of this.

Of course it’s impressive that the game was made by a 14 year old (with a bit of help from his mum). But if you forget that that and just play the game, you might be a bit disappointed. For a game that has been so popular and successful, it isn’t very fun. It’s satisfying and interesting and technically it works very well, but I didn’t get hooked on it and I didn’t feel the need to keep playing level after level. Maybe because the design is quite utilitarian, or maybe because the game seems a little bit too much like a physics lesson. It’s definitely missing something.

I look forward to seeing the next game from our 14 year-old developer (Robert Nay, Utah). Who knows, maybe it’ll be a firework themed platformer. Maybe you play a 14 year old desperately trying to catch their first kiss. Probably not though, right?

Bubble Ball is available on the iTunes Store and for Android devices, and it’s completely free to download.

Ann Scantlebury is the accomplished actress and co-presenter of the award winning game show One Life Left.   Ann will be a regular contributor to Lady Geek.

Xbox 360 Kinect

If you like the Nintendo Wii you’ll love the Kinect. Fun, energetic, social and for all ages. Brings people together: so once the Christmas meal is over and you’re wondering how to entertain all the family, get a wriggle on and get your booty moving and work of some of that Christmas pudding.

- Price: £127.99 alone – £249.99 with Xbox 360 console

- Where can you buy: Most retailers

Veho Smartfix Slide and Negative Scanner

For all those old photos you wish you could upload on your computer but you only have the negatives – Look no further.  This gadget scans you negatives and transfers them onto your computer. Why not upload those embarrassing school photos onto Facebook and tag your old friends in them?  Bet they thought they’d never see them again. Alternatively its a great present for those who haven’t switched to digital perhaps for your parents/grandparents.

This is a really affordable alternative to the industry standard Nikon Coolscan. This scanner will cost you less than the price of having ten rolls of films scanned at your local snappy-snaps!

-Price: £99.95

-Where can you buy it: Gadgets.co.uk

Pogoplug

Its a real hassle having to remember to upload your important docs/music.  This is like dropbox for your living room.  This device stores your documents like a normal hard-drive but allows you to access your data via the internet.

If you cannot bear to look at the Barbie pink exterior, this device is best operated remotely. It comes with drivers for Mac, Windows and (for the real geeks) Linux. Plus it works with just about every kind of mobile device. It even doubles up as a media streamer – you can store your videos on it and it will stream it to your XBox.

-Price: £56.60

-Where can you buy it: Amazon

Cut the Rope App

As entertaining and fun as Angry Birds has been, it’s time for a new casual gaming app to take over. Cut the Rope is a wonderful lightly challenging addictive app that is becoming very popular on the itunes app download list. What’s more Lady Geek predict it will become the next best app everyone will be dying to play.

-Price: £0.59 (Available on the iphone, itouch and ipad)

-Where can you buy it: iTunes

Roberts Colour Steam DAB internet radio and ipod dock

The latest Roberts internet radio  allows you to listen to your favourite radio station online, or plug in your MP3 and listen to your own selection of music through a fantastic sound system. Sleek sexy looking and very easy to use, especially when lying in bed hungover after a Christmas party.

-Price: £199.95

-Where can you buy it: John Lewis

Samsung / Google Nexus S

Nothing brings the Christmas cheer like a contract-free premium Android handset such as this – Samsung’s new Nexus S. It’s a substantial upgrade on the Galaxy S with a sleeker, curvier shell plus the very latest Google Maps. We were big fans of the Nexus One, but that love-affair has ended now we’ve seen the new model.

This is the phone for Android purists who want the authentic, undiluted Google experience. This is the very first phone which will feature Google’s new 3d mapping service – it’s like a TomTom but you actually see 3 dimensional representations of the buildings as you drive past them.

Lady Geek has been anticipating the launch for the Xbox 360 Kinect with our founder Belinda Parmar reporting on Channel Four News  and Lady Geek’s Relationship Manager (moi) at the launch party.

Held at the National History Museum’s Ice rink with performers such as the incredible Leona Lewis and Britain’s new boy band The Wanted, Xbox 360’s launch of the Kinect was a great way to get the show going.

After seasonal mulled wine and wobbly yet graceful laps round the ice rink I got to try out the brand new Kinect. Result: I’ve added Kinect to my Christmas wish list… (hint hint Santa).

Not only is the Kinect’s accurate detection of players’ movements impressive (including celebratory fist pumps in the air) the console warns you when you get too close to the device and TV screen. So unlike Nintendo’s Wii, which had to bring out safety straps to stop controllers careering into TV screens and people’s faces; the Kinect allows you to maintain your enthusiastic volley ball slam dunks and pumping dance moves without the fear of smashing your brand new HD TV.

There are a range of games to choose from, all incorporating lively gestures without a controller, making the experience more sociable and fun than any other console. What’s more the Kinect records your moves, so if prancing about trying to look like a professional dancer wasn’t embarrassing enough, after each game you get to see film clips of your moves on screen.

Ah well there’s always room for improvement –  Diversity better watch out.

To watch Belinda Parmar on Channel Four News see below…

Belinda Parmar on Channel Four News

Would you swap your ipad for Toshiba’s new tablet?
With the Folio 100 hitting the streets just in time for Christmas will people be changing their wish lists from ipad to Folio 100? Not only does the Folio 100 have a bigger screen (10 inch vs. 9 inch) it is competitively cheaper by £100. That is a significant save, especially during the season of present shopping for the whole family or sale season (bring on January).
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2272728/tablets-toshiba-folio-100-ipad

East London to rival Silicon Valley: a fantastic opportunity to bring more women into technology industries?
David Cameron’s plans to create a UK based technology centre that is as successful and influential as America’s Silicon Valley could cause the biggest potential intake of women in technology companies. A shift that is long overdue!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11689437

Who are the most influential women?
British women voted for who they think are the most influential role models: from Maggie Thatcher to Oprah Winfrey.
“‘It’s these female one-offs who make it clear that the glass ceiling is permeable,’ she claimed. Ms Cochrane also suggested that female role models should be more realistic than pop stars and heiresses, and highlighted the work of campaign website PinkStinks.co.uk.“
http://www.womenintechnology.co.uk/news/women-compile-list-of-influential-role-models-news-800217405

My first ever PC was a noisy clunky beige-coloured box which sounded something like a hair-dryer and produced twice as as much heat. It was a useful workhorse, but profoundly unpleasent up-close. Such a device would have no hope in my living room: In most households women control which devices are allowed into that most precious of space – the typical grey PC is not getting in.

Fortunately the PC has evolved: The boxes got smaller, quieter and more beautiful- they gradually adapted to fill every possible niche in the household.

The Dell Zino HD is the most extreme example of this evolution: It’s a tiny box that’s built for the bedroom or the living room. Dell understood that you probably want to connect it to a TV, that’s why it has an HDMI port and comes as standard with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Who wants wires trailing across their living room?

Unfortunately, the living room is a fiercly competitive ecosystem: At best there’s room for no more than three devices beneath the TV. That means if you are going to introduce a new device you probably need to boot something else out: The Zino is likely to displace a games console or a DVD player since it can do the job of both.

Dell have clearly studied the aesthetics of Nintendo’s Wii, however unlike the wii, the Zino HD is no toy: It packs a 64bit AMD Athlon X2 chip and runs a full edition Microsoft’s Windows 7. That means it can play just about any game or media you throw at it. Imagine your favourite games on your wide-screen TV? This is going to appeal to all but the most obsessed Wii-sportsmen.

With most women being the gatekeepers of the home – Dell have a smart strategy with designing beautifully made PC’s that are as much architectural fittings as they are useful pieces of technology.  The worst thing Dell could do now is patronise women like Samsung are doing with their Genio and come out with fluffy marketing statements asking women ‘What colour is your life?’

Whilst the Zino has earned it’s space in my living room, the marketing has yet to earn my respect.  Only time will tell.