The MPMan was short-lived, but the first MP3 player mass-marketed in the US paved the way for the portable media player revolution. Now that we've gotten to know Kane Kramer, who developed the first MP3 player, and Nathan Schulhof, who created a precursor to iPod and iTunes, it's time to take a look at the history surrounding the MPMan. Korean electronics company Saehan created and distributed Read more

Battleship hits theaters this Friday, and that has us eager to play the classic game. Whether you are looking to improve your strategic skills or indulge in a little nostalgia, we've listed four ways to digitally sink some battleships via iPhone apps, the Android Market, Facebook, and more. And for the serious players, check out this man's algorithm for the perfect Battleship game. iPhone — Read more

Although Kane Kramer developed the first MP3 player in the 1970s, it wasn't until 20 years later that MP3 players hit the consumer market. For that we have Nathan Schulhof to thank. In the early 1990s, he envisioned a "portable device [that] would allow the selection, retrieval, storage, and playback of audio content delivered to the device via the Internet." The founder and CEO of Audio Read more

Lots of moms like to think out loud, and Jo Aaron is one of them. Here is one of the latest posts to her Mommy Brain blog. While innocently looking for a restaurant suggestion online the other day, I stumbled across an anti-parent, anti-child blog entry that just annoyed me. It was an angry (and narrow-minded, in my opinion) piece about how awful it is when this particular person has to dine with Read more

Arguably one of the most important tech inventions of our generation, the MP3 player didn't just invent itself. For that, we can thank Kane Kramer. He may not be a household name, but Kramer developed the first portable digital audio player 20 years before it became industry standard. In 1979, he designed the IXI digital audio player, the first of its kind to transfer and store music to-go. The Read more

Classic toy brand Hasbro thinks game night is in dire need of a tech edge, based on their just-revealed spin on classic games Monopoly and The Game of Life. At this year's Toy Fair, the company is previewing tech savvy versions of the games that use iOS devices during play. Monopoly zAPPed plays generally like the classic real estate game you know, but instead of fake paper money players tap Read more

If the tech clutch trend isn't quite your thing, consider spending the many gift cards you'll no doubt receive this season on a luxurious Julia Embossed Metallic Universal Clutch ($58) from Coach. It's got "universal" in the name because it can hold your smartphones, small digital cameras, and MP3 players, either keeping them safe in a bag or on your wrist during a night out on the town. It's Read more

We're excited to present this story from our friends at Allure: Did you know that children smile a whopping 400 times a day, while one third of adults smile just 20 times a day? We learned this and plenty more from Ron Gutman's fascinating TED talk on the power of cracking a smile. Gutman, an entrepreneur and writer, has turned his research into a new digital TED Book, Smile: The Astonishing Read more

Paper is no longer a story time requirement, thanks to the abundance of digital kids' books accessible via iPad or smartphone. A new player to the ebook scene is uTales, which distinguishes itself from the pack with an interesting crowdsourced approach to acquiring content. For $10 a month, parents have access to an unlimited number of digital picture books — your standard subscription model Read more

Get your running shoes on and stash some energy-boosting snacks in your diaper bag because Black Friday is here and it's starting earlier than ever. Never mind the 5 a.m. wake-up call on Friday morning — this year the deals are starting on Thanksgiving Day, or even earlier! We've used our supersleuthing skills to uncover the best deals out there. So gather your gift lists, enlist a family Read more