Four out of five parents that use parental control software don’t turn it on, despite being concerned about their children’s online safety, says McAfee.

Research by the security firm revealed a further 52 percent of parents admitted they never changed the security settings on their parental controls software while 20 percent admitted to being unsure as to the level of security. Nearly two thirds of parents also said they hadn’t raised the subject of online security with their children.

McAfee highlighted that just under half of parents claim to monitor their children’s online activities, however 30 percent said they left their children alone in their bedroom to surf the web. The survey also highlighted that 26 percent of all five to seven year olds have a computer in their bedroom and 17 percent of them are allowed to browse the web. (For an overview on available tools, see “Keep Kids Safe Online with Hassle-Free PC.“)

Meanwhile 46 percent of parent’s said they were unaware their children had any social networking profiles on sites such as Facebook.

When it comes to maintaining the family PC, the task tends to fall to dads, with 88 percent of men saying they were responsible for installing and monitoring security software on their home PC. The survey showed that twice (more…)

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Regardless which camp you belong to - Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo believe the future of gaming is in motion control.

Microsoft takes the most aggressive approach and wants to eliminate the use of a controller all together:

Sony takes the middle-of-the-road approach and offers a Wii-mote on Steroids meets Webcam:

Nintendo’s Wii-mote becomes more precise with the Wii-Motion-Plus attachment:

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Nintendo Downloads for the Week of June 15th

Mario Calculates the Time Needed to Catch Toasted Rainbows in Space

Nintendo’s downloadable content this week features the first-ever kitchen appliance with martial arts training. Throw in some rainbows and a game of catch, and you have a pretty interesting WiiWare^™ lineup. But that’s not all: There are Mario-themed Nintendo DSiWare^™ applications and a classic arcade game for the Virtual Console^™. Let’s get to the details:

WiiWare

Eduardo the Samurai Toaster
Publisher: Semnat Studios
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points^™
Description: Fight your way through 13 diverse locations on your own or with up to three friends in this frenetic and stylish side-scrolling action game. Play as Eduardo and his fellow toaster buddies as you fire an assortment of pastries at all kinds of dastardly food products. Hop onto laser-mounted scooters and fly across the screen in rocket packs, and learn to cooperate with your teammates or simply annoy each other in an awesomely fun way by throwing each other around the screen. The choice is up to you.

RAINBOW ISLANDS^™: TOWERING ADVENTURE!
Publisher: TAITO
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: In Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!, players control the rainbow-magic-wielding Bubby or Bobby as they climb the seven seamless areas of a tower reaching the heavens while defeating enemies with their rainbow powers. Bosses controlled by the scientific genius Dr. Crescent await players at the end of every area. Race through every area within the allotted time to meet the rainbow-colored Holly’s Comet. There are three game modes: Story mode, which tells the tale of Holly’s Comet; Challenge mode, where players attempt to climb as high as they can; and Time Attack, where players select an area and see how fast they can climb it. Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is an exhilarating action game where you use rainbows to climb into the heavens.

Let’s CATCH^™
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1-4
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief, Mild Suggestive Themes
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: Play catch with friends in multiplayer party games and compete for high scores using your Mii^™ character and others. Choose from six different single and multiplayer modes such as Speed Catch, which tests your ability to catch a fastball, and Bomb Catch, an elimination party game for up to four players. Select from a variety of characters or use your Mii character to play other favorite catch games. Unlock special features when you own both Let’s TAP and Let’s CATCH.

Nintendo DSiWare

Mario^™ Calculator
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: N/A
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points^™
Description: Mario and Luigi^™ take a break from their normal adventures to dedicate their heroic talents to working with numbers. Mario Calculator features the full functionality of a traditional calculator, including a Memory key and the ability to display up to 13 digits, and adds a layer of atmosphere reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros.^™ Use the Unit Converter to (more…)

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Ubisoft releases a new video game brand created specifically for the tween girl market in North America.  Building upon Ubisoft’s leadership on the Nintendo DS system, the Style Lab games were developed specifically to take advantage of Nintendo DSi(TM)’s camera and web functionalities. Each Style Lab game will be focused on how tweens can virtually create their own style – from designing jewelry to exploring new hairstyles, looks and more.

With the new Style Lab line, Ubisoft, the no. 1 third-party publisher for Nintendo DS, including the popular tween brand Imagine® and the best-selling Petz® games, offers 8- to 12-year-old girls a full range of games that allow them to discover their own personal styles while having fun.

“Ubisoft’s goal is to continue to raise the bar in the tween games… (more…)

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For decades, Nintendo has endeavored to provide the most creative and immersive experiences in the world of video games and to lead the industry in new directions. At its media briefing in advance of the E³ Expo, the video game industry’s premier trade show, Nintendo announced products for social entertainment that stretch far beyond the current notion of what a video game can be, all while continuing to provide avid gaming fans with the challenges and thrills they desire. “Nintendo continues to challenge how both new and longtime players perceive – and play – video games,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “From modern updates of our most iconic franchises to the introduction of inventive devices, we are continuing to add entirely new dimensions to the video game experience.”

A summary of Nintendo’s major announcements:

Wii^™

• Wii MotionPlus^™: Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus accessory offers motion-controlled precision when combined with specially designed games. When connected to the Wii Remote^™ controller, it delivers on Nintendo’s promise to provide even more immersive physical reality in its games. The device senses subtle motion and can locate where and how players hold the Wii Remote controller in 3-D space. It pushes active gaming to new levels of immersion and a new standard of control. Wii MotionPlus will complement a host of third-party games launching in the next few weeks.
• Wii Sports Resort^™: Nintendo showcased the versatility of the Wii MotionPlus accessory in demos of some of the activities included in Wii Sports Resort, an immersive, expansive active-play game. Wii Sports Resort includes a dozen fun resort-themed activities that maintain the wide-ranging appeal that attracted millions to the original Wii Sports. Wii Sports Resort is easy to pick up and play, but comes coupled with deeper levels of play that are sure to challenge even the most experienced gamers with precise controls. The Wii MotionPlus accessory will help players come much closer to the physical reality of engaging in the actual sports. The Wii MotionPlus accessory launches June 8 at a suggested retail price of $19.99, and comes bundled with Wii Sports Resort on July 26 at a suggested retail price of $49.99.
• Wii Fit^™ Plus: Wii Fit^™ attracted millions of new players to the world of video games, and now Wii Fit Plus offers a range of new features and enhancements, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep workouts fun. Players will find an additional dimension to the Wii Fit experience as they easily set their own customized daily workout routines or choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts based on how much time they have available. Users will also be able to choose from specialized workout routines that help players strive toward specific objectives, like toning tummies, tightening arms or even reducing stress. Workouts combine the original Wii Fit activities and selections from 15 new balance games and six new strength training and yoga activities. Wii Fit Plus will come packed with the Wii Balance Board^™ accessory, and also will be sold separately as software for people who already have a Wii Balance Board at home. Both will be available in fall 2009.
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii^™: Developers at Nintendo have dreamed of creating a simultaneous multiplayer Super Mario Bros. game for decades. The Wii console finally makes that dream come true for everyone this holiday season. Now players can navigate the side-scrolling worlds alone as before or invite up to three others to join them at the same time on the same level at any point in the game for competitive and cooperative multiplayer fun in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. With the multiplayer mode, the newest installment of the most popular video game franchise is designed to bring yet another type of family entertainment into living rooms and engage groups of friends in fast-paced Super Mario Bros. fun.
• Super Mario Galaxy^™ 2: This upcoming adventure for the Wii console marks the first time a second 3-D Mario game has arrived in the same console generation. In the game, Mario rides his trusty dinosaur companion, Yoshi^™, to new stars and the fantastic worlds found there. This 3-D platforming adventure (more…)

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