June 1998

Cyber News and Reviews is a monthly column published for parents, teachers & business owners featuring kids educational software reviews, business software reviews (small business & home business), games and entertainment articles, a free resource since 1995.

 

Videoconferencing on Mt. Everest, JumpStart Adventures 5th Grade and Animaniacs Game Pack!

Videoconferencing on Mt. Everest

With the help of the Zydacron's videoconference boards and a computer connection through AT&T's field communication network, the recent Mt. Everest Expedition has high quality videoconferencing between physicians in the U.S. and climbers in the technology tent at the base camp. The field communications network consists of two FieldWorks computers, two Globalis B-2 INMARSAT phones, a JVC digital video camera, two Zydacron videoconference boards and two small antennas. In late May, six videoconference sessions were conducted allowing doctors to view diagnostic medical images and consult with their patients. The costs for the remote videoconference are $18 a minute satellite time, but were provided free by AT&T.

For more information on Zydacron's videoconferencing products call 1-603-647-1000 or visit their Web site at zydacron.com.

JumpStart Adventures 5th Grade from Knowledge Adventure

JumpStart Adventures 5th Grade is another great educational tool from Knowledge Adventure. Kids ages 9 through 11 will embark on an adventure with Jo Hammet, a 5th grade kid detective, to save Hooverville's factories and capture the mad genius and perpetrator, Dr. X.

In this excellent educational adventure, kids will work with language arts, U.S. history, geography, art history, long division, multiplication, decimals, fractions, ratios, logic, prepositions, pronouns and physical science.

Travel through the city with Jo on her skateboard looking for clues that will lead to the capture of Dr. X. You'll visit the art museum, solve a crossword puzzle, try to read a bad guy's mind, save a sabotage site, go into a mine, visit the Squishy Juice Bar, search through a junkyard, defuse a bomb and more.

JumpStart Adventures 5th Grade is a new series of educational CDs from Knowledge Adventure for 1998. My 6-year-old daughter, Sarah, has definitely benefited from these products, and I highly recommend them. You can't go wrong buying any of their educational CDs since they offer a 90-day money back guarantee. If you are at all dissatisfied, just ask for a refund.

The software sells for $29.95 and will work on any 486-66 MHz or faster multimedia PC with Windows 95, Windows 3.1 and the Apple Macintosh, 68040 25 MHz or faster multimedia computer. For more information call Knowledge Adventure at 1-800-542-4240.

Animaniacs Game Pack! from Funnybone Interactive

If you'd like to treat your kids (ages 8 and up) to a group of zany arcade games then consider the CD, Animaniacs Game Pack! from Funnybone Interactive. You'll find 5 of the craziest arcade games ever programmed, based on those wacky cartoon characters, the Animaniacs, from Warner Brothers. And you definitely won't find these titles in any arcade.

Baloney's Balloon Bop

If you or your kids aren't fans of Barney the dinosaur then you may want to start with Baloney's Balloon Bop for lots of laughs. Usually, kids over the age of 8 don't really like Barney, and will enjoy playing this breakout-style game where Yakko the bouncing Animaniac is propelled into the air to bust balloons. If you happen to miss catching him he's in big trouble because Baloney the lovey-dovey dinosaur will hug the love out of him with words like, "I lovey-dovey I love you!"

My daughter, Sarah, who is now 6 years old, still likes Barney, but also thinks Baloney is one funny game. She doesn't seem to be offended by this parity on the big purple dinosaur.

Prop Shop Drop

Next you could try Prop Shop Drop. You'll help Yakko steer his bicycle through an obstacle course in a warehouse collecting props for made-for-TV movies. It incudes lots of great cartoon-like sound effects with action animation.

Belchinator Too

The Belchinator Too is a game where you work to rid ACME labs of a robot army. Your secret weapon, Wakko's belch. Here, you'll find lots of arcade action and gross belching sounds as you play.

Tee Off

Tee Off is a wacky 9-hole miniature golf simulation with Dot Warner on the Warner Brothers Studio lot. You'll face unusual obstacles on each hole with this not-so-normal game of golf.

Smoocher

And finally, there's Smoocher. The object of this game is to help Dot turn her nightmares into sweet dreams by kissing the bad guys silly. This is a really silly game where you blow kisses at the bad guys to freeze them in place. Then you move Dot over them to collect points.

With 5 games in one CD, you and your kids won't find a minute to stop laughing. In fact, you'll probably have to hide the CD so your kids can go back to their educational software.

Animaniacs Game Pack! has a street price of $20 and works on any 486-66 MHz or faster multimedia PC with Windows 95 and the Power Macintosh. For more information contact Funnybone Interactive at 1-800-545-7677.

Software Companies Mentioned

Funnybone Interactive
PO Box 2961
Torrance, CA 90509
Phone: 1-800-545-7677

Knowledge Adventure, Inc.
19840 Pioneer Avenue
Torrance, CA 90503
Phone: 1-800-545-7677

Zydacron, Inc.
7 Perimeter Road
Manchester, NH 03103
Phone: 1-603-647-1000