ADVENTURE CLASSICS
Nancy Drew not shoot-’em-up type
Far too many computer games are shoot-’em-up types that rely on flashy graphics and the hair-trigger reflexes of players. But a new series of Nancy Drew animated mystery games breaks the mold.
Nancy Drew, of course, is the heroine of scores of mysteries aimed at young girls from late elementary school on up. An 18-year-old detective, Drew has thrilled readers since the 1930s.
Software publisher Her Interactive Inc. has artfully rendered the stories as adventure-style computer games that will entertain boys and girls alike.
Nine titles are available, from $10 to $20 at nancydrewgames.
com. I’ve tested “Secret of the Scarlet Hand” and “Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake,” and found both well designed and fun.
In the games, the player is Nancy Drew and moves about an animated world where clues abound. Certain objects can prove helpful in unlocking doorways.
Because these games rely in part on cool graphics, potential buyers should be careful to make sure their computers meet the minimum specifications. The good news is that most PCs built in the last four years should be able to handle it.
— Hartford Courant
FOR LESS
Jukebox Zen challenges iPod
Creative Technologies has finally produced a portable digital player that rivals Apple’s elegant iPod–for less money.
The Nomad Jukebox Zen ($300 after a $50 rebate) packs a 20-gigabyte hard disk into a 9.5-ounce, 3-by-4.4-by-1-inch package.
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It’s slightly larger and heavier than the 20-gigabyte iPod, and a bit large for a shirt pocket. But it’s still a small package, considering that it stores 400 albums’ worth of music in MP3 format.
Like the iPod, the Zen Jukebox has a FireWire (IEEE 1394) connector for high-speed transfer of music from your computer. But it also has a standard USB port, so unlike the iPod, it works with most PCs.
The Zen’s control panel is based on a small, blue LCD screen, with several buttons and a side-mounted wheel that scrolls through menus. It’s not as slick as the iPod’s jog-dial system, but it does enable users to build playlists on the fly.
If you value size, weight and style, the iPod might still be your pick. But for features, price and playback quality, the Nomad Jukebox Zen is a winner.
— Baltimore Sun
BLINK
Tiny digital camera good start for child
Digital cameras are perhaps this year’s most desired high-tech holiday gift, but big price tags can make receiving much better than giving–unless you’re shopping for the SiPix StyleCam Blink.
This tiny $39 wonder, just 2 1/4 inches on each side and three-quarters of an inch thick, comes with a USB connecting cable and Windows photo-editing software.
Images measure only 640 by 480 pixels, or one-third of a megapixel, but the picture quality is surprisingly good, with rich colors and only slight fuzziness.
The Blink is no substitute for a full-featured digital camera, lacking a flash and a color LCD screen for showing the pictures you’ve just taken. And the resolution is too low to make prints any bigger than 4 by 6 inches.
But the Blink is great for casual snapshots and could be perfect for a child just starting with photography.
— San Jose Mercury News