The other bundle includes a slightly older game in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which is considered to be the best game available on 3DS. It comes with a special edition, Zelda-themed system previously announced by Nintendo of Europe; it has the same color as the Cosmo Black 3DS that’s been available since launch but with a special gold trim and and the Hyrule emblem.

Both bundles go on sale in the United States on Thanksgiving, this Thursday, November 24. They’ll each be priced at $199.99, a minor discount over buying the system (which is $169.99 post-price drop) and a new copy of either game. Nintendo describes the bundles as "limited edition," although we don’t know just how limited either will be. With Friday being one of the biggest shopping days of the year, those who wish to ensure they get their hands on either one (especially that nice Zelda system) will want to purchase it as quickly as possible.

A bonus for this game is your young boys and girls will really enjoy it.  I’ve had a hard time finding games that are simple and straight to the point for my young son.  When we are on a road trip, he’s constantly asking if he can play “shooting games” or “boy games.”  Duck Carnage has been a life saver for those trips!  The game also helps develop motor skills as they have to follow the ducks on the screen and press quickly in order to shoot them.  The sound effects are easy on the ears, but if you are really in a quiet spot, there are options to disable sound effects.

The name of the game is a little misleading – no real carnage takes place.  No blood or excessive violence, just fun cartoony play time.  Check out Duck Carnage now in the Android market.

A Nielsen survey of 12,000 online interviews finds half of all Netflix users connect through gaming consoles, such as the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 or Nintendo’s Wii.

Eighty-nine percent of Hulu users  watch on their computers. Nearly three-quarters of Hulu users primarily watch TV shows, while only 11 percent of Netflix users watch TV shows.

Netflix users mostly watch video on their TVs rather on their computers, with only 42 percent watching on computers.

More than 15 billion videos were streamed in May, an all-time high.

"Even where the protection of children is the object, the constitutional limits on governmental action apply," Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in the majority opinion. The ruling was 7-2.

The Supreme Court’s ruling unambiguously reaffirms that video games, which have become increasingly complex and in some cases more expensive to produce than movies, also qualify for full First Amendment protection.

Government lawyers called attention to Postal 2, which lets players go on murderous rampages.

Scalia noted that books often viewed as suitable for high school students are full of violent material. "Certainly the books we give children to read–or read to them when they are younger–contain no shortage of gore: Grimm’s Fairy Tales, for example, are grim indeed. As her just deserts for trying to poison Snow White, the wicked queen is made to dance in red hot slippers ’till she fell dead on the floor, a sad example of envy and jealousy.’"

The Entertainment Software Association, which represents the U.S. computer and video game industry, welcomed the ruling.

"Today, the Supreme Court affirmed what we have always known–that free speech protections apply every bit as much to video games as they do to other forms of creative expression like books, movies and music," said Michael D. Gallagher, ESA’s president and CEO of the ESA, in a statement. "The Court declared forcefully that content-based restrictions on games are unconstitutional; and that parents, not government bureaucrats, have the right to decide what is appropriate for their children."

The Wii U tablet screen can be used to navigate and magnify the image displayed on your TV, which could come in handy for browsing the Web. Nintendo also showed off the ability to play your Wii U game directly from your tablet–handy in case someone else needs to use the TV.

While Nintendo was pretty coy about their upcoming game plans for the Wii U, they did show off a game they were calling New Super Mario Brothers Mii, which let your Mii avatars join in the run-n-jump fun alongside Mario and Luigi.

Check out the game play on this video from G4:

The entire situation shines light on their rivalry and shows how much the Internet world has changed in the past 5 years.  Microsoft has recently cultivated a firmer partnership with Facebook.  YouTube went to Google.  Yahoo and Geocities dominated the web hosting and search engine world by the end of the 90s.  Now, its running close to its end-of-life.  As we look into the future, the question remains:  will competition rule out or will one giant remain standing?

A Google World

When Google began to take over the search engine market, it was one static page with a simple search box.  Now, you can get lost for hours in their endless stream of ‘beta’ products.  Google voice, Google Talk, Google apps. . . the list of products Google supplies is limitless.  In 1999, all of your applications were Microsoft Office, with a pop3 account integrated into your email program, and a simple Internet Explorer browser.  Here in 2011, you can host all your documents online, with Google if you prefer, chat with your friends, email them, and use Google chrome for your browsing pleasure.  They have truly became the leader in the world for Internet technology. 

As much as they dominate through a multiple of technologies, they lack in their social networking and seamless integration between applications. 

And Then There Was Facebook

Facebook took everyone by surprise.  When the average baby bloomer started signing up by the droves, Facebook became an unstoppable force in the Internet world.  As they move forward with third-party gaming and applications, virtual currencies, and advertising, it is apparent that the world of social networking will never go away.  They’ve spotlighted what it means to be ‘private’ and even inspired us to stop being so afraid of showing the world who you really are. 

Their simple social networking browsing experience has outshined all the other social network platforms.  While they have elevated in this arena, they are lacking in other technologies.  Facebook is marketed for your personal life and entertainment.

Who Will Win?

People use both Google and Facebook services simultaneously.  As the competition heats up, the question remains:  If left with a choice, which would you choose; Google or Facebook?  Share your thoughts in our discussion group.

Children under age 6 should not use a forthcoming portable 3D video game player because it could permanently damage their eyesight, its manufacturer warned.

The Japanese company Nintendo plans to introduce its 3DS player in Japan in late February, with launches in the U.S. and other markets soon after.

Nintendo has posted a warning against use of the device in 3D mode by children younger than 6,  stating "a potential impact on the growth of children’s eyes."

Nintendo indicated that the danger lies in the fact that the neural processing that underlies eyesight is still developing in young children.

As a result, the company suggested, the delivery of different artificial images to the left and right eye — as all 3D video systems do — could be harmful to proper eyesight development.

Nintendo states the device can be switched to a 2D mode that should be safe for children.

The game company also recommended that adult 3DS users take breaks every 30 minutes when playing 3D games.

Users of current 3D systems that play on home television screens have reported nausea as well as eyestrain after prolonged usage.

Nintendo and other manufacturers currently recommend that users take regular breaks from these games, although the new warning is the first to suggest a 30-minute playtime limit.

See here for the full release.

Painting the original Wii black appealed to more gamers.  I know my brother broke down and purchased a Wii, but it wasn’t until it came out in sleek black.  The marketing geniuses at Nintendo are using the same merchandise, changing the color, adding a different game, and making it appear new and fresh. 

The red limited edition Wii bundle becomes available on November 7th and comes with Wii Sports and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.  Along with the red Wii, Nintendo is releasing a DSi XL bundle which will feature a red handheld and a copy of Mario Kart DS. 

The red bundles are in honor of the 25th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. game for  the NES.  Pre-order your Red Wii Bundle today!

Wii owners can download the new Netflix disc-free streaming update from the Wii Shop Channel.  Up until now, Netflix viewing through the Wii needed a special Netflix disc.  This update adds Netflix as a menu option on the Wii Menu.  Previously, the only console which had disk free streaming of Netflix was the XBox 360. 

Sony’s Playstation 3 also requires a disk, but an update is expected to be released sometime today to allow disk free streaming.

You still need a Netflix subscription in order to take advantage of the streaming.  Subscriptions start at $8.99 a month. 

The time management game presents a nice introduction, with a simple story line for youngsters to follow.  My 6 year old daughter jumped in right next to me to explore the secrets this game has to offer.

As the story unfolds, my daughter desperately tried to ‘skip’ the intro movie.  I stopped her from doing so in the hopes that she would get more into the story of the game.  She still wasn’t convinced, but I was impressed with the introduction movie.  Flo is approached by Mr. Big to take over his theme park restaurants because he is having an awful time running them.  Of course, Flo accepts the challenge.  The intro scene has character audio and text that you can read, and for those impatient 6 year olds, a skip button!

After the intro scene, you dive right into serving customers, bringing them their food, taking the bill, cleaning up, and even cooking!  Flo does her share of cooking on the deep-fryer with Fries & Fish as her specialty.  The game is very fast paced.  I especially appreciate the coordination and color matching it has to offer for children.  Customers are different colors, such as red, yellow, or green, and can only be seated at a matching color table.  You have to multi-task a great deal to make sure all the customers are satisfied.  If you keep a customer waiting too long, they will get upset and leave, thus draining your points and keeping you from the next achievement.

The game also offers a really nice Help section.  I was really impressed to see this, as most casual games of this type just throw you in with a small tutorial and don’t spend a lot of time on documentation.

Your kids will enjoy this game, and it offers a great way to expand their mouse and multi-tasking skills.  It also includes some really fun mini-games.  Secretly, you will end up playing the game for hours.  Cooking Dash offers a nice stress relieving activity, after a long day at work or being a mom!

As I explore this game more, I will give you a sneak peak of some game play footage!

For now, give it a try.  You can download the game at Big Fish Games.  Enjoy!