I promised to share a story that is at odds with the perception of Jack Thompson and his believers. I believe gaming is beneficial more often than it is harmful. I gathered this from not only my own experience as a youth and an adult, but from those in the gaming communities I’ve been a part of over the years. Gaming taught me much about community, technology and science that I would have never been interested in otherwise, and this is far more common an occurrence in my experience than the horror stories portrayed by Thompson.

I recently received an e-mail from the mother of a youngster named Douglas. She found that gaming actually helped him overcome many of the hurdles his autism presented him with. He had difficulty reading and writing when he finished the first grade, and yet really wanted to play World of Warcraft.

She writes:

“He really wanted to play WoW and had been literally begging but we’d never let him because 1) he still had a hard time reading and 2) he was practically incapable of writing and basically refused to do it in any form. We made a deal with him that he could play it over the summer after first grade with the understanding that those things were a part of the game. By the time school started back up for second grade, he was reading ABOVE the recommended level when tested. Normally kids lose a few levels over the summer.  He started out the summer a few levels below what they wanted and ended it several above. He also was typing very nicely and now loves to write.  He fills up his writing notebook and likes to take it with him.”

She continued:

“He also went from a child that didn’t want to play with others or even talk to them much to child who enjoys playing with other kids.  He also loves to talk about games and he has friends now.  I do attribute that, in large part, to learning to communicate with others through WoW and it carried over.  He loves grouping, doing PvP, and other social type stuff in game and it’s a huge change from the fearful, withdrawn kid he once was.

“I can’t credit everything to WoW, but it certainly made a big difference. He went from being a child that had to be ‘promoted’ to both first and second grade because he didn’t pass, wouldn’t and couldn’t write, played by himself, and had troubles reading… to the child he is today who no longer receives any form of special education services except for speech and was getting upper 80 averages on his report cards.  There was a point in time I truly despaired if he would ever be able to live a normal life. While I still worry, I know that he is now almost unrecognizable from other kids. You really have to know what you are looking for to realize that he’s autistic.”

I met young Mr. Douglas a few weeks ago, and I have to admit, she’s absolutely correct. I had no idea he dealt with autism until I later received his mother’s e-mail. I did know, however, that he was a bright young lad who LOVED gaming.

The moral I am trying to impart is this: If your child is interested in gaming, you don’t need to discourage it. Gaming can teach a child many things, and an interest in gaming, if approached correctly, can be highly beneficial. The anti-gaming hype we’ve been inundated with over the past several years is highly overblown. If your kiddo wants to game, pick up the controller and game with them! You may think video games are a waste of time, but any time you spend with your child doing what that child wants to do is definitely time well spent!

Gaming is worse than alcohol? Ridiculous!

Here are a few new reads from the week.  Hope everyone enjoys a long and safe weekend!

1. Did you know that there is an all-in-one washer/dryer?  If you are interested, check out all the comments on Unclutterer from people who have tried one.
2. Meghan at Non Society tells us how to be the “envy of geeks everywhere” with SMS Business Cards.
3. If you’ve ever wished for a USB drive that you could wear as a fashion accessory, Pop Gadget may have found something for you.  Check out the USB Jewel thumb drive.

In my last blog post, I introduced you to Jack Thompson, who believes that violent video games can cause an impressionable youth to commit atrocities. I promised to explore that claim, and so I shall.

If you’re a parent, listen up. No conclusive evidence has ever shown a direct causal link between playing a video game and real world acts of heinous violence. The closest thing people like Thompson can point to are studies that suggest heightened aggressive tendencies for a short period of time during and after viewing violent media, or studies that suggest that children mimic in play things they are exposed to (i.e. playing “cops and robbers” after watching Starsky and Hutch, or playing “army” after watching a violent war film).

While a parent should make intelligent decisions about what video games they allow their children to play, the fear that somehow playing “Doom,” “Counter-strike,” “Quake” or “Grand Theft Auto IV” is somehow going to turn your mild-mannered 16 year old into a psychotic mass murderer is absolutely preposterous. If your child is in danger of perpetrating such atrocities, it is highly unlikely that as an involved parent you wouldn’t be aware that something was definitely wrong. With the media giving airtime to Thompson and others like him who adamantly and religiously preach the opposite, it is no wonder parents are worried, despite the lack of scientific evidence to support such hyperbolic claims.

Media have been the scapegoat for violence for many years. How many of you reading actually believe that The Beatles were responsible for Charles Manson, or believe that “The Catcher in the Rye” was responsible for John Lennon’s death? These ridiculous claims were made by sensationalists in their attacks on different forms of media and their supposed links to violence, and yet no causal link has ever been proved. It seems laughable to blame a homicidal killing spree on a rock and roll song, and I would propose that it’s equally ludicrous to blame Cho Seung-Hui’s rampage at VTech on Counter-strike. Yet that’s exactly what Thompson does in this interview (embedding disabled). Luckily, Chris Matthews at MSNBC took the theory apart to make it look as ludicrous as it was.

Paul Levinson, professor of communications and media studies at Fordham University, clashed with Thompson on CNBC about the subject of violence in video games in 2007:

Levinson wrote about the incident on his blog here, and did a follow up the next day citing what he believed to be the “Fallacies of Connections between Violent Video Games and Violence in Real Life.”The blog posts and comments are an enlightening read for parents concerned about this issue. My favorite summary of what I consider to be the “sanest” approach to this issue is captured by this final video:

The bottom line: The more involved you are in the things your child is absorbing, the better off both you and your child will be. Who knows, it may even be helpful to your child’s development. How, you may ask? In my next blog post, I’ll share with you an inspiring story to illustrate.

The Telluride Film Festival - which starts tomorrow - famously keeps its line-up secret until the last minute, and that minute has arrived. I’ve been tweeting fragmentarily about it this afternoon, but Variety has a more complete accounting, as well as commentary.

Green Cine took note of the schedule, and the Dell Lounge’s nifty Festival widget that provides the latest/greatest on the event and other local goings-on.

If you haven’t guessed already, Dell is this year’s presenting sponsor.

When you think about how technology has changed the way films are made and experienced, Dell’s sponsorship of the festival is an exceptional fit. PCs play an important and expanding role in the entertainment ecosystem, making it easier for filmmakers to create their vision, and for audiences to enjoy the movies.

Along with Dell’s  Summer Rocks tour - which hits Bumbershoot this weekend - the Telluride sponsorship is another way that Dell is creating and sharing unique experiences for passionate fans.

This collaboration between the festival and Dell will add new dimensions — online and on-site — to the festival-going experience, and extend the festival’s virtual reach to cinephiles and artists all over the world.

The Dell Lounge venue, located at the Brigadoon Hospitality Tent, will feature a selection of Festival Short Films, and Internet access so visitors spread the word about their festival experience. Kiosks in the Dell Lounge and around the festival grounds — new to this year’s event — will provide access to the complete schedule and live ticket queue information.

In true festival spirit, the Dell Lounge will host a special pancake breakfast Sunday morning. And after the event, Dell will host exclusive festival footage and interviews on the Dell Lounge.

I recently was pointed to an article in GameDaily that blew my mind. It reported that an online poll taken by What They Play, the self-proclaimed “parent’s guide to video games,” asked parents what they would fear most when deciding whether to let their 17 year-old or younger child go to another child’s house for a sleepover. The poll indicated that of the 1,600 parents who participated in the survey, a shocking 19% of the parents were concerned about them playing the game “Grand Theft Auto,” while only 16% were more worried about their child perusing pornographic materials and 14% were more worried about their child drinking alcohol.

I was stunned, though the results weren’t exactly conclusive. The poll was conducted online by a Web site whose target audience was the parent concerned about video game content, after all. Even so, I find the idea that a video game could be more harmful to a child’s development than alcohol or hardcore pornography completely absurd. I still find myself asking, where did the idea come from? Why are some parents so fearful when their child takes up an interest in video games?

Last week I had a conversation with Dell blogger Jennifer Hughes about parents’ concerns about children and gaming. During the conversation, we discussed the fact that for many parents, the world of gaming was completely alien, and that people tend to fear what they do not know. As a result of their lack of interest and exposure, many parents’ knowledge about games and gaming is only what they see in the media.

Unfortunately, one of the most prominent media figures associated with game content is a Florida lawyer named Jack Thompson, who ironically has now been recommended for complete disbarment by Judge Dava Tunis. He was originally recommended for a 10-year suspension by the Florida Bar for 27 misconduct charges. A ruling should be coming any day now.

Thompson started his crusade against violence and profanity in the media in 1988, when he launched a campaign to silence WIOD radio “shock jock” Neil Rogers. Then incumbent Dade County State Attorney Janet Reno stood in the way of his efforts, and hilarity ensued:

His next foray into the collective consciousness was his fight to get 2 Live Crew’s album As Nasty As They Wanna Be taken off of the shelves in Florida, as well as N.W.A.’s album Straight Outta Compton. He went on to take on Ice T and Madonna as well. His crusade against rap and pop artists made him well known in entertainment circles, and his efforts provoked many discussions involving the 1^st amendment.

In 1997 in the aftermath of the Heath High School shootings, Thompson turned his efforts to silencing those in the gaming industry responsible for the most violent (and paradoxically most popular) video games. While it’s not my purpose to completely recap Thompson’s career, I can accurately summarize by saying virtually all pleadings Thompson has brought before the courts in his attempts to silence video game makers have been struck down, yet ironically he has gained media attention at every turn.

To give you an idea of what this gentleman preaches, check the following interview Thompson did for Nightline a couple of years ago:

With people like Thompson demonizing games like this, it’s not difficult to see why many parents are nervous about letting their children play them. Honestly, though, I find it difficult to believe that a video game can somehow magically turn a 16-year old into a killing machine. There HAS to be other factors. I’ll explore this attitude more in my next blog post.

I’m on a fitness kick, no doubt.  As I experiment with all the fun ways to get fit, I am coming across some really amazing technology.  For me, running is not nearly as much fun without having a geeky chart to look at when I am finished.

A review of pedometers shows us that they can do more than just count your steps.  The Omron HJ-720 can actually be connected to your computer for tracking performance over time.  With all this data, who can resist charting it?

Another awesome pick is the Garmin Training Assistant — a GPS that can help you on your run or bike route.  Along with many cool features, it will actually alarm you when you have reached a predetermined distance.  So, if you are planning a 10-mile run, just set it to five miles and run free until you are alerted to turn around.

Staying safe is always a consideration when women jog.  Personal alarms have been created to draw attention to your situation at an ear-piercing 130db - perfect for neighborhoods.  Another safety tip might be keeping the ear buds out of your ears so that you can hear your surroundings.  If you are pushing a jogger, you can plug your MP3 into some travel speakers so you hear the cars and the kids.

Many women are uncomfortable in the gym, so there are solutions for that too!  Exercise on Demand just might be the best technology for in-home workouts.  My cable company offers this for free and there are options for both aerobic and toning.  There is nothing better than seeing the results of that hard work on the scale.  When I don’t see the results, there is always the guessing game - “Is it because muscle weighs more than fat?”  To avoid the guess and see the results, try a Body Composition Monitor Scale.  It can help monitor body fat and skeletal muscle.

Why go at it alone when there is so much technology to help you meet your fitness goals … and have fun doing it!  I will follow up soon with some fun finds for diet and weight loss.

What to do if your computer is lost or stolen? 

First thing is to report it to the authorities.  It is believed that only 3% of the lost and stolen laptops are ever recovered because people fail to report the incident.  A lost computer is not like a car.  If you are stopped jaywalking with computer in hand, no police office is going to say, “May I have your picture ID and your computer’s registration?”  Unless you are proactive with the recovery of your computer, you most likely will never see it again.

Let’s face it, reporting a lost system is the right thing to do but it may not be good enough.  If you are fortunate to have security tracking integrated in the computer then you are more likely to recover your computer. 

Dell has CompuTrace integrated into the BIOS of its laptops.  CompuTrace uses a software application called Lojack to secretly check into a monitoring center.  This allows CompuTrace to determine the physical location of the computer and pass that information to the local police.

What makes this application so special is that if the computer’s hard drive is replaced or reformatted, the CompuTrace BIOS agent will secretly re-install the Lojack software back onto the computer’s hard drive.  It’s a real slick way to beat the criminals.  CompuTrace claims that they recover 3 out of 4 stolen computers.  That is really good odds.  You can read more about this at lojackforlaptops.com

For the latest in laptop security technology, take a look at the new Dell Latitude E series.  This computer is packaged with security features which, as the description says, gives you peace of mind.  The features are so advanced that data can be deleted remotely, so that no one can access it if your computer is ever lost or stolen.

Thanks for reading this series, and I hope you never lose your computer.

What did we ever do without Google search? Well, for one thing, gleaning basic information was lot more of a time sink.

Here are three search tips that may give you a Eureka moment. Feel free to weigh in with your own.

Stumped by Fahrenheit to Celsius conversions and vice versa?  In the search bar, just type in 70 f to c, or 21 c to f.

If you know currency codes, monetary conversion is a snap. Examples: Type 100 USD to EUR, 100 CAD to NZD or 100 JPY to CNY.

For the time of day in a major city around the world, enter the name of the city followed by the word time, e.g. Sao Paulo time.

I love that technology has opened so many doors and made things easier for us.  I am a fan of the garage door opener and remote control just like most people. 

But do we really need gadgets for the purpose of avoiding the turn of our wrist?

While these motorized ice cream cones are much more colorful than their edible counterparts, the concept is a little disturbing for me.  I can just picture someone standing (probably sitting) with their tongue sticking out while the cone turns in a circle for them.

The cones are not the only gadget created just to save your wrist energy. There is also an electric marshmallow turner.  That’s right, friends, don’t strain yourself at the campfire by twirling your marshmallows over the fire.  This little gadget will do it for you.

In times of the Segway Personal Transporter and a potential iRobot for lawn mowing, I have to ask myself: Does technology make people lazy?  I don’t think so.  But people can create technology to be lazy. 

There are many women like me who have moved around throughout their corporate lives, leaving grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family many miles apart. At least I was fortunate enough to spend my early childhood with my great-grandmother on the first floor, my grandparents on the second floor and my immediate family on the third floor of a triple-decker. From my teens until young adulthood, I lived on the same street as my cousins, sharing three houses in a row.

Fast forward several decades and my children will have to travel to at least four states to see their cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Add onto that challenge the increasing cost of travel, kids’ schedules, my own work schedule and travel limitations for my parents due to health issues. So what’s a mother to do to ensure some kind of family togetherness and visits to grandma’s house?

Well, my sister turned me on to voice over Internet protocol - what the techies refer to as VoIP.  When I updated my personal computer to my pink Dell laptop with an integrated webcam, I downloaded a free VoIP software application called Skype to communicate with my far-flung family. (BTW, there are other options I want to check out including the new Dell Video Chat. My colleague Anne Camden recently posted information on this.)

Since then, I’ve been checking in on my mom (more on getting my mom and family updated to the new age later), aunt, brother and anyone else for free!

Check out this vlog of my daughter using the Internet to share her recent summer vacation with her auntie in California: