A review of e-readers in the January edition of Wired Magazine ranked Chapters-Indigo’s own Kobo Touch as number one. Beating out some of the world’s top-selling competitors, it came out ahead of the Amazon Kindle, Nook Simple Touch, and Sony Reader PRS-T1.

Admittedly surprised by their choice, the editors found the Kobo Touch to offer the “most natural e-ink reader we’ve ever used. Its touchscreen is the fastest and most responsive yet.”

As a fervent reader and long-time fan of Canada’s largest and most stocked chain of bookstores, I admit a sense of pride that Chapters-Indigo is offering tough competition in the e-reader market.  While the company’s bricks and mortar stores are leaning ever more toward non-book merchandise (think tangerine-scented candles, cozy blankets, miniature LEGO), this is a good sign for Canadian readers that the iconic bookstore is maintaining its strong foothold in the sometimes struggling book business.

The young readers in my house are not, yet, ardent fans of the e-reading experience. That’s not to say they’re not comfortable with a pint-sized screen attached to their hands, they’d simply prefer to stare at bouncing animations or burping cats on it than make out sentences. When the day comes, as it inevitably will, the Kobo Touch will be the one they get. It is an easy pick for Canadian readers who are already big fans of the Chapters-Indigo stores and online offerings. Until January 25th, Kobo Touch is on sale for $119.

Top Thumbnail from: Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ever feel like it’s just too much effort to take off all those layers of clothing to try on a pair of jeans at a store?  Well, then this new shopping experience may be just what you’re looking for.

As crazy as this seems, I have to admit it would come in handy when I’m shopping from home on my laptop and wondering if that purple top with the ruffled neckline is really my style (probably not!)  On the other hand, will the screen be as honest as the mirror?  After all, it’s only after trying on that gorgeous floral summer dress that I realize my cleavage is on display, my hips pop out like lumps on each side, and the hem falls a little too high on my legs.  Even a tinted mirror can’t hide those defects, but a computer screen? I’m thinkin’, yep, it can.  Oh, evil screen.

There is no stopping Angry Birds’ quest for world domination, okay, well, at least merchandise domination (like there’s a difference). I know Christmas is still a long time away, but I’m betting that there will be at least one of these products featuring the ticked off winged creatures under the tree for a child or, uh, severely addicted grownup player.

• Angry, yet cute, plush toy
• Angry Birds cook book featuring recipes made with, you guessed it: EGGS
• Angry Birds Rio movie DVD
• Angry Birds video game for Wii, PS3 and xBox
• Angry Birds board game: Knock on Wood

But there’s even more! Check out this site, Hongkiat.com for a visual listing of 85 fabulous finds for the seriously addicted Angry Birds player.

In an earlier post I chastised myself for failing to set up the parental controls for our family’s new iPad. My 6-year-old son had inadvertently opened up a screen in the app store offering a myriad of sex apps.

Lest you’ve never searched for the carnal apps, there are a lot.  Too many to count – for me anyways. I gave up counting after my iPhone listed 75 of them. They don’t interest me, and frankly, I’d rather they not interest my three sons either.

After said incident, I set up the parental controls for our iPad, which asks the user to define which age-based ratings I wish to to be accessed in the app store. Imagine my surprise when my 11-year-old announced that he’d somehow come across a page filled with sex apps again. I’d selected “Don’t allow apps rated 9 years +”

“Mom, I thought you set it up so we wouldn’t see these?” he asked.  Thankfully, my boys are no more interested in seeing them than I am.

Perplexed, I double checked the controls that I’d set up. Yep, all exactly as I’d remembered. So why were these kinds of programs popping up? Not to mention all the apps that celebrate gut explosions and machete wielding head chops. Wonderful games for young developing minds, no?

Then… Eureka! I realized that the settings only prevent kids aged nine and under from installing the apps. It didn’t prevent them from seeing them and reviewing the summaries.  For example, my 11-year-old son can read all about these enlightening apps:

Girl Sex Mistakes

Learn the 50 most common mistakes girls make in the bedroom. Great for girls looking to mend their ways or [sic] for the boys who love them! Your map to more satisfying sex. Download now!

Aw, how nice that my sons can learn at such a young age that girls are actually supposed to work at getting guys off . Gosh, it’s never to young too start messing up boys’ minds (or young girls’ minds for that matter.)

Sex Secrets

How to turn a woman on, satisfy her in a big way and get her to do the things you’ve always wanted! (the exclamation point is my own addition)

The main features of the applications are:

• Women get turned on by a few major categories of things:
• Did you notice anything missing from the list?
• Anticipation
• Stimulating her senses
• The transition into sex
• Women LOVE to be blindfolded

Again, so wonderful that my kids can learn this. Shouldn’t every child know that women LOVE to be blindfolded. My only conclusion to that bit of advice is that the creator of this app is exceedingly ugly, yet more exceedlingly rich.

Clearly, the parental control feature for the app store is useless. My kids are unable to install any apps, free or not, without my password anyway.

So, Apple I must ask… Why even bother? If you’re going to be responsible enough to provide the means for parents to protect their kids’ young minds and eyes, at the very least…

MAKE IT WORK.

Hey Dads! Kids! Great news! You still have time to order the perfect Mother’s Day gift.  According to its website, shipments are guaranteed to arrive by Mother’s Day if you order the iRobot Roomba by noon tomorrow, May 4. The Roomba is the ever helpful vacuum cleaning robot, but once you adopt one yourself, you can call it whatever you want… like Guiseppe or Lois Lane.

I’m sure she’d appreciate a vacuum as much as she would a marble glazed crock pot or $50 certificate for dry cleaning. All very practical gifts that would make her day as special as the day before.

Warning: Should a mother receive this on Mother’s Day, her reaction may be similar to the cat seen in the video below.