Walking home after the rain

More iPad observations: little kids

Wooden labyrinth puzzle

I played a game with my niece and nephew this weekend. Actually, we played a lot of games. Isaac, 4, made things disappear by throwing them over his head. And Hazel collected green acorns in her front yard and gave them to me. I tried to teach her to whistle using an acorn cap, but she didn’t have the dexterity in her little hands to do it.

Later, we went inside and I took out my iPad to keep the kids entertained before dinner. We tried a lot of video games, they were either too hard for them, or the rules were too far out. One great pleasure of video games is the way they introduce us to experience beyond what is possible in our physical dimensions. But this pleasure is lost on those who are still discovering the real wonders of the physics of our world. When even the basic rules are up for grabs and you can make things disappear simply by throwing them out of sight, why turn to Tetris for magic?
Read the rest of this entry »

Small towns, blue highways, and google maps

I spent the weekend driving between small towns in upstate New York, Vermont, and Connecticut–navigating the whole time with Google Maps and my iPhone. In the past, I would have used printed maps, and would have opted for the interstates. But Google Maps directed me down small roads all weekend. It was wonderful to slow down a little bit and see the country beyond the strip mall and the rest stop. And I couldn’t help wondering as I drove how many other drivers were there through similar gmap recommendations, and if gmaps is changing the patterns of use on America’s highways.