Pads

That there is the VTech Innotab. It's like a small iPad for kids, and we're considering it as Molly's "Big Present" from us this year.

It costs around $75. Game cartridges for it cost about $25 each, with downloadable content costing anywhere from $20 (high-end) to free with most apps costing under $5.

It plays MP3, AVI, all the stuff you normally expect a smart phone or pad to play, and has expandable storage via SD Cards. It also has tilt-detection whatever they call it that makes it so it knows which direction you're holding it and/or tilting it for fun and games. In a nut shell, it's a better tablet than the one I bought last year for about half the price and is perfect for a kid who spends lots of time in the back seat.

However, we decided to look in to the possibility of buying just a plain old (cheap) Android Tablet instead (figuring that VTech was probably charging a premium for their design, name and proprietary licensed games. Here's what my research has uncovered:

• Android Tablets in this same price range (under $100) are terrible.
  
• They all require a stylus
  
• They all use a non-standardized version of Android, meaning that most will not be able to make purchases in the Android Marketplace
  
• None have tilt-detection.
  
• While they do have kids games available, they're all terrible knock-off games and Molly is very savvy about that type of stuff. She will play a Blues Clues game but will not play a "Blue Clue Dog" game.

In short, I really think this is what we're going to go with!

Massive Zombiegeddon RPG Idea

Came to me in a dream last night, like all the best ideas in the world do.

The biggest Zombie Apocalypse Role Playing Game EVER.

Need a big room, with 8 to 10 different tables. Each table represents a part of the city/town that has been infested with zombies. Each table has a Game Master who runs the activity for that table. People start out with their character sheets at an assigned table chosen randomly, so maybe you're working in an office building. Maybe you're at the mall. Maybe you're in the park. No more than 4 players at each table.

Objective is to make it out of the city *alive*.

Rumors for how to get out of the city will pop up at each table. People at Table 1 will be told that there's a helicopter pad on the roof of the Hospital at table 7. The people at table 4 will be told that they just need to make it to the outskirts of town where there are less people and a chance to call for help. Table 5 knows that if they can just get to the parking garage on table 2 they can get a fast vehicle to escape the city. Table 6 thinks they should barricade themselves in the Police Station at table 3 and wait for the rescue teams to come get them. So on and so forth.

There will also be personal goals, I'm sure. Your starting table GM may tell you that your child is in pre-school on another table and you can't leave her behind, or that your character is very greedy and won't leave town without first looting a store. Each player is encouraged to create their own Personal Goal, but the GM will be allowed to reword or remake your goal so that it's an actual challenge (ie you're not going to get away with having "Win The Game" as your personal goal).

Players will then go from table to table trying to get out of the city or survive and accomplish their personal goals. They will bump in to the other groups of survivors. They will be allowed to team-up, split up, form new teams, do whatever they like! They have 24 hours to get out of the town before they go all "Return Of The Living Dead" on the town and Nuke it.