Michelle on the Move

My 5 year old is already a technology power user. She can navigate her way around my HTC, and although she can't tie her shoelaces, she can program in scratch. Her latest thing is Panwapa World. Sesame Street have joined the social networking landscape with this really cool world for kids.  Connecting and learning is the name of the game.

In Panwapa world, you can create your 'Panwapa Kid" and clothe it. You can make a home for your Kid and put up flags that show other kids what you like. You can then go and search for other kids the same. There is no freeform communication within the world, only ecards that have pre-recorded messages in other languages.

As a parent, there are three things I like about Panwapa world:

1. It's secure. No one can identify your child.
2. You aren't charged for 'premium' content for your child's "kid".
3. The search helps children connect with the fact that there are children in other countries.

Today's post has been brought to you by the letter "C".

With the arrival of really cool smartphones like the HTC Diamond and the iphone, telecommunications carriers are being forced to reassess their position on data costs and mobile entertainment formats.

In the early days of commercially available Internet access it was common for carriers to price high-speed access out of the reach of the regular market. For broadband access, you were charged a premium price and slugged if you went over your limit.

Similarly, carriers are treating mobile broadband and data exactly the same way. Without learning a lesson from only 5 years ago, carriers are giving the impression that data is charged out of the reach of the average Joe on the street. In allowing cheaper data, we are encouraging the uptake of come incredibly useful tools.

But with the hype surrounding the new smartphones, could it be that we are approaching new halcyon days of cheaper, more accessible data?

I am sitting with a patch over one eye, trying to focus on the screen. It's very hard. Two days ago, I decided to wear a new set of contact lenses to work. I arrived home and felt a slight irritation, so I took the contact lenses out.

I woke the next morning to find that overnight, I'd turned into CYCLOPS. The contacts had upset the eye so much that I couldn't  see.  So much for a work day.

Tina Kalivas is holding her first online sale for her Hex Collection. These rare pieces are available directly to the public from here.