Q+A w/ Keybeaux + Gaming!
First 30: Jitsu Squad
Great game, great gameplay! This is one of those arcade games that takes me back, and if you're gaming it up this holiday season with a room full of fellow gamers... consider grabbing this one. Before you go making any decisions though, check out the gameplay and see if it's a game that you'd find an interest in.
- Fight lightning-fast, adrenaline-tingling battles with tons of enemies
- 4 playable characters – turn your warrior into a real legend with the upgrade system and unique secondary weapons
- Slay your enemies in style with 100+ chain-combos and epic Super Specials
- Team up with a friend online or locally in 2-player tag-team mode
- Up to 4-player local couch co-op fun
Epic Games takes a $520 Million Dollar L from Fortnite?!
Epic says they've "reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In it, Epic will pay $245 million USD to the FTC to resolve concerns related to past designs of the Fortnite item shop and refund systems in Fortnite, which the FTC will use to distribute to Epic customers at their discretion. Epic will also pay $275 million USD to the FTC to resolve concerns related to children’s privacy in Fortnite".
This is a huge blow to Epic Games, which has made billions of dollars from Fortnite and Fortnite merchandise. The company will now have to be much more careful about how it handles in-app purchases in the future, and it will send a message to other companies that may usher in two-way authentication for more free-to-play games.
Holiday Break Activity Suggestions!
During this Holiday break, kids rejoice, while parents are sitting back wondering... how's this going to work out? If they're a certain age I know a Babysitter is usually on speed dial, but that doesn't mean that activities are automatically a thing.
At times, school is the only access to other kids your child may have... so don't ignore that. Give them access to family and friends with tech like the Echo Show 5 2nd Gen, especially if they aren't old enough to have a phone. Of course, they get the other extras like shows to stream, and even audible for books, but you also get a free year of Amazon Kids+ for games. It's not just that though, they get the ability to socialize with friends and family.There are plenty of teens and adults able to talk for hours, so just imagine your younglings doing activities while chatting with family and friends. It makes the activity even better, and if you want to keep it in a neutral area where it's facing a wall due to privacy concerns... you can set up a little communication station. Once the call is done, they can turn off the mic + camera and use the camera privacy shutter... and you can even have them unplug it if you just want it off-off.The Echo Show 5 Kids... comes with a 2-year worry-free guarantee, and it ships in one day (for $39.99).
What types of activities can they get into during this holiday break? Well, before Christmas, maybe they can work on some arts and crafts based on tutorials they see on the echo show. Not calling it a Babysitter, but they can make some pretty cool arts & crafts with tech as their step-by-step guide.
Speaking of step-by-step activities, here are some pretty cool arts & crafts activities they can do with the needed supplies on deck (powered by... Nintendo). What you see below are a few examples, but there are plenty of other activities... here.
If it's cold outside, and they can't get out and enjoy activities because they don't have supervision or permission... physical activities in the house should certainly be considered so they can burn off some energy.
Kids who like yoga... might like the Cosmic Kids Yoga app, which has tons of yoga videos that get them up and active. The various episodes have different themes, including video game themes. In addition to the yoga, there are also dance-related videos + these super yoga videos give a video game-like theme that challenges kids to... keep up.
The plus about incorporating physical activities is that it helps them into the habit of doing physical activities. When it's fun, it's hard to even consider it exercise... and it's proof that you can take an alternate route versus going to the gym. I can hear the gym rats gasping, but... relax, to each their own.
If you go this route, don't forget the yoga mat. The Kidnasium yoga mat gives them a mat, but also a separate standalone yoga-related activity game complete with a... spinner.
If you want to take another route and you have a Nintendo Switch at home... don't forget about Nintendo Switch Sports, which gives them the ability to do various activities. Think about this for a second, imagine having them playing with their family or friends online while on echo show with them. I would've loved that as a kid and it would be one heck of a way to immerse themselves while being active and social.
If they need to get online via the switch to play with others (including 2 local vs 2 in another home), it's fairly inexpensive... and if there are multiple siblings (and if the sitter wants to get in on the action) 4 people can play locally. There are so many things that can be done to fun their break.
If you have multiple family members using the Switch, get the 12-month online plan. If only one person is gaming online, get the 12-month individual plan.
If the kids are able to get outside... consider some outdoor activities that can dial up the fun among them and their friends in the neighborhood. There are some options out there for soccer combos at affordable prices, basketball goals for less than $75 (for now), and some super affordable basketballs.
The activities don't stop here, but these are... suggestions to get those creative juices flowing. If any more come up, including chores, there are things like the Echo Show 15 that work well for a common area that has this very clean picture frame-like design that caught my eye. Its function can keep the kids or the Babysitter on task. Shows can be seen, calls can be made, step-by-step instructions on how to prepare a meal, and all that good stuff. This device also features privacy features.