While sunglasses can sometimes be a weather-dependent necessity, it’s fair to say that, even in the depths of winter, they can also make a serious style statement. This is a lesson that celebrities know well, and they’re always being papped in the coolest and most on-trend shades.
For those who want to pick out a new pair of sunglasses, this makes celebs an ideal source of style inspiration, and we’ve seen plenty of super-chic looks to emulate in 2020. Here are a few of our favourites to help inspire your next purchase.
Embellished sunglasses a la Olivia Palermo
Olivia Palermo has long been recognized for her incredible style credentials. Always on-trend, the socialist, influencer, and entrepreneur has her finger eternally fixed on the fashion pulse, as demonstrated by the gorgeous embellished sunglasses she recently wore. Providing some much-needed inspiration for those whose wardrobes could do with a glamorous uplift, Palermo made it clear that extra details can look utterly exquisite.
White frames a la Emma Roberts
Source: Pixabay
As the niece of one of the most renowned actresses of our era, Emma Roberts has been around the A-list since childhood, so it’s little wonder that she’s picked up some serious style tips over the years. She recently demonstrated that fact by modeling some gorgeous white frames, which added a glamorous vintage vibe to her all-white outfit.
Excitingly, this isn’t a trend that applies solely to sunglasses: standard frames can also look great in shades of ivory and porcelain, as in the case of our favorite Ottoto Bellona glasses. Available as both progressive glasses and bifocals, these are an on-trend option for those who want to look effortlessly glam.
Cat-eye sunglasses a la Miranda Kerr
Source Pixabay
White frames are not the only throwback to old-school Hollywood glamour. Also trending in 2020 are traditional cat-eye sunglasses, as recently confirmed by Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr. Creating a classic feminine shape that flatters most faces, these are a gorgeous way to give off a sense of style and sophistication without trying too hard.
Round sunglasses a la Rita Ora
While cat-eyes and white frames hark back to the 50s, this is not the only era that’s experiencing something of a style revival. So too is the laidback glamour of the 70s, which might explain why round sunglasses have also come around again.
Modelled by Rita Ora earlier this year, these create a retro aesthetic that looks gorgeous paired with an oversized jumper and skinny jeans. Finish the look with a well-loved pair of leather Chelsea boots and an aviator jacket for instant and effortless style.
Brow-line sunglasses a la Kylie Jenner
Last but most certainly not least, we’ve also seen a lot of brow-line glasses making their way around the celebrity circuit in 2020, with Kylie Jenner proving a particular fan. Modern and unashamedly out there, the geometric shape these create is surprisingly flattering for a lot of different face types, from classic ovals to squares. They look especially good paired with lots of jewellery and a healthy dose of power dressing.
The next time you pick out a new pair of sunglasses, which of these styles are you going to go for?
If you haven’t used Zoom yet, you’re ignoring a tool that can be valuable for the growth of your business. You can set it up quickly, easily manage it and use it to connect with clients, employees, vendors or anyone you communicate with for your business. It’s also very easy to get ‘too’ comfortable with Zoom like CNN commentator Jeffrey Toobin learned the hard way, so we show you the costly mistakes to avoid.
Zoom isn’t the only video conferencing tool that people use, but it is one of the most well-known and versatile ones on the market. With a few simple steps, you can master this product and use it to grow your brand.
Zoom is software, technically known as video conferencing software, that can be used for video chatting across multiple devices all at the same time. It can be used by businesses as well as for personal use, such as with keeping in touch with family members when distance separates you.
It can be used for things like distance education with kids as well as with adults with online learning. You’re allowed to choose between either video or audio calling. This feature lets you talk to someone you’re collaborating with for a business project or host a meeting with multiple team members.
Free Is Good
The software can be integrated with other helpful tools and resources, such as online calendars and more. There is both a free and a paid version of Zoom. While the free version comes with some limitations, if your business is still small, the free version should suit your needs since you can video with as many as 100 people for just over half an hour per Zoom meeting.
If you have more people than that or need longer meeting times, then you would have to use their paid version. There are several tiers within the paid version. These are the Pro, Business, Enterprise and Enterprise Plus options.
With these plans, you can hold larger meetings than just 100 people. One plan allows as many as 1,000 people in the meeting – and that’s the Enterprise Plus choice. Note that the paid version does have some great perks, too.
For example, when you pay for a plan, you can choose to record and save whatever you used the software for in the Cloud. Plus, you’ll also be able to share files and archive the meetings thanks to the Past Meetings feature.
Local Recording
The software also has something known as Local Recording. This feature can be used by the free as well as the paid plan members. What this does is it lets users make a recording of whatever video they’ve created and turn around and share that video with others by placing it on a file site such as Vimeo or YouTube that others can access.
But if you do that, you would want to make sure you’re not discussing sensitive busines information, since anyone can access YouTube (unless you mark the video private or unlisted).
Vimeo can be password protected, too. What most people like about Zoom is that it’s easy to set up – and joining in a Zoom chat or meeting is also easy. It’s cheaper to use Zoom than it is to hire IT members for your business for your own video chatting system.
Plus, there’s a support team on the other end of the platform that handles any issue that crops up. The video and audio that users are provided with Zoom is in high definition. It has a strong security feature because of the encryption abilities, too.
Getting Started with Zoom
You’ll want to make sure that you learn the Zoom basics before you set up a meeting, because this way, you can work out any glitches or potential issues ahead of time. To get started using the platform, you’ll go to the website and sign up for an account.
When you sign up for an account, use your work email address so that it’s easier for people to find you. Also, fill out your profile – including your image. Your name and image will appear when you’re in a Zoom meeting.
This is an important step because it allows others to know that you’re in attendance and it also means that your profile picture will appear when you’re speaking during an audio call.
If this is your first Zoom meeting, you’ll want to install the software before you do anything else. It can take a few minutes, so don’t wait until right before the scheduled meeting to log on.
Test Zoom First
To make sure that you know how to operate the meeting, you can take part in a test meeting prior to your meeting launch. You should familiarize yourself with the Zoom dashboard during this time.
When you install Zoom, you can set it up so that clicking on the Zoom link will automatically open any future meetings for you. This can be helpful, because otherwise, you’ll end up giving Zoom permission to run on your computer every time it starts, and that’s just an inconvenience.
Decide on a time for your meeting and make sure that you and all the participants are aware of their time zone. There are websites that will calculate your time zone into time zones across the world so every participant knows when to show up.
Setting Up Meeting
To have Zoom meeting, you’ll either send a link to your Zoom room if you’re the host or, you’ll receive a link if someone else is hosting. This might happen if a client wants to chat with you and they set up a Zoom meeting.
As a participant, when you first enter the Zoom room, your microphone and camera may automatically turn on. More than one person has had an embarrassing incident due to this feature.
So only click the Zoom link when you’re prepared to appear on camera or audio. However, you can turn off the camera and audio at any time during a Zoom meeting.
This is important if you want to mute yourself or if you want to turn a video call into an audio call.
Zoom Hosting
If you’re the Zoom host, the software will automatically password protect your meeting room. This feature prevents unauthorized users from dropping into your meeting without permission.
However, it’s important that you make sure your participants have this password. So make sure you send this information when you send the meeting link. You can change that password because Zoom chooses a random one.
These random ones can sometimes be difficult to type in or remember. Try to choose a simple password, but not something too obvious like “meeting” because you may get uninvited participants.
One benefit of using Zoom is that people who are traveling can still call in and join the meeting using their smartphone. Once you’ve started the meeting, attendees will be shown in a waiting room.
Manually Approve Attendees
You will have to manually approve each attendee. This is why it’s important that your attendees sign up for a Zoom account with their name and profile picture. Then you can recognize them easily.
During a Zoom meeting, the host can mute all participants. This can be a valuable feature if you’re doing a presentation or if some of the attendees are in busy environments with background noise.
If you’ll be hosting a meeting with a lot of attendees, and you choose to mute everyone, some users will ask questions and make comments in the chat box. The chat can flow very quickly if you have many people responding.
For that reason, some people designate a second host who monitors these comments and answers them. The second host may also alert you to questions you’ve missed.
Basic Zoom Account
The basic free Zoom account for a host will allow you to have an unlimited number of meetings per month with up to 100 participants, but the meeting can only last for forty minutes, so keep that in mind.
What some Zoom hosts do is ask everyone to log off and log back in so they can continue the meeting if it needs to go longer than forty minutes. However, this can be disruptive and distracting, so if you plan to have longer meetings, consider getting a premium account.
Going Premium Benefits
With a premium account, you get a longer meeting time of up to 24 hours. Plus, you can have more attendees at once. Another perk with premium is that if Zoom is having trouble buffering or having connection issues, then premium accounts get priority.
The great thing about getting started with Zoom is once you have a basic knowledge of the software, you can use it for business purposes like sharing your screen with clients or members of your team.
Screen Sharing
Some people share their screen to demonstrate how to perform technical tasks, such as installing WordPress, creating graphics and more. Another reason people screenshare is to show information that can be difficult to communicate via audio only.
For example, you can screenshare a picture of the company’s latest revenue report. Both hosts and attendees can screenshare. But the host can deny users the right to screenshare.
You may want to do that if you don’t trust your attendee or if you know they have an inappropriate desk background. Anything that’s screenshared while you’re recording will be viewable in the final recording.
So keep this in mind if you plan to share your recording later. Now if you realize that you did share sensitive information in the video and you haven’t posted it yet, you can use a video editing program to blur out the information you don’t want seen. Save a fresh copy with the blur and upload that one to your file sharing site instead.
Strategic Ways to Use Zoom in Your Business
Using Zoom can benefit your business. Meetings and chat are the most obvious ways to use the software. But, there are plenty of things you can do with Zoom to increase productivity, and boost your sales.
You can use Zoom for training. An example of this would be if you’re training a virtual assistant to help you with some of your business tasks. Turn on screensharing and recording and the person can see what you see and have the opportunity to ask you questions on the spot.
When the meeting is over, save that video and send it to the assistant for future reference. Then you won’t be answering the same questions repeatedly. Zoom can be used for town hall meetings.
This is a chance to discuss the state of your business, future goals and plans and what’s been accomplished to date. You can also use this time to discuss what your customers are looking for next and brainstorm with team members about problems that you’ve noticed in your business or niche.
Set Your Agenda
However, to get the most out of a town hall type meeting, you’ll want to set an agenda ahead of time. Another strategic use of Zoom is for a sales demo. This is valuable for your customers and gives you the chance to turn warm leads into live sales.
You want to use Zoom for demo purposes if what you’re offering is complicated or highly technical. An example of this is if a budgeting company has a sales demo every week.
Potential customers are invited to show up and ask questions about the software. The host will use screensharing to showcase how their product solves the customer’s problem.
Call To Action
When you do a sales demo, make sure that you have a call to action at the end. For many companies, this is a free trial. For example, you would have something like, “try this free for seven days” or whatever length of time you choose.
Trial periods often turn tire kickers into buyers. Besides sales demos, you can use Zoom for webinars. This can be done as a one-off webinar to share what your company does with an audience.
But they can also be hosted monthly for things like memberships. Another strategic way to use Zoom for your business is by hosting Q&A sessions. This can be helpful for when you’re working on a project, or onboarding a new client or employee to your business.
Mistakes to Avoid in Zoom
Because Zoom catches everything when you’re using the video portion, there are some mistakes you’re going to want to watch out for. Be sure that your camera is pointed in the right direction.
There have been embarrassing examples that have caught people unaware, such as accidentally having someone walk in the background or see something in a mirror. Be careful of what’s in the background.
You don’t want to have anything that some might find offensive or questionable. Because politics is such a hot button issue, you may also want to avoid having any political affiliations in view.
Be aware of what items you’re using in camera view. For example, a snarky coffee cup might be funny among your family and friends, but upsetting and could give a poor impression to colleagues or clients.
Virtual Backgrounds
You can use virtual backgrounds, which can be either free (such as on Canva) or purchased through Creative Market. These backgrounds can be things like an office setting, a meeting room, or even the beach.
Zoom remembers your previous background. So check this before your meeting. More than one professional has accidentally left an inappropriate background they were using among friends that’s not suitable for business.
If you’re having a professional meeting, you want to be aware of the audio that people hear. That means that if you have a small child or dog, you’ll want to make arrangements to keep them otherwise occupied.
Some people who are in busy or noisy environments can mask sounds by using a noise machine. This provides white noise that muffles unwelcomed audio. Watch out for a hot mic.
You might turn your audio on and say something you don’t necessarily want to share, so make sure your sound is muted until you’re ready to meet. Another common mistake is to show up for Zoom meetings not fully dressed.
The Camera Catches Everything
Even if you’re at home, act like you’re at the office. Wear something below the camera line. More than one person has forgotten and stood up on camera, only to be seen in their underwear.
While this might be funny to some, it can be mortifying to you and have a negative impact with clients. Avoid eating while you’re in the middle of a Zoom meeting. It’s annoying and distracting when people eat during a presentation.
If you have to take a break, don’t follow your movements with the camera, especially if you’re using the mobile app. You don’t want to be caught using the bathroom. Most Zoom mistakes can be avoided with a little bit of preparation and professionalism.
The Zoom technology has been a blessing for many businesses and entrepreneurs who previously relied on face-to-face networking and interaction. The fact that it allows people on every budget to utilize the tool means it caters to everyone’s needs.
The best thing you can do to take advantage of this video conferencing tool is practice with it before you use it for business growth purposes. That way, you’ll avoid mistakes and be able to tap into features that really help make your efforts worthwhile.
As time goes on, you’ll find that the limited capability of meeting in person with clients, colleagues, and customers isn’t a hindrance at all, because Zoom has bridged the gap, allowing you to carry on with business as usual.
Here is Part 2 of our Walmart versus Amazon hottest 40 toys that kids are really excited for in 2020. Part 1 is right here in case you missed it. In the rare instance that Amazon isn’t carrying the toy that Walmart is, we’ve found a great and oftentimes much better replacement.
To see all of our complete gift guides together, just go here.
Surprise Toys
Surprise toys have become one of the longest-lasting trends in toys. Year after year, the demand for these toys grows. Part of the reason for their popularity is the joy that kids get from unboxing what they’re getting.
The Animal
The Animal is one of those surprise toys. It’s packaged in a crate that’s not see-through so kids can’t tell what’s in the package. This is a beast of a truck that’s designed to fiercely go where it wants to go.
To free it from the box, kids will first pull a tab that’s wrapped all around it. Then they’ll need to pull a second tab to get to the key. Once they insert the key into the side of the box, the animal will growl.
When the child roars, the toy will roar right back. Knocking on the package stirs the animal into a frenzy with its glowing eyes and roar and it’ll begin to shake the crate. Continual knocking makes the animal surge forward and release itself from the box.
This interactive toy is a 4X4 truck that has powerful retractable claws that allow it to go over any obstacle. It can be used for indoor or outdoor play. It’s also strong enough to pull other toys using the tow hook.
It also comes with side mufflers. The toy has the ability to move forward or backward.
Shaking it makes it angry and it’ll roar into beast mode. If the toy goes quiet, tapping on it will bring it to life.
It uses 4 AA batteries for sound and flashing eyes, but it does have a mode for muting the sound if necessary.
A fun surprise toy for 2020 is the Treasure X Sunken Gold Shark’s Treasure.
This is a toy that’s bound to be a holiday hit. It’s designed to keep children entertained for hours, thanks to the sixteen levels of adventure it has. To get started playing with it, kids have to first use the dagger to crack open the shark.
Though it sounds a little on the gruesome side, kids love the idea of dissecting the shark. During the dissection, they’ll find the weapons that change the ordinary shark into a battle shark.
Within this ferocious man-eating fish, kids will have to go through the slime in order to uncover all the hidden treasures that await them. When the chest is dropped in water, it starts to fizz and then opens to release a treasure.
Kids will have to be sure that this chest is fully submerged in water or it won’t open. But what delights children is that there’s a chance that they’ll end up finding a gold-dipped treasure.
The shark is designed to look like gold armor and it also comes with a Treasure Hunter dressed in the same gold armor. This figure can ride the shark while standing, thanks to the seat on the shark’s back.
While the Treasure Hunter is on the shark, it can fight enemies by firing a torpedo.
Next on Walmart’s hottest toys list is the Hatchimals Crystal Flyers. This innovative toy is a doll that’s housed in a crystal egg.
When the egg is opened, it reveals a pixie and you can choose from Krystalina Rose or Violet Onyx. Whichever one you choose, both of the dolls have the sparkling, glittery wings just like fairies.
These wings do work and help the pixie to be able to fly. In order for the doll to start flying, it has to be charged first, and this can be done with the included USB cable. Once you turn the doll on, the wings will start spinning, and as she’s launched, she’ll start flying.
Kids love their interaction with the doll. If they raise or lower their hands, the doll will automatically sense where the child’s hands are and the doll will rise or lower in response thanks to the built-in sensors.
The doll also has the ability to be able to change direction with a simple touch. During play, if the child wants to stop the pixie from flying, all they have to do is touch the wings and the doll immediately stops.
When not in play, kids can display the pixie in her crystal egg case.
Walmart Deal Here: $29.77. Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here: $29.50
Na! Na! Na! Ultimate Surprise
One of the toys that’s high on the must-have this year is the Na! Na! Na! Ultimate Surprise. This is a toy that’s a teen fashion doll and is part of the trend of unboxing surprise gifts.
When unboxing, the anticipation is part of the gift. As kids open the pom, they’re treated to a shower of confetti before they discover the doll and all the fun accessories. There is a choice from a selection of two different dolls.
You can buy Rainbow Kitty or the other doll known as Black Bunny. Both dolls are named after the cute animal containers they come in. Each of these eleven inch dolls is taller than the original ones and are fully posable.
The surprise doll comes with an animal themed hat that can be removed. This lets kids be able to not only brush but to also style the doll’s hair. A hairbrush is included with whatever doll the child gets.
For the Rainbow Kitty doll, this one comes with a giant kitty pom. The pom is what can be used to store the doll as well as any of the accessories that she has. These accessories will vary, depending on which doll is purchased.
Some of the fashion accessories include things like a warm, fuzzy jacket, a glamourous skirt and a sparkly top. Every glamorous doll needs shoes and four pairs come with this surprise toy.
If you’re looking for a cute and fun surprise toy for the child on your list, then check out the L.O.L. Surprise Clubhouse Playset. This is one of the coolest toys in the L.O.L. Surprise! franchise.
It comes with more than 40 different surprises and in addition to that, it also includes two exclusive dolls. When you first look at the toy, it looks like it’s just a couple of shipping containers.
But then, as it’s unfolded, it turns into a three-story clubhouse that kids love to create imaginary scenes with. The clubhouse can be set up different, such as stacking the containers on top of each other.
Or the clubhouse can be spread out so it’s more sprawling. The toy is designed to be visually appealing, both on the outside and inside of the toy. This clubhouse comes fully furnished, too.
When it’s set up, it has over six areas that your child can choose from to play with the dolls. A few of these areas are things like a movie room or a game room. There’s also a patio as well as a skateboard zone.
Also included in the clubhouse is an area known as the stargazing space. Kids will also enjoy unboxing the furniture that makes the clubhouse the perfect doll hangout. Some of these accessories include things like a hammock and a bean bag chair.
Other accessories are items that the dolls use to have fun with, such as the arcade games or foosball table. A word of caution that may bother some parents: the boy doll with the set is anatomically correct.
Ryan’s World Vending Machine is a toy that’s based on the popular YouTube children’s channel known as Ryan’s World. This channel is one that follows the life and adventures of a nine-year-old boy named Ryan.
The reason that this channel is so popular with kids and parents alike is because it helps children to explore their imagination. The toy is set up the same way. It also helps kids with imagination and exploration.
This a vending machine that really works. Not only does it have sounds and light, but it also uses phrases by Ryan. To play with the toy, kids will feed coins to Combo Panda and then get to select their snack surprise.
Some of the snacks include things like toy chips. There are also beverages like water and juice. Another snack is fruit gummies. The thrill of getting these items is that each of these snacks holds a surprise.
There can be slime in the water bottles. Mini figs are hidden inside the chip packages. These surprise figs can be one of four characters kids are familiar with like Alpha Lexa, Gus, Combo Panda, and Peck.
There are erasers shaped like fruit hidden in the gummy packages. Some of the packages also include mystery pieces that will allow kids to build a gummy Ryan once they find all the pieces to assemble him.
The machine comes with over thirty pieces, and sixteen different surprises hidden in the snacks. It also has a small box in the front that you can use to hold the coins until you’re ready to choose a snack.
Walmart Deal Here: $39.82. Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here: $39.77
Energy-Burning Outdoor Toys
Jetson Mars Light Up Kick Scooter
It’s important for children to spend time in outdoor play. Not only does it help improve agility and build stamina, but it’s important for mental health as well. The toys on Walmart’s list this year can help kids to be active as well as provide them with plenty of fun.
The Jetson Mars Light Up Kick Scooter is a great choice if you’re looking for a scooter. This is one that folds, so it’s easily portable. It can be used either indoors or out. It’s built for use on hardwood as well as tougher surfaces, like concrete and asphalt.
The scooter has good visibility for evening use due to the LED lights designed on the deck and stem. Because these lights are bright, it makes it easy for others to be able to see where the scooter is.
This safety feature is why this scooter is one of the most popular ones. It has a rear foot brake, which is another safety feature that allows your child to stop immediately. There are multiple lights and because they come in twenty different patterns, the scooters will be unique.
When it’s in use, both the front and rear wheels light up. The faster the child goes, the brighter the lights will get. Because the wheels are non-inflatable, parents will never have to worry about the child getting a flat while he or she is riding.
The scooter is very lightweight at only six pounds. This makes it perfect for even younger kids to carry around. The handlebar is height-adjustable so it’s great for kids of all ages.
Another energy-burning toy is the Semi-Truck and Trailer Ride On. This Walmart exclusive is a realistic looking semi-truck that’s the perfect gift for your little one. It comes with a removable trailer that’s made to look like a real tractor trailer, including the red lights at the bottom.
The doors on the trailer are double hinged, so both of them can be opened to allow more room to load in the back. The driver’s side door of the cab of the truck also opens. Your child can have hours of fun driving around in a red or blue rig, loading and unloading the trailer.
The truck has working cab lights as well as engine and horn sound effects. With the press of a button, your child can hear the sound of an air brake and air horn, just like a real semi.
It also comes with a CB system. The truck has a top speed of four mph, so it’s great on sidewalks and driveways. When in low power, it can reverse and pull forward at two mph.
It also has Power Trax rubber traction on the tires for extra safety. There are eight tires between the semi and trailer. When your little one is done playing, just plug it into the charging system that’s included with the truck.
The twelve volt battery has a long lifespan so your child can have hours of fun with the truck. The truck seats one rider at a time, ages three to five. The maximum weight it can support at any time is seventy-seven pounds.
Walmart Deal Here: $249.00. Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here: $248.99
Jetson Plasma Light Up Hoverboard
Also making the list for outdoor toys is the Jetson Plasma Light Up Hoverboard. And if you’re looking for this type of toy, this is a great buy. This hoverboard has a max range of up to ten miles, as well as a max of up to ten mph.
It also has active balance technology to keep kids stable as they ride. The hoverboard has all terrain tires. It’s perfect not only for outdoor play, but indoor as well. One of the many great features with this toy is the anti-slip grip pads that are on the deck.
These help keep a child steady on the board no matter what kind of footwear the kid is wearing. A bright LED liquid light pattern flows through the wheels and hoverboard while it’s in use.
The colors of the deck can be changed by pushing a simple button. These lights will move with the way the child rides the toy, making it especially fun to use in darkness. And they’re very bright, which is a great way to keep safe when riding after the sun goes down.
It also has an easier time than other hoverboards when transitioning from rough surfaces to smooth ones. The hoverboard is strong enough to be used on carpet, grass, and up small inclines.
The motor is a powerful 500W dual hub and it runs on 100% electric power. It also has a long battery life for hours of fun. A battery icon on the board lets you know what the life of the battery is and if it needs to be charged before use.
This hoverboard is recommended for those twelve and older. It has a maximum weight limit of 220 pounds. Kids and adults alike love electric scooters and the Razor Black Label E100 Electric Scooter is the perfect gift for a child or a child at heart.
It’s sturdy enough to hold up to 120 pounds on the all steel frame. The scooter comes in a choice of two colors. You can buy it in either blue or purple. It does need to be charged, but charges fast and can hold that charge for as long as thirty-five minutes.
The scooter is easy to charge and small enough to fit in the corner when not being used. It’s a quiet machine when it’s running, so it’s great for riding indoors or outdoors. One of the best features on this scooter is that it has a dual braking system.
It has both a standard rear fender brake and a front brake. This allows for smoother stops that won’t throw the rider off balance. The front tire is inflatable and designed for a smooth ride on uneven terrain.
The rear tire allows more weight to the back end of the scooter and this is what improves traction when driving. It also allows you to steer easier. The hub motor is high torque and allows you to obtain a top speed of up to ten mph.
The throttle is thumb activated and the front brake is hand operated. This gives you a lot of control when you’re starting and stopping the scooter. This scooter is designed for riders ages eight and up.
The assembled product weighs just over twenty pounds, so it feels a lot sturdier than other scooters on the market.
Walmart Deal Here: $128.00. Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here: $124
Nerf Fortnite DG
The Fortnite video game is one of the most popular games online.
Now, thanks to the Nerf Fortnite DG, kids can have a Nerf blaster inspired by the one from the game and it’s even made in the same colors as the one that’s used in it, too! One of the many cool features about this blaster is that it has a 15 dart rotating drum.
This means players can blast fifteen darts in a row before they have to reload. This blaster comes with enough darts to fully load the drum. The darts are Official Nerf Elite darts, complete with the plastic tip that allows them to fly fast and accurately at a target.
To use the gun, kids can simply load the darts into the drum and pump the priming grip back and forth. Once the blaster is ready, all that’s needed is a press of the trigger. One dart at a time comes out.
Kids will have to pump the grip and press the trigger again to fire the next dart in the drum. If you’re looking to unload quickly, like they often do in Fortnite, just hold the trigger down and keep pumping the grip without breaking.
This will make all the darts in the drum shoot rapidly out. This slam fire feature is great if kids engage in Nerf battles, and since no batteries or charge are required, they can have hours of uninterrupted fun.
Walmart Deal Here: $29.97. Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here:
Screen-Free Indoor Entertainment
Tic Tac Tony
It’s important that kids find ways to stay entertained without being glued to a screen. The best way to do that is with interactive toys. For younger kids, there’s a great preschool game that can allow them to have fun without a screen.
This Fisher-Price game is Tic Tac Tony and it’s designed like a game of Tic Tac Toe.
In this fun game, kids have a board that stands up in the shape of a puppy. They use the puppy’s tail to flip discs into the board game in the hopes of getting three matching pieces in a row.
The board game has holes in the center of it, which allow the discs to slide right in. This is a great game for kids who are working on coordination, since it requires some focus to be able to line the disc up to make sure it lands in the hole they want it to go in.
Vintage Tic Tac Tony game from 1996.
Just like with the original Tic Tac Toe game, the players can line three discs in a row that are either horizonal, diagonal, or vertical. The first player that’s able to flip three same-color discs in a row will win the game.
The game is designed for play by kids three and up. It differs a bit from the original game because flipping the discs from the tail means it won’t always land where it was intended on the board.
The discs and board are multicolored, which will keep kids entertained for hours. The game is designed to allow two or four players to play at one time. Kinetic Sand has long been a toy that’s entertained as well as fascinated kids.
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Kinetic Sand Sandwhirlz
On the hot list this year is Kinetic Sand Sandwhirlz. It’s popular with younger as well as older kids. The soft and gritty texture can be relaxing to play with and has been known to also help calm anxiety.
It’s also known to help relieve stress, thanks to the way it smoothly glides through your hands in a mesmerizing fashion. This kind of sand never dries out – no matter how often it’s played with, so it can be kept for years to come.
This toy is a great addition to your stash of kinetic sand or as a starter. It comes with two pounds of kinetic sand, in colors of red, blue, and yellow. It has over ten tools, so you can have hours of play creating unique sand sculptures.
Some of these tools include six shape shifters, a sand scooper, two extruder tubes, and more. The playset opens up to give you a play area on the lid, so you can even play with it on the go.
Use the sand scooper to drop sand into one of the extruder tubes in the shape of a burst or a cloud. Gently squish the sand down using the plunger, then add more layers of sand.
You can use several different colors of sand to for a unique look. Once the tube is full, you can snap on a shape shifter at the end of the tube. This will allow your sand to keep a shape has it flows out of the tube.
You can store mixed sand in the empty compartment of the case. Kids can also use the extruder tubes as molds, and also use the plunger as a roller if needed.
The Spark Puppy Piano is a toy that’s both educational and fun.
The keyboard helps your child learn fine motor skills as well as sensory development. This toy piano has over twenty-two demo songs, as well as seven well known children’s songs, such as Old MacDonald and the alphabet song.
It also has five instrument effects that delight kids, including a trumpet, organ, violin, music box, and piano. These allow your child to listen to and learn different sounds as they play.
There are also five different beats so your child can change up their tunes. The piano also has a record and play back function. They’ll adore recording and playing back their masterpieces.
There’s also a microphone included with the piano, so you and your child can sing along to the music. Another great feature is the sing along with puppy mode. In this mode, whenever you press the keys, it will make little puppy sounds.
This is a great feature for not only fine motor skill development, but also sensory and imaginative play as well. Children 2 years old and up can use this toy and gain an appreciation for music.
The piano has a volume adjuster so you can control the level of sound that comes out. The keyboard needs four AA batteries to work and are included with the purchase of the piano.
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Little People Launch & Loop Raceway
The line of Little People toys have long thrilled young children. The Little People Launch & Loop Raceway is one of 2020’s hottest products in this line of toys. This playset has several different colorful tracks to set up that allow the wheelie cars to race in competition against each other.
The playset has a fun crash zone in the middle where racers can collide and this action always delights kids. The playset has multiple stunt points for plenty of fun. This includes a jump ramp as well as a loop-the-loop.
There’s also a trap door. The set has a double car launcher than can send cars down the track at the same time. All the tracks end in different ways, so your child can have a lot of fun seeing where their wheelie ends up at once it shoots off the tracks.
A great feature with this toy is the sound system. The playset is designed with sounds to imitate real races. This makes the action feel more realistic to your little one. It also has lights around the playset tracks.
Another great feature of the playset is that it can help build fine motor skills in kids. It helps strengthen a child’s hand-eye coordination. The playset comes with two wheelie cars, and when your child is done playing, the wheelie vehicles can be stored easily inside the playset.
The playset is designed for toddlers eighteen months and older.
Kids love being a hero and if your child is like other kids who want to become heroes, such as a firefighter, then a great gift idea is the VTech Helping Heroes Fire Station.
This set comes with two firefighting heroes, Frankie and Fiona. The set is a multi-level fire station where the heroes can sleep or work out while they wait for a call. Your child can help the two characters get ready to battle the flames by checking the equipment to make sure everything is in order.
When it’s time for them to go and fight a fire, Frankie and Fiona are dropped through the opening and into a mini rescue vehicle. Once they’re in there, you can transform the fire station into a fire truck, complete with a ladder and siren.
If you place Frankie or Fiona on the Talking Point location, the truck will let out music and sound effects. It will also teach your child phrases about the roles of firefighters. There are three play modes included in the playset: Music & Sounds, Rescue Mission, and Explore & Train.
When you combine the modes with the three action buttons, your child can have an educational, yet fun playtime. The playset also comes with a helicopter your little one can use for important firefighting missions.
One firefighter can fit into the helicopter at a time. The truck also comes with a water hose and a sprayer. The playset is intended for kids eighteen months and older and requires two AA batteries.
One toy that continually sells well every holiday is Hot Wheels. Both the cars and the sets are highly popular, and this year is no different. That’s why the Hot Wheels Sky Crash Tower made Walmart’s list.
This toy is a great gift for little Hot Wheels fans. It stands at just over two and a half feet and is designed for racing and crashing action. Children can use the booster to push their vehicles up for an epic jump, which can result in cool mid-air collisions.
The booster is motorized, so it’s easy for even young children to be able to use. The tower has parking for more than twenty cars, so this is a great gift for a child who collects Hot Wheels vehicles.
The track that loops multiple times along with the curves can help your child improve his or her motor skills while improving their racing skills. The track can be used to race multiple cars at a time.
There’s no limit to how many Hot Wheels vehicles can be raced down the track. Your child can enjoy racing them or setting up outrageous jumps that will result in crashes and collisions.
The tower set folds up quickly and easily, making it perfect for storage. It’s also is a great playset to take on the go for sleepovers or playdates. The set comes with just one Hot Wheels vehicle, so you may want to go ahead and buy some additional ones.
The tower playset is recommended for kids five and up.
The Beyblade Burst Rise Hypersphere Set is a toy that’s patterned after the animated series. It’s a spinning top toy that’s one of the hottest collectibles around.
Kids love using the tops to create battles and this set has everything that’s needed for the ultimate victory. It comes with a couple of launchers as well as some right-spin battle tops.
One of the battling tops included is a Prime Apocalypse A5, which the type of top that attacks. The second battling top included is the Golden Judgement Dragon D5, which is a balance type of top.
Both are popular with kids. The tops come with GT chips in their Energy Layers. These chips are interchangeable, so you can mix and match with other right-spin GT chip tops that are compatible to these.
The battle set has four different sections uniquely designed to give a child the most exciting battles. The Beystadium is customizable. The top level, called the Battle Axis, can be removed.
By doing this, your child can have two ways to play with the Beystadium. When the top is on, you can climb the ramp to reach it. Once you’re there, you can drop down into the battle using the Hypersphere Brink Plane.
It speeds the attack process inside the Battle Axis whenever you start climbing up the ramp. A great feature with this battle set is that kids can compete in battles that are digital using a code in the Beyblade Burst app to unlock the Beystadium.
This toy is recommended for kids eight and up. Remote control vehicles can improve a child’s hand and eye coordination. They also improve a child’s reflexes. But they’re also a lot of fun.
The Megalodon Storm RC makes the list of hot toys because it’s both fun and durable.
It has the ability to handle even tough terrain because the truck can drive on water, concrete or gravel and never even slow down.
The truck has a cool appearance because it’s designed to look like the Megalodon portrayed in the media, complete with the wide-open jaws. Despite its cool design, it’s built to withstand all kinds of weather, including snow.
It has lightweight custom tires that let you switch back and forth on terrains without having to stop and start over. The tires are official BKT tires, which means they feature a cool authentic design, just like if a child was driving a monster truck.
The speed and agility of the vehicle is controlled with the remote that has a frequency of 2.4GHz. Six vehicles can be raced at one time. Even with multiple vehicles, each one still has an incredible amount of power and conquers all terrain.
The Megalodon STORM RC can be managed up to a hundred feet away. If the truck starts drifting too far away, the controller will begin beeping to let you know. The toy is charged through using a USB and can hold a charge for a while but this USB is not included with the truck.
Any of these toys on Walmart’s Hottest Toys of 2020 list would be a winner for your holiday shopping needs. But it helps to have some guidance to determine what the best type of toy for your child’s personality and interests would be! Plus, we’ve added Amazon deals in to make your holiday shopping much easier since Black Friday is coming!
I love the title of this episode (thank you, writer Meghan Fitzmartin). In fact, I’m listening to Toto right now as I write this review. ‘Africa’, the lyrics of which inspired this episode’s title, is a pop culture phenomenon, but it’s also special to the “Supernatural” fandom, and nobody knows that better than Meghan. It’s so special that I broke my ‘don’t let yourself get onstage for karaoke at a “Supernatural” con’ rule and joined my friend Alana and her cousin for our karaoke version of Africa along with Kim Rhodes, Briana Buckmaster, Matt Cohen and Richard Speight, Jr. – who were all dumbfounded that I was up there doing it.
That’s the power this song has over me! Chris Schmelke plays it in photo ops regularly, and I’ve witnessed all sorts of people succumbing to its power, including Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles and impromptu waltzes. After ‘Carry On’, it’s one of the songs that is most reminiscent of this wild ride I’ve been on for fifteen years with this show, and it’s always going to bring both smiles and tears every time I hear it. So thank you, Meghan, for making it part of “Supernatural” canon.
This was one of those episodes that kicked up a lot of divergent opinions in the fandom – some people loved it, some people hated it, and a lot of people had conflicting emotions. You can probably guess that I’m one of them, as this show often leaves me feeling that way recently. There was a lot I enjoyed, and then there were a few things that drove me crazy.
I’m glad we got one more flashback episode, because frankly I could watch Weechesters for an entire spinoff tv series and be ecstatic about that. Amyn Kaderali always does a great job directing this show, and he did so here, setting up some truly scary moments while at the same time showcasing Jerry Wanek’s iconic motel décor beautifully.
There were scenes I loved and dialogue I loved. There were also a few things that made me jump up and down and start yelling at my tv screen, which is never a good sign when I’m watching “Supernatural.” I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating – every episode matters now. Every scene, every interaction, every moment, matters now. We have FOUR episodes left. Once again, that makes me cherish just having time with the Winchesters, but also grow frustrated quickly when something doesn’t quite work. Let me start from the beginning, which happens to be in the present.
The Rooster’s Sunrise Motel is quintessential “Supernatural.” “If I Didn’t Care” plays as adult Travis (Ryan Alexander McDonald) checks into a particular room – 214. Interesting song choice – If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be trying to get past this trauma? If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t lie to you to try to protect you? There are a lot of options.
Anyway, the opening scene was scary as hell, Travis trying to talk himself into being calm and facing his fears, while we see the closet door slowly opening behind him. AAHHHH!!! A ghostly kid taunts and attacks him. Poor Travis.
Cut to Sam and Dean in the Impala.
Once again, we get one of those beautiful boys-in-the-car-at-night-in-the-rain scenes, headlights passing by, droplets glistening on Baby’s windshield. As must happen constantly throughout their lives, Dean asks how much farther and Sam gives him the bad news, both of them weary but driving on. It makes a lot more sense in retrospect that Dean is so reluctant to be heading back to a motel where they have history, to help an ‘old friend’ – of 25 years ago.
Sam: It’s not like we have anything else to do right now.
Which is kind of a strange thing to say considering they’re facing literally the end of the world, but it’s true that Chuck’s not around and Cas left for reasons that Dean knows but he’s not telling Sam. I groaned at Dean keeping this gigantic piece of news from Sam, after Cas specifically said that both Dean and Sam needed to know. (It begs the question of why Cas didn’t tell Sam himself, btw).
Cas texts Dean: Did you tell Sam?
Dean reads it in the car while Sam yells at him not to text and drive. He apologizes with a “my bad” – but still does not tell Sam. Castiel’s text and Dean’s lying and Sam’s confusion – they’re like children when they get stuck in these cycles, I swear. Did you tell him? No, I said I would when I’m ready! Who are you texting with??
Boys.
They pull up to the motel, and we flashback to young Sam and Dean, as John drops them off at the same motel.
Sam is (lamely) hiding a college admissions book in his jacket for some unknown reason (why not in his duffel, that’s where it always is in fanfic?) Dean manhandles it out and makes fun of Sam, asking him “You think you’re gonna go to college?”
Sam: It’s what normal people do…
Dean laughs in that way that says nothing is at all funny about any of this and says that they’re not normal.
Dean: If you think places like that will even think of letting a dumbass like you in… This, Sam? This is our life.
On first watch, I had to get up and pace around the room at this point, I was so upset. I have no trouble believing that Dean would instantly panic when faced with the prospect of losing his little brother, to a “normal life” or to anything else. I have no trouble believing that Dean teased Sam and taunted him and sometimes probably hurt his feelings, because a) brothers and b) teenagers don’t always have the empathy to know when they’ve gone too far.
But I still can’t believe Dean would call Sam a dumbass in this context – it was too much of a low blow. I don’t think Dean ever tried to make Sam feel less than, especially not in terms of his brains – otherwise Sam never would have had the self-efficacy to apply to college in the first place, let alone go!
I see where the writer was going, but that part didn’t work for me. Maybe it was partly the delivery too – it came out harsh, without the nuance of underlying fear or the affection usually underneath Dean’s teasing of his little brother. Dean can be mean when he’s hurt or threatened, as all of us can, but there was no lead up to that sort of cruelty that made it seem organic.
Source: Christian Michael Cooper Facebook
I think the young Sam and Dean actors (Christian Michael Cooper and Paxton Singleton) did a good job with this episode, but I also think I’m insanely spoiled by Colin Ford and Dylan Everett, who seemed to study Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles’ portrayals until they came to magically embody the characters somehow. This Dean didn’t quite have the empathy that both Everett and of course Ackles always bring through, so that line seemed extra harsh.
Sam unpacks his duffel after, laying out the gun and knife hidden in there next to the college book, next to the anvil… Okay, the metaphorical anvil. Yes, I get it, Show. Sam trying to decide what to do with his life.
Continuity points for Dean mentioning Sully, by the way – I do really appreciate the timeline consistency. I adore Jay Gruska’s ‘family theme’ but it didn’t quite work for me in this scene – it almost seemed like overkill with the heavy-handed Sam’s dilemma visuals going on.
Meanwhile, Dean meets Caitlin (Ellie McKinnon) and her little brother Travis (Liam Hughes) and shows them how to get some free candy out of the vending machine – that whole scene was back in character, as was most of the rest of the episode. I’ve seen a few people say that Dean was intent on impressing Caitlin because he was interested in some way, but I didn’t see that at all – in fact, that was one of the refreshing things about this episode. Caitlin was an interesting original character who I felt like we got to know a little even in this one episode, and I felt like Dean genuinely respected her.
In the present, grown-up Caitlin (Kelsey Crane) tells Sam and Dean that Travis had some PTSD from his trauma in the past. He went to therapy, which helped for a while, and then the therapist suggested “immersion therapy” which apparently meant he had to go sit in the motel room where his trauma happened. I admit, as a psychologist, I took that a bit personally. This was the therapist’s fault? It’s not exactly in line with what we call trauma-informed treatment. Anyway, Caitlin thinks “she’s back” – the monster that traumatized Travis when they were kids.
We flashback to young Travis trying to get candy out of the machine the way Dean taught him, only to be grabbed by a truly terrifying old woman inside the friggen machine!! An entire fandom started swearing never to put our hands in a vending machine ever again! Kudos to writer and director for bringing the scary once again.
Dean and Caitlin come running to save the day, but Travis looks terrified out of his mind (understandably).
“You think I’m crazy!” Travis says when he tells his sister and Sam and Dean what happened to him. To his surprise, Dean says no, that he believes him.
In a meaning-laden moment (that I liked a lot), Dean glances over at Sam. Sam nods, and Dean goes on, telling an astonished Travis and Caitlin that monsters are real.
Caitlin: Are you for real?
Sam: Yeah, he is.
That was a deftly written scene, showing that Sam and Dean are already a team, even before Sam actually joined the ‘family business’ and that Dean does not for a second think that Sam is “a dumbass”.
Dean asks if there’s anything else they want to tell him, and Caitlin mirrors Dean’s look to Sam by glancing over at Travis. The other younger brother also nods, and Caitlin tells the Winchesters about the missing kids in the town. They grab local papers and start researching, Sam and Dean using M & M’s to map out where the monster may be hiding out – the good old abandoned cannery every time! Sam doesn’t want Dean to go after it before they know what they’re dealing with (definitely not a dumbass) but Dean is in full protective big brother mode (and, I think, feeling bad about his dumbass comment earlier, or maybe that’s my head canon).
Dean: No, stay here – be normal.
He heads out alone.
Dean: I’ve got a gun, I’ve got a knife. I’m good.
Caitlin trails him anyway, the two of them making their way through a creepy abandoned cannery building by flashlight. Another well done scary scene. Dean eventually finds the monster’s lair, pulling up the tarp to find something that clearly terrifies him. He lies to Caitlin, saying he didn’t find anything.
Caitlin: You’re sweating. Are you scared?
Dean: (clearly lying again) No.
Meanwhile, young Sam and Travis play a game of Boggle at the motel while they wait, Sam reassuring Travis that “whatever it is, my brother will kill it.”
Another scene that I loved – Sam’s already deep faith in his brother and his acknowledgment that Dean is doing something important (perhaps for the first time), despite his continued wish for normalcy.
It was also once again scary, as the boggle game spells out frightening messages and then shakes and explodes, the boys jumping up.
Sam screams a warning too late, and the monster grabs Travis and starts pulling him backwards.
At that moment, Dean bursts in the door, yelling for Sam to get back. He slashes at her with his knife, chopping off her fingers and then stabbing her. She goes up in smoke, severed fingers flying and then disappearing too, leaving only a large garish ring behind on the floor.
Oh. The ring.
In the present, however, Dean doesn’t believe Caitlin this time. Sam and Dean check EMF etc and find nothing, and although Caitlin protests that her brother was not suicidal, Dean insists that the monster isn’t back – because he killed her.
Sidenote: Didn’t all the things that they killed come back thanks to Chuck at the beginning of the season?
Hmm. Anyway, it’s clear that Dean needs to believe that he killed it, just as I’m sure he needed to at the time. This incident would have come after the similar events of “Something Wicked” where Dean learned the terrible consequences of not “finishing the job” – something that haunted him his whole life. The idea that this could be something similar must have been unbearable, and still is, even for present-day Dean.
Nevertheless, as Dean walks down the motel hall alone, something flits by behind him – a well-done horror movie type scare. Then he’s confronted by the monster, whatever it is, taking the form of teenage Dean. The image tells him ominously, “you know what you have to do. You failed.”
The guilt Dean is carrying makes him even more vulnerable to the monster’s suggestion.
Dean drops to his knees and pulls out a knife, or seems to, preparing to stab himself, when suddenly Sam is calling his name.
That pulls him out of his trance, because it’s Sam and of course it does.
Dean: She’s right. Caitlin’s right.
He apologizes for not believing her, clearly feeling guilty for not killing it like they all believed he had.
Sam: Second chance then.
It’s a theme of the past few episodes – it’s been mentioned more than once. Will the idea of a second chance somehow play into the final episodes and whatever the resolution will be with Chuck? Hmmm.
Dean comes clean about all the things he didn’t tell them (including Sam) that first hunt. That he found her nest – full of dead kids under that tarp. The same age as they were at the time.
Sam: Dean, why didn’t you tell me?
Dean: I’d never seen anything like that before…had nightmares for years. I shoved it down the old memory hole. I’m sorry, I should’ve told you. He flashes back to that night, remembering the trauma.
I don’t know that the first part of what Dean said is much of an explanation, but it does make sense to me that Dean a) was traumatized by what he saw, and people who experience trauma often have a very hard time talking about it and instead try to compartmentalize it and shove it away, and b) Dean was all about protecting Sam, even back then. He thought the case was over, the kids were gone, why would he want to traumatize Sam too?
Of course, it plays as an indictment of what Dean is currently keeping from Sam in the present, especially when Sam absolves him of the earlier omission, saying that “you were just a kid – we used to keep a lot of secrets from each other”. Back then, is the implication, but not now.
Ouch.
The episode is in part about Dean’s tendency to lie sometimes, mostly because he’s trying to protect someone – often Sam. He doesn’t lie for his own personal gain, he’s not a narcissist. It’s an organizing principle of who he is to protect others, from all kinds of harm, physical and psychological. He knows how much it scarred him to see those dead kids; he doesn’t want to inflict those nightmares and PTSD on Sam and the other two kids. It’s still gonna come back to bite him in the butt, but that protectiveness is a part of Dean’s character that I appreciate. Not saying he should do it, but it doesn’t make him the ‘bad guy’.
Sam hits the laptop for research while Dean goes to the local diner to get them food.
More kudos for Meghan because I loved this little scene – Dean orders a veggie burger meal for Sam, even reluctantly asking “because I know my brother’s gonna ask” if they have arugula salad, or kale? Now that is totally in character for Dean.
Billie suddenly pops up beside him, the counter allowing a pregnant Lisa Berry to stay partially hidden.
I almost inappropriately laughed when Billie was like, “working a case? Now??”
Fandom: Right? With five episodes left??
She tells Dean that their world is the only one left, and sternly tells him he needs to have his house in order and be ready. Dean is angry about the Jack news, asking her how she talked him into doing it. Billie insists that she told him the truth – that the only way the Winchesters will forgive him for Mary’s death is if his sacrifice frees them from the “hamster wheel”.
That’s a pretty awful manipulation and Dean bristles, but he also doesn’t say it’s not true. He reluctantly agrees to go along with the plan because he “wants – needs Chuck dead.”
Dean: I don’t have to like every part of the plan.
Dean doesn’t like it; in fact, he clearly hates it. But he thinks there’s no other way to save the world, and so he’s resigned to it. Ackles lets us see every bit of that fury at having no other choice, along with the steely determination to do what needs to be done. This is a man who was willing to do the exact same thing to take out Amara, resulting in his own death, so I can’t judge him as harshly as I might want to for being willing to go along with it, especially since Jack (Alex Calvert) himself is deciding to do it.
(Though knowing Billie’s psychological manipulation makes it a little harder to swallow that Jack really is making the decision himself.) Sam, on the other hand, is the one always insisting they’ll find another way. The only one who, Dean knew, could have talked him out of the Ma’lak box. It’s why Dean is so reluctant to tell his brother.
I feel like Dean is often painted as the ‘bad guy’ this season. His anger has been completely pathologized even though it still seems mostly normal to me – the rational response of a rational person to an impossible and horrible situation — and now Billie is using his anger as a guilt trip to push Jack into sacrificing himself. This whole episode seemed to be about Dean ‘learning a lesson’ about telling the truth couched in the guise of ‘maturity’ and ‘change’.
And while I think we all agree that lying does in fact come back to bite you in the butt every single time, I also have a lot of empathy for the situation Dean is in and the impossible decision he has once again been set up to have to make. I’m so angry at Chuck and Billie and the other cosmic players at this point, I’d like to jettison them all into another universe! (If only there were any others left…)
I empathize with Dean here, is what I’m saying, as much as I empathize with Sam in the ending scene too. Billie’s “so this is on YOU, Dean” seemed completely unfair.
Jack’s decision was made because Dean was angry and hurt about his mother’s death? I mean, who set that up? That’s Billie being manipulative in the worst possible way, and I feel for both Jack and Dean as pawns in her power play.
Dean is constantly feeling like it’s all up to him – no wonder he impulsively went after the monster as a teenager before they even knew what it was. He felt like saving them all was on his shoulders; after all, that’s what his dad taught him. And he’s still trying to do that today, resulting in the lies that are inevitably going to come between him and his brother.
Meanwhile, Sam researches, and Caitlin says she’s sorry that this is his life now, asking ‘don’t you want to be normal?’
Sam doesn’t even hesitate. He points out that they help people, save them. Sam’s journey these past few seasons has been all about that, from understandably wanting and longing for ‘normal’ to embracing who he is as a hunter and finding satisfaction from that, as difficult and sometimes traumatic as it clearly is. It’s the equivalent of Dean’s “I’m good with who I am; I’m good with who you are.”
Sam continues to be the furthest thing from a dumbass, figuring out that the monster is Baba Yaga and the power is in her ring (that Travis was wearing around his neck. Oops) (My friend Alana insisted on making me watch the Baba Yaga scene from Ant Man and the Wasp and now I can’t even say the word without laughing. Damn it, Alana!)
Sam does have a bit of a dumbass moment, however, when he sits there exclaiming about the Baba Yaga staring the laptop and doesn’t notice that Caitlin has run out of the room — and therefore doesn’t manage to catch her as she goes to the parking lot, finds that the ring is no longer in Travis’s effects, and then gets attacked by the Baba Yaga in the form of poor dead Travis. I think trained hunter Sam Winchester would have noticed her leaving the room, right?
Dean returns with the food and pauses to steel himself outside the door, clearly planning to tell Sam the truth (clear to me anyway) but when he opens the door, Sam tells him it’s the Baba Yaga.
Dean: The Baba Yaga?!
Sam: Yes, the Baba Yaga.
Me: (cracking up) Thanks, Alana…
Sam fills Dean in – ring source of power, feeds on her victim’s worst fears, makes them hallucinate. Destroy “the precious”, destroy the Baba Yaga.
Dean: Let’s split up.
Me: What? How is that a good idea, when this thing makes you hallucinate when you’re alone with it??
Sam follows the proverbial horror movie red herring, which turns out to be the desk clerk (Bernadette Beck) with a bong in the storeroom.
Dean walks by motel room doors, pausing outside when he hears sounds of a woman having some fun-sounding sex. In another moment I loved – because this is not a time when Dean Winchester would indulge some prurient interest – he instead rolls his eyes and walks on. Thank you, Meghan, for getting that right!
As he walks by 214, the door swings slowly open.
Dean: I’ve seen this movie before.
The door closes behind him and he’s suddenly in the cannery, walking down the scary stairs and into the room where as a kid he found her lair. This time, he pulls up the tarp, and instead of the neighborhood kids’ bodies, to his horror he sees young Sam lying there dead.
Dean: (horrified) Sam!
Dean’s worst nightmare, seemingly come to life before his eyes. Ackles sells Dean’s absolute horror so well it hurts. He backs out of the room, no doubt trying to unsee yet another traumatic image.
The Baba Yaga confronts him as adult Travis, answering Dean’s “aren’t I a little old for you?” with saying she’s starving after so long, and attacking him.
Dean goes down struggling. Luckily Sam is walking by the door (similarly unimpressed by the sounds of lovemaking in that other room) and hears a commotion.
He bursts in and stabs the Baba Yaga, saving Dean. She comes after them again, but Dean manages to get the ring off and smash it with the butt of his gun. Up in smoke she goes. Dean looks over to be sure Sam is okay, both of them collapsed on the floor, Caitlin reviving on the motel room bed.
Dean hugs Caitlin goodbye, in the present and the past. In the present, she asks him again if he was scared, and this time he tells the truth.
Dean: Always am.
She points out that he’s changed, and that part of growing up means you understand that lies don’t make anything better.
She points out that, I’d like to point out that Dean’s jeans are … nice.
Dean is really getting it laid on heavy in the midst of his lying to Sam.
In the past, Dean also hugs Caitlin goodbye, leaving her with his number in case anything ever happens again.
Sam: What are we gonna tell Dad?
Dean: That I handled it.
He pauses, smiles at his little brother.
Dean: With a little help.
I was hoping all through the episode that we’d see Dean take back the ‘dumbass’ comment in some way, and luckily we do. Sort of.
Dean: Sam, about the college thing… I don’t know… but we make a good team, right?
Sam: Yeah, we do.
It’s a nice call back to the pilot, where Dean uses the same phrase to let Sam know how much he wants his little brother with him as his partner.
I might have teared up a little.
They get into the Impala, John at the wheel (alas, sans Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
In the present, they drive away in the same car, night again. Sam calls Castiel, and Dean suddenly tells him to hang up the phone. Dean comes clean, in fits and starts, like it always happens when someone reluctantly tells the truth after lying, knowing how hurt and angry the other person is going to be.
Dean: Billie paid me a visit…It’s go time. Chuck’s done with the other worlds. And there’s something else.
Sam: (incredulous) Something else?
Dean: Jack’s gonna die. He’s known this all along and he’s ready to sacrifice himself.
He admits that Cas told him before they even left, laying it all out finally.
Sam is beyond incensed.
Sam: What the hell, Dean?! I thought we were past stuff like this!
Entire fandom: So did we, Sam!
Dean gets defensive, saying that Sam couldn’t handle it.
That part made me go huh? Sam can’t handle it? It’s not a matter of Sam “handling it” and I don’t think Dean sees it that way. That part doesn’t even fit in with what he says next, so I’m gonna hand wave it and just go with the rest of it.
Dean: You questioned going after Amara, raised ‘ethical questions’…
Sam: And I shouldn’t?!
I think I was so riveted to the television at this point that I was barely breathing – Sam Mother Effing Winchester is back! It’s like Sam, who has sometimes felt relegated to the background recently, suddenly came back to life so vividly that I fell in love with the character all over again.
The family theme begins to play and this time it’s lethally, brutally perfect, as the brothers go at it and try to hash their way through what is familiar territory for them – and all the more hurtful because of that.
Dean: Sorry, Sam, you don’t get a choice. WE don’t get a choice.
Sam: Oh, WE…
Jared and Jensen floored me with their acting in this scene. It was so real I could barely watch it, the emotions so raw and so believable and so painful. Give those two a scene to really dig their teeth into and they will KILL it every damn time!
Sam eventually looks away, too upset and angry to even listen, telling Dean to just stop – to essentially just shut up and drive.
Sam (turning away, toward the window): Just drive.
Dean looks equally devastated.
They drive into the night, leaving me with my box of tissues, sniffling.
Caps: kayb625
Oh, boys.
Okay, I love my Show. I guess this episode mostly worked for me after all. Most of what I ask is to be able to feel something, after all.
Four more “Supernaturals” to go with Unity 15.17 next….
After nearly 160 years, Macy’s Santa Claus has been the one person who has always been inured to the bad of the world, but that has come to a stop due to the coronavirus pandemic. In what feels like the plot of “The Year Without A Santa Claus,” kids of all ages will only be able to see him via Internet-only appearances on behalf of Macy’s.
Santa Claus and Macy’s have gone together like peanut butter and chocolate since the 1947 Academy Award winning film “Miracle on 34th Street.” The plot of this film is where the actual Kris Kringle is hired by Macy’s New York City store where he brings his joy to a few humbugs in a court ruling. Ironic how this all ties together in today’s world with Sen. Lisa Murkowski now reversing herself on Saturday to say she will be voting Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court.
“To replicate the magical experience of visiting Macy’s Santaland for children and their families, we will shift to a virtual engagement this year,” said Susan Tercero, Macy’s VP Branded Entertainment, said in a press release. It will be available online from November 27-December 24.
More than a quarter of a million people come to see Santa at Macy’s in Midtown Manhattan each year, the company said, making it hard to create a safe environment during a pandemic. Before taking a picture with the jolly old man, crowds walk in tight quarters through a maze-like Santaland that’s filled with Christmas trees, running toy trains and elves in green costumes.
Santa also won’t be showing up at its Chicago and San Francisco stores, which have similar Santalands. But he will still appear at the end of the televised Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the company said.
With the coronavirus still raging, stores and malls are having to rework their typical holiday strategy, which had been to pack as many people through its doors as possible. Walmart, for example, is holding its Black Friday deals over four weeks, instead of one day.
But the decision by Macy’s differs from big mall owners, which will still go ahead with in-person Santa visits by banning kids from sitting on his lap and making sure they stay six feet away from him.
Macy’s has been using Santa Claus to draw crowds to its New York store since the early 1860s, calling itself “The Home of Santa Claus” for decades. And Macy’s had a starring role in the 1947 film “Miracle on 34th Street,” where a girl discovers the real Santa inside the store.
Macy’s will be offering a free online experience on its website at the end of November, where families can play games, get a virtual tour of Santa’s workshop and take a selfie with Santa. The experience will feature a greeting from virtual elves, who then lead the way through Santa’s village and workshop, allowing playtime with interactive games. At the end of that trip, kids will meet Santa through an interactive video and can share their holiday wish list and take a selfie with Santa that will be downloadable.
Expect a lot of disappointment as there is bound to be plenty of server issues so be ready for that with the kiddies.
The online experience is limited to three children at one time, Macy’s said. Left unsaid is what parents will do if they can’t access the site after building up young hopes.
“Moving to a virtual engagement will safely bring the magic of Santa Claus to children of all ages this year,” Macy’s said in a statement to media outlets.
In order to deter crowds, its annual Thanksgiving Day parade won’t go through its usual route through Manhattan. Instead, floats, performers and giant cartoon balloons and will be filmed for TV in front of the Herald Square store in New York.
Macy’s also ditched a one-night firework spectacle on the Fourth of July, and held smaller unannounced firework shows to stop people from gathering to watch.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Goes Online Only
With large scale events banned in New York City, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will not go on as in year’s past due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A live parade to welcome in the holiday season has been scrapped. Macy’s says it is in the process of “reimagining” the event that will be brought to viewers on TV and online in November.
“One of the most beloved events every year is the Thanksgiving Day Parade,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said during his pandemic briefing on Monday. “I always want to express my appreciation to everyone at Macy’s. They are extraordinarily civically minded. They care about New York City. We saw what they did on July 4th with an amazing fireworks display. They found a way to do it, to celebrate our country and our city and give us hope and they did it safely.”
The event will be drastically scaled-down. There won’t be a parade along the usual 2.5-mile route down Broadway into Herald Square. The big balloons will have a role but will be anchored to vehicles instead of guided by people.
The high school and college marching bands from around the country, always a big highlight, will have to wait until 2021. Instead, local New York bands and performers will provide music.
A message on the store’s website says the parade will be similarly reworked as was the Fourth of July fireworks spectacular.
A series of smaller fireworks shows took place in each borough over the course of several days leading up to July 4. On Independence Day, Macy’s broadcast the shows.
“Next year, I look forward to things coming back in all their glory so we can enjoy things together again,” said de Blasio.
Six months is barely enough time to get people to know your producer or service, but Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Quibi is shutting down after that short period of time. The service had raised close to $2 billion dollars and burned through all of that Hollywood heavy hitter investment. They were unable to find a buyer looking for a discount after news hit yesterday about the company’s problems.
Katzenberg and partner Meg Whitman wrote an open letter to Quibi’s staff, investors and partners that “we feel that we’ve exhausted all our options.”
The letter is below:
An open letter to the employees, investors, and partners who believed in Quibi and made this business possible —
We started with the idea to create the next generation of storytelling and because of you, we were able to create and deliver the best version of what we imagined Quibi to be. So it is with an incredibly heavy heart that today we are announcing that we are winding down the business and looking to sell its content and technology assets.
Quibi was a big idea and there was no one who wanted to make a success of it more than we did. Our failure was not for lack of trying; we’ve considered and exhausted every option available to us.
While the result was not what any of us wanted, we did accomplish a number of things and we are very proud of what the talented Quibi team has built with the blood, sweat, and tears that they poured into this business over these past two years.
We opened the door to the most creative and imaginative minds in Hollywood to innovate from script to screen and the result was content that exceeded our expectations. We challenged engineers to build a mobile platform that enabled a new form of storytelling — and they delivered a groundbreaking and delightful service. And we were joined by ten of the most important advertisers in the world who enthusiastically embraced new ways for their brands to tell their stories.
With the dedication and commitment of our employees and the support we received from our investors and partners, we created a new form of mobile-first premium storytelling.
And yet, Quibi is not succeeding. Likely for one of two reasons: because the idea itself wasn’t strong enough to justify a standalone streaming service or because of our timing.
Unfortunately, we will never know but we suspect it’s been a combination of the two. The circumstances of launching during a pandemic is something we could have never imagined but other businesses have faced these unprecedented challenges and have found their way through it. We were not able to do so.
Which brings us to this moment. As entrepreneurs our instinct is to always pivot, to leave no stone unturned — especially when there is some cash runway left — but we feel that we’ve exhausted all our options. As a result we have reluctantly come to the difficult decision to wind down the business, return cash to our shareholders, and say goodbye to our colleagues with grace. We want you to know we did not give up on this idea without a fight.
Our goal when we launched Quibi was to create a new category of short-form entertainment for mobile devices. Although the circumstances were not right for Quibi to succeed as a standalone company, our team achieved much of what we set out to accomplish, and we are tremendously proud of the award-winning and innovative work that we have produced, both in terms of original content and the underlying technology platform. Over the coming months we will be working hard to find buyers for these valuable assets who can leverage them to their full potential.
We want you to know that we got up every day and genuinely loved coming to work with the most remarkable and passionate team that we have ever assembled. We will be forever proud of the extraordinary partnership we were able to forge between the best of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
All that is left now is to offer a profound apology for disappointing you and, ultimately, for letting you down. We cannot thank you enough for being there with us, and for us, every step of the way.
Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman
Plenty Of Skepticism
There had been plenty of skepticism around the company since it began, but it didn’t stop high-profile investments from pouring into the startup. Many streaming services have gained from the pandemic, but Quibi opened a month into it. Katzenberg wanted to test a theory that viewers would pay to watch slices of dramas and unscripted shows while waiting in line at the coffeeshop. It was a very expensive theory, but it sounds similar to the streaming feeds you see while gassing up your car at the local BP or Shell station. What was originally projected to be 7 million subscribers turned out to be less than 2 million.
Quibi Holdings LLC is shutting down a mere six months after launching its streaming service, a crash landing for a once highly touted startup that attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywood and had looked to revolutionize how people consume entertainment.
The streaming service, which served up shows in 5- to 10-minute “chapters” formatted to fit a smartphone screen, has been plagued with problems since its April debut, facing lower-than-expected viewership and a lawsuit from a well-capitalized foe, Hedge-Fund giant Elliott Management.
“Our failure was not for lack of trying,” founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and Chief Executive Meg Whitman said in an open letter to employees and investors. “We’ve considered and exhausted every option available to us.”
Mr. Katzenberg and Ms. Whitman decided to shut down the company in an effort to return as much capital to investors as possible instead of trying to prolong the life of the company and risk losing more money, according to people familiar with the matter.
Employees will be laid off and will be paid a severance, the people said, and Quibi will explore selling the rights to some of its content to other media and technology companies.
During a video call with employees Wednesday, an emotional Mr. Katzenberg suggested Quibi staffers listen to the song “Get Back Up Again,” sung by actress Anna Kendrick in the animated film “Trolls,” to buoy their spirits, according to people familiar with the call.
The decision marks a disappointing turn of events for Mr. Katzenberg, a former Walt Disney Co. executive and DreamWorks co-founder who pitched the streaming service as a revolutionary new entrant to the video-streaming wars.
Quibi was designed for people who consume entertainment in short increments on their smartphones, but the coronavirus pandemic forced would-be subscribers away from the kinds of on-the-go situations Quibi executives envisioned for its users. Quibi eventually allowed subscribers to watch its shows on their televisions.
Even before the Covid-19 crisis, Quibi had its share of skeptics in the media world, because consumers already had free options for short-form video, such as Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube. Quibi’s bet was that it could charge subscriptions by creating higher-end content, and it paid handsomely to develop that programming. Some Quibi executives believed the venture could have been a success, if not for the pandemic, with better execution, pointing to the rise of TikTok, people close to the company said. Some of them believed, for example, that Quibi could pivot to what is known as a freemium model, offering some content free while making customers pay for the top programming.
Quibi, which cost $4.99 a month, also had to compete with a growing number of rivals, with launches of Walt Disney’s Disney+, Apple Inc.’s Apple TV+, AT&T Inc.’s HBO Max and Comcast Corp.’s Peacock all occurring in the past year.
In Wednesday’s letter, Mr. Katzenberg and Ms. Whitman said there were “one or two reasons” for Quibi’s failure: The idea behind Quibi either “wasn’t strong enough to justify a stand-alone streaming service” or the service’s launch in the middle of a pandemic was particularly ill-timed.
“Unfortunately, we will never know, but we suspect it’s been a combination of the two,” they said.
Much of Hollywood was doubtful Quibi would succeed but was willing to sell content to the service. Some large media companies, including AT&T’s WarnerMedia and ViacomCBS Inc., agreed to invest in the platform. Overall, Quibi raised about $1.75 billion from high-profile investors which also included Disney and Comcast’s NBCUniversal.
In a conference call with investors earlier Wednesday, Mr. Katzenberg said the company decided to return $350 million in capital rather than pursue a new strategy that could have attracted additional subscribers but would have required a hefty investment, according to a person familiar with the call.
The company spent aggressively to develop its content. Its lineup of star-studded programming included a court show featuring Chrissy Teigen, a romantic comedy with Anna Kendrick and an action thriller starring Christoph Waltz and Liam Hemsworth.
Quibi drew on the deep Hollywood connections of Mr. Katzenberg, who ran Disney’s movie business, co-founded DreamWorks SKG and led its animation spinoff DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., the studio behind “Shrek” and “Kung Fu Panda.”
“Quibi made the classic mistake of getting too wrapped up in a product vision—videos on the phone—and forgetting about the customer,” said Tien Tzuo, CEO of Zuora, a subscription-management company. “They had great artists and storytellers, and the short-form approach had a lot of promise, just look at the success of TikTok.”
The streaming service attracted blue-chip advertisers including PepsiCo Inc., Walmart Inc. and Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, securing about $150 million in ad revenue in the run-up to its launch. Those deals came under strain earlier this year amid lower-than-expected viewership for Quibi’s shows, prompting advertisers to defer their payments.
In recent weeks, Quibi hired a restructuring firm, AlixPartners LLP, to evaluate its options, the people said. It recommended the options to the board of directors this week, laying out a list that included shutting the company down.
AlixPartners didn’t respond to a request for comment. The firm previously handled the bankruptcy of Enron Corp., General Motors Co. and Kmart.
The Information earlier reported that Mr. Katzenberg told people in the media industry he might have to shut down the company.
The decision to hire AlixPartners came after starting a process to sell the company, Movie TV Tech Geeks reported. Quibi pitched suitors including NBCUniversal on a sale, according to people familiar with the matter, but would-be buyers were put off by the fact that Quibi doesn’t own many of the shows it puts on its platform.
NBCUniversal declined to comment.
Quibi is also fighting a legal battle with interactive-video company Eko, which claims Quibi is violating its patents and has stolen trade secrets. Hedge fund Elliott Management Corp. is financing the patent lawsuit.
The fight centers on a key feature of Quibi’s app that plays different videos for users depending on whether they are holding their phone horizontally or vertically. In a statement Thursday, Eko’s lawyer Neel Chatterjee said Eko has “put Quibi on notice that it cannot simply wind down its business, send its investors hundreds of millions of dollars and sell its stolen technology to a third party without first resolving its issues with Eko.”
Quibi has denied infringing on Eko’s patents or stealing trade secrets.
If you find yourself missing the 1990s, the government’s antitrust case against Google will bring you back to the bad old Microsoft days.
Donald Trump administration’s legal battle that has been unleashed on Google truly feels like a blast from the past.
The U.S. Justice Department filed an equally high-profile case against a technology giant in 1998, accusing it of leveraging a monopoly position to lock customers into its products so they wouldn’t be tempted by potentially superior options from smaller rivals.
That game-changing case, of course, targeted Microsoft and its personal computer software empire — right around the same time that two ambitious entrepreneurs, both strident Microsoft critics, were starting up their own company with a funny name: Google.
Now things have come full circle with a lawsuit that deliberately echoes the U.S.-Microsoft showdown that unfolded under the administrations of President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush.
“Back then, Google claimed Microsoft’s practices were anticompetitive, and yet, now, Google deploys the same playbook to sustain its own monopolies,” the Justice Department wrote in its lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Washington, D.C., federal court.
The Complaint
The Justice Department’s 64-page complaint accuses Google of thwarting competition and potential innovation via its market power and financial muscle. In particular, the U.S. complaint alleges, Google sought to ensure its search engine and advertising network remained in a position to reach as many people as possible while making it nearly impossible for viable challengers to emerge.
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen described Google as “the gateway to the internet” and a search advertising behemoth. Google, whose corporate parent Alphabet Inc. has a market value just over $1 trillion, controls about 90% of global web searches.
The Mountain View, California, company, vehemently denied any wrongdoing and defended its services as a boon for consumers — a position it said it will fiercely defend in a case that seems likely to culminate in a trial late next year or sometime in 2022.
Eleven States
Eleven states, all with Republican attorneys general, joined the federal government in the lawsuit. But several other states demurred.
That dynamic raised questions about whether the timing of the government’s move is politically motivated, given that Election Day is less than two weeks away. President Donald Trump has also repeatedly attacked Google with unfounded charges that it is biased against conservative viewpoints in its search results and posted on its YouTube video site.
To avoid the appearance of political animus, Justice Department officials were under intense pressure to present a strong case against Google. Some legal experts believe regulators pulled that off.
Strongest Suit
The Justice Department “filed the strongest suit they have,” said antitrust expert Tim Wu, a professor at Columbia University Law School. But he also believes the suit is almost a carbon copy of the government’s 1998 lawsuit against Microsoft.
Wu believes the U.S. government has a decent chance of winning. “However, the likely remedies — i.e., knock it off, no more making Google the default — are not particularly likely to transform the broader tech ecosystem.” he said via email.
Investors Bet On Google
Investors so far are betting Google will prevail — or at least that its business won’t be fazed by its tussle with the U.S. government. Alphabet’s stock rose more than 1% Tuesday to close at $1.555.93. As of Wednesday afternoon, it’s stock rose to 1,609.19.
The Justice Department is primarily targeting Google for negotiating lucrative deals with the makers of smartphones and web browsers to make its search engine the default option unless consumers take the trouble to change the built-in settings. The company also ensured the search engine would be built into the billions of phones powered by its Android operating system by making that a requirement to use the app store accompanying the free software.
The 1990s case against Microsoft followed a similar premise. Regulators then accused the company of forcing PC makers reliant on its dominant Windows operating system to also feature Microsoft’s Explorer web browser — right as the internet was starting to go mainstream. That bundling crushed a once more-popular browser, Netscape.
Google contends the Justice Department is relying on “deeply flawed” theories that have become outdated by dramatic changes in technology. The company hammered home that point in a Tuesday presentation with reporters that proclaimed, “This isn’t the 1990s.”
Could Smartphones Save Google?
Perhaps the most significant change has been the explosion of smartphone apps that make it fairly simple to for consumers to pick and choose the services they want to use. Google says users of Android phones, typically have about 50 apps on them.
Google also maintains that the same deals that make its search engine ubiquitous also benefits consumers by boosting the fortunes of its partners. For instance, the company argues its free Android software and its search-engine deal with Apple — worth an estimated $8 billion to $12 billion annually — help hold down the prices of smartphones.
Back in 2001, Microsoft appeared to escape the worst outcome. Initially, after a dramatic court trial, a federal judge ruled that the company should be broken up. But that never happened. Instead, the two sides reached a settlement in 2002 that placed restrictions preventing Microsoft from bundling its products so brazenly.
By the time that consent decree expired in 2011, distractions caused by the antitrust case had contributed to Microsoft business miscalculations and the apparent blunting of the company’s aggressive instincts. Microsoft ultimately proved unable to accurately assess the impact of internet search and the shift to smartphones, forcing it to play a long and ultimately fruitless game of catch-up.
Coincidentally or not, that was also right around the time that Microsoft began to complain to U.S. regulators about Google’s anticompetitive practices.
Most Important Takeaways From Google Antitrust Lawsuit
The Justice Department’s lawsuit against Google alleging antitrust violations marks the government’s most significant attempt to protect competition since its groundbreaking case against Microsoft more than 20 years ago. The lawsuit claims Google has abused its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and harm consumers.
What You Need To Know About the Lawsuit, and It’s Effect On You.
What is really happening here?
This is one step against a single company. But it is also a response to the policy question of what measures, if any, should be taken to curb today’s tech giants, which hold the power to shape markets, communication and even public opinion.Politics steered the timing and shape of this suit. Attorney General William P. Barr wanted to move quickly to take action before the election, making good on President Trump’s pledge to take on Big Tech. Eleven states joined the suit.
U.S. Says Google Has Become A Monopoly
After years of hemming and hawing over the matter, the U.S. government has now formally described Google as an illegal monopolist.
Just being a monopolist isn’t illegal. And that’s been good for Google, since it dominates roughly 90% of the market for internet searches. But abuse of monopoly can easily land a company in trouble.
The Justice Department went there, calling Google a “monopoly gatekeeper for the internet” that has used “anticompetitive tactics” to maintain and extend monopolies in both search and search ads. The lawsuit alleges that Google stifled competition and innovation from smaller upstarts and harmed consumers by reducing the quality and variety of search options — and that the company also uses its monopoly money to lock in its favorable position on smartphones and in browsers.
Google Says That Free Is Good
Unsurprisingly, Google sees this differently. The company argues that its services are useful and beneficial to consumers, that they face ample competition and that they’ve unleashed innovations that help people manage their lives.
What’s more, those services are free for consumers to use, at least in monetary terms. What Google doesn’t often remind its users is that it’s handsomely reimbursed by all the search ads it runs on behalf of outside advertisers, which it targets using the personal information its users hand over, often unknowingly, while taking advantage of its “free” services.
Google also emphasizes that its services hold down the cost of smartphones and that its lucrative exclusive deals to make Google Search the default on many phones — what the government calls its “exclusionary agreements” — don’t stop users from changing to rival search engines if they want to.
IS THIS ALL ABOUT POLITICS?
From the timing of the case to its co-plaintiffs, the Justice Department’s lawsuit raises unanswered questions about the politics behind the move. For starters, there’s the fact that it filed the suit exactly two weeks before Election Day, a time when most administrations generally try to avoid making splashy moves for fear of being seen as attempting to influence elections.
It also did so in conjunction with just 11 states, all of whom have Republican attorneys general, despite the fact that all 50 states kicked off an investigation of Google roughly a year ago.
The attorneys general of New York, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee and Utah released a statement Monday saying they have not concluded their investigation into Google and would want to consolidate their case with the Justice Department’s if they decide to file.
Did Google Turn Into Microsoft?
The case against Google bears a strong resemblance to one the government brought 22 years ago against the Goliath of the time: Microsoft. But Google’s days as the fledgling startup looking to “do no evil” are long behind it.
Back then, Google cast itself as the underdog fighting against a technological bully. The Justice Department’s Google case today revolves around the company bundling products around its dominant position in search — much like the 1998 case against Microsoft revolved around its bundling of other products around Windows.
Tuesday’s lawsuit notes that back then, Google claimed Microsoft’s practices were anticompetitive, “and yet now, Google deploys the same playbook to sustain its own monopolies.”
Google sniped back in its own response to the lawsuit. “This isn’t the dial-up 1990s, when changing services was slow and difficult, and often required you to buy and install software with a CD-ROM,” the company said in a blog post. “Today, you can easily download your choice of apps or change your default settings in a matter of seconds.”
Advertisers Have Become the Victims?
Google will hold more than 29% of the U.S. digital advertising market by the end of this year, with Facebook following second with 24% and Amazon third, according to research firm eMarketer. But that’s all digital ads — in search ads only, Google is by far the heavy, holding nearly three-quarters of the market.
This, the DOJ argues, unfairly shuts out any would-be competitors, and can leave advertisers themselves with subpar service and few alternatives.
The lawsuit charges that Google’s “exclusionary” conduct stifles competition in search advertising, thus harming advertisers. By suppressing competition, Google has more power to manipulate the “quantity of ad inventory auction dynamics” — that is, how much advertisers pay for their ads — in ways that allow the company to charge advertisers more than it could in a competitive market, the lawsuit says.
Plus, Google can also offer businesses lower-quality ad services if it wants to, the lawsuit argues — for instance, by restricting the information it provides them on their own marketing campaigns. Without viable competition, who’s to stop it?
In short: We’re not dominant, and competition on the internet is just “one click away.”
That is the essence of recent testimony in Congress by Google executives. Google’s share of the search market in the United States is about 80 percent. But looking only at the market for “general” search, the company says, is myopic. Nearly half of online shopping searches, it notes, begin on Amazon.
Next, Google says the deals the Justice Department is citing are entirely legal. Such company-to-company deals violate antitrust law only if they can be shown to exclude competition. Users can freely switch to other search engines, like Microsoft’s Bing or Yahoo Search, anytime they want, Google insists. Its search service, Google says, is the runaway market leader because people prefer it.
What happens next?
Unless the government and Google reach a settlement, they’re headed to court. Trials and appeals in such cases can take years.
Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: Google will face continued scrutiny for a long time.
Baseball might be America’s sport, but the tv ratings tell a whole different story as the NFL rules the sports roost.
The Los Angeles Dodgers played for their season Sunday night on Fox, the seventh game of the National League Championship Series. Win and go to the World Series, lose and go home.
At the same time, the Los Angeles Rams played a regular season game on NBC against the San Francisco 49ers, a loss that dropped the Rams to a 4-2 record.
There’s no question which game meant more. But for a national audience, the football game was watched by 12.6 million people, while 9.7 million tuned in to see the Dodgers complete a memorable comeback against the Atlanta Braves.
It’s become obvious of how football is the more popular sport, and why networks line up with open checkbooks whenever television rights come due.
Baseball, despite its reputation as the National Pastime, is more of a local attraction. People have a limited interest if their favorite team is not involved.
Case in point: the Los Angeles market. The Nielsen company said that in that city, 7.6 percent of the homes with televisions watched the Rams on Sunday night. But 18.5 percent of L.A. TV homes were tuned in to the Dodgers.
Television’s other big competition last week was Thursday’s dueling town halls with President Donald Trump on NBC and Democratic opponent Joe Biden on ABC. In an upset — since the former reality TV star president has always had drawing power — Biden won, 14.2 million viewers to 13.5 million.
Fox was the most popular broadcast network last week, averaging 5.2 million viewers. CBS had 4.9 million, ABC had 4.6 million, NBC had 4.5 million, Ion Television had 1.2 million, Univision had 1.1 million and Telemundo had 920,000.
Fox News Channel led the cable networks, averaging 4.25 million viewers in prime time. MSNBC had 2.27 million, ESPN had 2.02 million, TBS had 1.99 million and CNN had 1.83 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” won the evening news ratings race, averaging 8.5 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 7.4 million viewers and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.1 million.
Top 20 TV Programs
For the week of Oct. 12-18, the top 20 television programs, their networks and viewerships:
1. Town Hall: Joe Biden, ABC, 14.15 million.
2. Town Hall: Donald Trump, NBC, 13.49 million.
3. NFL Football: L.A. Rams at San Francisco, NBC, 12.6 million.
4. NFL Football: L.A. Chargers at New England, ESPN, 11.2 million.
5. NFL Football: Buffalo at Tennessee, CBS, 10.87 million.
6. “The OT,” Fox, 10.62 million.
7. NLCS: Atlanta vs. Los Angeles, Game 7, Fox, 9.66 million.
8. College Football: Georgia at Alabama, CBS, 9.61 million.
9. “Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick,” NBC, 9.26 million.
10. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 9.1 million.
11. “Baseball Pregame,” Fox, 8.72 million.
12. “Football Night in America,” NBC, 7.15 million.
13. “The Masked Singer,” Fox, 6.5 million.
14. “Dancing With the Stars,” ABC, 6.26 million.
15. “Monday Night Kickoff,” ESPN, 5.98 million.
16. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Wednesday), Fox News, 5.87 million.
17. “Hannity” (Thursday), Fox News, 5.86 million.
18. “Hannity” (Wednesday), Fox News, 5.44 million.
19. “Hannity” (Tuesday), Fox News, 5.34 million.
20. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Tuesday), Fox News, 5.17 million.
Just as Quibi is launching apps on select smart TV platforms like Android TV, word hits that it may all be for naught if a buyer isn’t found, and very quickly. That doesn’t bode well if you’re looking to make a profit off of the short-lived service, but a bargain for those interested investors. The downside is that most people still don’t know about Quibi.
It might explains why Quibi for Android TV is rather barebones for those checking it out with Chromecast on Google TV. On Monday, it also made it available for Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. This rushed output might be in hopes of upping the sale price for Jeffrey Katzenberg.
Quibi, the short video streaming service launched with great fanfare in April, may have to shut down if a buyer isn’t found, specialty news site The Information reported Tuesday.
Quibi founder and former Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has tried to sell its catalog of programming to several companies including to NBCUniversal and Facebook — both of which declined, the tech news website reported. In March, Quibi announced that it had closed a $750 million funding round bringing its total money raised to $1.75 billion.
Katzenberg “has told people in the industry that he may have to shut down the company,” The Information said, citing a person who spoke to him.
Quibi opened for business in the United States and Canada six months ago as the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic began to set in.
Its goal was to shake up the video content industry by providing 10-minute original Hollywood-quality programs delivered to smartphones and mobile devices.
Thanks to Kazenberg’s reputation and the billions of dollars promised, the project won over big-name movie and TV personalities to produce films and series, including the likes of Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Jennifer Lopez and Reese Witherspoon.
Now Katzenberg wants to sell this content.
According to The Information, Katzenberg has already contacted Eddy Cue, an Apple vice president and WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, as well as Facebook and NBCUniversal. There was no interest, the site reported.
Quibi bet big, with 50 programs available from day one.
The company was paying $100,000 a minute for feature films — a rate comparable to big productions by Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max or Disney+, Quibi CEO Meg Whitman earlier told media outlets.
Quibi also wanted to offer daily news reports, sports programs and entertainment shows, content difficult to produce while under pandemic lockdown.
Seeking to attract more customers, Quibi increased its trial offer from two weeks to 90 days, while the subscription price — $5 per month with advertising or $8 without — is comparable to the Disney+ service.
The strategy however does not seem to have worked.
Quibi had reportedly been counting on several million subscribers by April 2021, but six months after its launch it has only a few hundred thousand, including those who have the service for free via their operator.
Netflix See Subscriber Slowdown But Still Ahead For 2020
Netflix’s subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer months after surging in the spring fueled by pandemic lockdowns that corralled millions of people in their homes.
The summer slump came as more people sought distraction from the pandemic outdoors and major U.S. professional sports resumed play, offering other entertainment alternatives to the world’s most popular video streaming service.
The drop-off disclosed Tuesday in Netflix’s latest earnings report was more dramatic than management had warned it might be.
After picking up 2.2 million customers in the July-September period, Netflix finished the quarter with 195.2 million worldwide subscribers. Earlier, company had forecast an addition of 2.5 million subscribers during the quarter.
Even so, Netflix is still ahead for the year. It has added 28 million subscribers through the first nine months of the year — locking in the company’s largest annual increase in its history.
But the momentum seems to be tapering off, based on the trends Netflix is seeing. The company is projecting a gain of 6 million subscribers in the October-December period, down from 8.8 million last year. Analysts were expecting Netflix to project a gain of 6.4 million subscribers for the final quarter of this year.
The influx of new subscribers has helped boost its stock by 59% so far this year. But shares of Netflix fell $28.53, or 5.4% to $496.89 in after-hours trading after the results came out.
Wall Street generally still sees big things ahead for Netflix, which is based in Los Gatos, California, with its video streaming service poised to surpass 200 million subscribers soon.
Even with the summer slowdown, Netflix’s popularity has spurred speculation whether the company may soon raise its U.S. monthly subscription prices by another dollar or two in the U.S., as it recently did in Canada earlier this month. The company recently stopped offering free one-month trials in the U.S., a move some analysts viewed as a precursor to a potential price increase. Netflix’s most popular U.S. plan costs $13 per month.
The company has periodically raised its prices to help pay for the original programming that has helped turn it into a cultural phenomenon in the face of intensifying competition from even bigger rivals such as Amazon and Apple. Higher prices also help boost Netflix’s profit, which have remained relatively modest in light of its video service’s widening appeal.
After a “blowout” first quarter and a strong second, it is “it is reasonable to think” Netflix would take a breather in new subscriber gains for the third, said Dan Morgan, a senior portfolio manager at Synovus Trust.
The company earned $790, million, or $1.74 per share, in the third quarter, up 19% from $665 million, or $1.47 per share, a year earlier.
Revenue climbed 22.5% to $6.44 billion from $5.24 billion.
Analysts were expecting earnings of $2.13 per share and revenue of $6.39 billion, according to a poll by FactSet.
Netflix said as the world “hopefully recovers” from COVID-19 in 2021, it expects its subscriber growth to revert back to pre-pandemic levels. That means growth will be much slower in the first half of next year than it was this year.
One of the most anticipated lists of the year has been out, but it only shows one place where you can get all of the hottest toys for 2020. Consumers can now see Walmart’s Hottest Toys of 2020 list – just in time for the holiday shopping season. With the holiday season, everyone knows it’s wise to check around to see who offers the best deals.
So, we’re comparing the biggest of the big Amazon versus Walmart to show you who has the biggest and best deal for you. Save that extra money to buy yourself a treat after the year we’ve had!
Now, these aren’t just any toys, they are the toys that kids love to play with and want to see under the tree on Christmas morning. They are actually demanding these toys after being cooped up for most of this year. These toys were carefully chosen by paying attention to what engages a child’s interest and is most in demand.
Among these toys were ones that were for use inside as well as outside. Some are digital based, and others are educational in nature. Follow this list and you’ll find just the right gift for the kids you’re buying for! This is part 1 of a 2 part series.
Disney Frozen 2 Magic In Motion Queen Elsa Feature Doll
Children love to envision the characters on the shows and movies they watch as being real and some toys help a child’s imagination flourish in this respect. A much-loved movie is “Frozen 2” and the Frozen 2 – Magic in Motion Elsa Doll helps kids bring that magic into their world.
This favorite character continues the story from the first movie as she journeys with her friends to new adventures. With the doll, kids will be able to join Elsa in song and marvel at the moment she realizes what kind of power she holds.
The song, “Show Yourself” is what the doll sings. At the same time she’s singing, the doll’s head and mouth are able to move in time as the music plays. While the music is on, the lights will glitter from the accents on her beautiful white dress. Walmart Deal Here. $44.84 Check Amazon’s Best Deal here. $39.99
This dress also comes with a cape and shoes. The doll has long, blonde hair – befitting of a princess, just like the movie character.
Blue’s Clues & You! Peek-A-Blue
Next on the list is the adorable Blue’s Clues & You! Peek-A-Blue.
This one made the list because, besides being adorable, who doesn’t love Blue’s Clues? Kids and adults alike both love this character. This plush toy is so soft and squeezable, and at 10 inches in height, it’s just the right size for hugging.
Because it’s soft, it’s the perfect gift for younger kids. The inside of the toy’s paw has the same paw print that delights kids when they see it on the show as Blue solves all the clues.
Interacting with it during play is easy for children 3 and over. To play with the toy, all kids have to do is press Blue’s tummy to see her ears go up. The ears won’t go up without this step, but when it’s pressed, she’ll start to bark at the same time that she lifts her ears.
These actions always make kids laugh while they play game after game of peek-a-boo.
Children will also love having their plush friend along as they watch the show and together solve the clues. Walmart Deal Here. $18.88 Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here. $18.75
Because it’s an interactive toy, batteries are required for operation, but they’re included with your purchase.
Paw Patrol
Dino Rescue Dino Patroller Motorized Team Vehicle with Exclusive Chase and T. Rex Figures
Another great toy that made the hot list this year is the Paw Patrol Dino Patroller.
This toy leaps from the animated children’s show right into plenty of playtime fun for kids. This all terrain toy is motorized and can bring adventures to life. It has oversized wheels that easily travel across carpet and any other type of flooring.
It’s also durable enough to be used for outdoor play. The toy is spacious so that it can hold all the pups in the show. These are sold separately. The vehicle has a projectile launcher and 2 projectiles are included so that kids can jump right into rescue mode and save the day for the dinosaurs.
Also included with the toy is the Chase figure. This comes decked out in the Dino Rescue uniform just like the one worn on the show. It also comes with a T-Rex figure. The Chase figure easily fits into the cab.
The back of the vehicle can hold additional vehicles within the same line of toys. Operating the toy is simple for little kids. All they have to do is push a button and the toy will move.
During play time, if kids want to see the T-Rex in action, all they have to do is press on the figure’s tale. His mouth is moveable. The toy comes with batteries included and is recommended for children 3 and over.
Bop It! Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child Edition
It should come as no surprise that Star Wars toys made the list with the Bop It! Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child Edition. This is the game that’s patterned after what’s called The Child, but what the world mainly knows as Baby Yoda, the cute figure that’s swept to the top of Christmas lists everywhere.
One of the things that makes this toy in such high demand is that it features the real sounds like Baby Yoda expresses. This is something that not only delights kids, but also adults who love Star Wars.
This is a popular electronic game that’s patterned after the TV series and uses both the Mandalorian’s voice as well as parts from Baby Yoda. The toy was created in the shape and color like the loved character from the series.
This one works the same way as other Bop It games. During play time, kids will pull on the toy, or twist it. The game calls for players to perform 3 different moves in no specific order.
However, if they are to win the game, then the player has to get the moves right as well as be quick to make the moves. As long as the person playing the game follows the correct command, the game continues.
The game is designed so that it can be played alone, or it can played with friends as long as it’s set on Pass-it mode. The toy is designed to be used by children 8 years old and older and it need batteries in order to operate.
Toys that teach children how to use their motor skills in combination with their imagination are great gift ideas. Plus, they’re just so fun.
The LEGO Death Star Final Duel is a toy that children will love to play with time and again.
Now kids will be able to reimagine what it was like when Luke Skywalker battled Darth Vader. Once the set is built, kids will be able to create the fight between good and evil.
Designed after the Emperor’s throne room, this LEGO set has the same attention to detail, including the elevated platform, and also gives that cool vibe that was shown in the original command center.
The set has several engaging parts to it, including the minifigure force jump. The throne can rotate and the stairs, as well as the bridge, can give way. The toy is created so that the parts that were in the movie, like where the Emperor meets his doom, can be played out.
In this LEGO set, there are 5 different Star Wars figures kids can choose to play with. Besides Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, there’s the Emperor and 2 of the Royal Guards.
Lightsabers and force pikes are included, too. As a bonus, the set has a code that kids can use to gain a character in the Skywalker Saga video game. The toy has a total of 775 pieces and is not only a great gift for children 9 and over, but for adult Star Wars fans, too.
Walmart Deal Here: $89.00 Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here: $84.00
Star Wars Mandalorian Darksaber Lightsaber
Also featured in the Star Wars line of holiday gift items is the Star Wars Dark Saber. Lightsabers have been a staple in the Star Wars movies since the movie series first began years ago.
The stories have evolved and grown, but the lightsabers continue to be a fan favorite.
This toy was made in line with the live action series in the Star Wars storyline. The story is based around the world of Mandalore and features the Mandalorian bounty hunter nicknamed “Mando.”
Kids love not only the armor of the character, but the helmet that conceals any facial features as well. The warrior in the story is instrumental in helping Baby Yoda.
Children will love using this toy and engaging in role playing fighting scenes and standing tall as a hero as a powerful Mandalorian warrior.
The lightsaber is electronic, so it has sounds that mimic the battle sounds that are heard in Star Wars during the Clone Wars story. As the child brandishes the saber to fight, it engages the battle sounds.
The toy is designed with a black blade and is intended to be used for children who are 5 years old and up. In addition to the sounds, the lightsaber also has lights. When kids want to turn on the lights, they just have to press the button located on the hilt of the toy and hold it. Don’t forget – the toy needs batteries and these are included.
Another category that Walmart has released concerning the hottest Christmas toys of 2020 involve gadgets. These items are for use both digitally as well as for the role of pretend play.
Sensory FX ASMR Mega Bar
Using toys like this helps boost a child’s creativity. A toy that’s landing on multiple holiday shopping lists this year is the Sensory FX ASMR Mega Bar. This toy is one that’s used to create ASMR.
If you’re not familiar with this new experience into sensory responses, it’s known as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response and it’s a way that kids can make sounds using different objects from certain moves.
Basically, the toy operates as a recording setup, but gives kids the opportunity to create sounds that are solely unique to what they enjoy listening to. It’s a soothing as well as a learning toy.
So for that end, the toy is a tool that enables them to understand the way that certain sounds can soothe or stand out from other noises. It’s a great gift for kids who have trouble keeping still.
Using this toy, children get to work with patterns they create that are either slow or fast in tempo. Whatever they prefer is what they can make. It gives them the chance to record these textures and moves with the sensory bars.
They can use the control or the pitch shifter on the toy to change up how something is recorded. It allows them to play their creations or clear out any of the ones they don’t like or want to do over.
The sounds can be altered by adding or taking away the sensory bars. To play with the toy, kids only need to tap on the pads. They can do this by using their fingers or objects such as a pen or ruler to change up the sounds.
There are picks included with it that they can use and it can also be expanded with the purchase of more bars.
Walmart Deal Here: $19.88 Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here: Amazon doesn’t have it yet, but you can be sure they will by Black Friday Cyber Monday.
Vtech KidiZoom Creator Cam
Also making the gadget list this year is the VTech KidiZoom Creator Cam.
This is a digital camera that can be used to make videos in high definition. Children will get to be the producer of different animated creations and can use the green screen or one of the 20 backgrounds that come with the camera.
These backgrounds will enable creative videos, showing things such as running from a dinosaur, exploring the world beyond Earth and more. The camera has a tripod/selfie stick combo and comes with a microphone.
By using the on-screen editing tools, kids get to produce various videos with special effects. There’s a USB cable included that kids can use to put their videos on their electronic devices.
With this toy, buyers have the option to increase storage space by getting the additional micro SD card. The toy uses a lithium ion battery that’s rechargeable. It’s intended for use with kids who are at least 5 years old and up.
One gadget that showed up on Walmart’s hottest toys list is the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S Seafoam Green Camera. This is a gift that can help children not only occupy their time with something fun, but it helps to boost their analytical skills.
It also teaches them to be more observant. On top of that, it can improve motor skills. This camera is as fun to look at, with its bright seafoam color, as it is to use. The features are simple to use, and it delivers clear photos.
One of the options that it has is an exposure control adjustment. This is what can work to prevent a shot from being under or overexposed. This feature allows children to take great photographs shot after shot right from the start, even with little experience or skill.
The camera comes with film that will let a child take up to 10 photos. This film is small and pocket size. Plus, it has that old school photo fun. Kids can snap a picture and in seconds hold the finished product in their hand.
Just like those photos of the past, the pictures are surrounded by a white border so that kids can use this space to either put a tack in it and pin the photo up in their room or use it to write a note about the image.
The camera is a great idea to use for hobbies as well as everyday fun.
Walmart Deal Here: $59. Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here: $43.89
Onn. 8” Tablet Pro
32GB Storage, 2 GB Ram, Android 10
Tablets make the cut for the hottest Christmas toys this year, too. The onn. 8″ Tablet Pro is one that’s meant for kids.
It’s supposed to be used for everything that kids need. Because of that, the tablet can run on a charge for as long as 10 hours of usage. The screen is an 8” LCD touchscreen that responds quickly to touch.
The visuals are crisp across the screen. Kids can use the tablet to connect with their friends online, to look up information or research what interests them or to take part in their favorite online game.
It’s great to use for younger kids, too – with learning or growing games. They can also use the tablet to check out books from an online library program or to find out stuff they need to know about their schoolwork.
The tablet is run on the Android operating system, so even kids who aren’t familiar with tablets can quickly adjust to how to use it. The gadget also has a camera. There’s a 5MP front facing as well as a 5 MP rear facing one.
The device boasts 2 GB of RAM, so it can handle what kids need to use it for. There is a 32 GB storage, but in the event that you want to expand that storage, you can do so. Along with the tablet, the purchase also includes the AC adapter and a charging cable.
Walmart Deal Here: $99. Check Amazon’s Best Deal Here: $92.77
Interactive Play
Disney Princess Vanity
Little kids love to play dress-up and they love playing with various fashions. Toys that help foster this pretend play are always a big hit, and that’s one of the reasons the Disney Princess Vanity is on the holiday toy list this year.
Because the toy does have some small pieces, it’s not recommended for girls who are less than 3 years old. This set includes a vanity that’s light and compact enough to fit on top of a table.
It has a large mirror that is attached. When they use the set, kids will feel like they’re getting ready to go somewhere at a vanity just like mom’s. There are plenty of accessories with the toy.
One of them is a pretend flat iron that kids can use to act like they’re smoothing and sleeking their hair into the latest style. Another accessory is the pretend curling iron that girls can play with and imagine themselves with stylishly curled hair.
The set also includes a hair dryer. These items have slots on the vanity that will hold them snugly in place during play. The set also comes with a curling brush as well as a hair comb.
In addition, kids get a pair of pretend scissors along with hair clips. The vanity is designed like a hatbox, where girls can store their hair accessories. The trays extend out so they get the full glamor treatment.
When the accessories are plugged into the vanity, they either light up or make sounds, just like real beauty tools do. The toy has a carry handle and can be folded up so that the set can be moved or taken anywhere.
Let the little girl on your list feel like a princess with this playset. It does need batteries, which don’t come with the toy.
Kids love funny toys that they can play with all year round and the Gotta Go Flamingo is one such toy that made the Walmart list.
It’s a cuddly, eye-catching pink Flamingo that has the ability to talk by repeating back to kids whatever they say to the pet. The bird, cutely named Sherbet, can also sing as well as wiggle.
It loves to eat. To feed the bird, kids just pour the food into his mouth using the scoop designed to fit his beak. As the toy is eating, his neck will move as he swallows the food.
When the bird needs to use his toilet, he starts singing, “Uh Oh! Gotta Go!” and kids pick him up and place him on the toilet. Since the toilet is see through, kids will be able to tell when their pet has finished going.
When he’s done, the poop is returned to the scoop. It instantly returns to his pre-digested state so that he can eat it again and again. The toy requires batteries, which are included.
Interactive play toys that are cute and cuddly are always a hit with kids. That’s just one of the many reasons that the FurReal Mama Josie Kangaroo Pet is a holiday gift must-have this year.
This mama toy comes with 3 little babies, which are known as joeys. Kids will be delighted to discover that one of them is a girl, one is a boy and they’ll have to unbox the toy to discover what the last baby is.
This toy interacts with kids, thanks to the ability of its over 70 sound and motion features. The pet is able to move and will move both her head as well as her arms. She can also dance.
When the music plays, just watch her hop. Because the pet is such a great mama, whenever she’s snuggling with one of her babies or giving them a kiss, she’ll make a sweet sound just for them.
She can also make other sounds, too – such as when a child is feeding the pet. As she’s eating the included smoothie snack, she’ll let out feeding related sounds, such as a little hiccup or a burp.
Mama Josie not only watches out for her babies, but she’s always up for play. The set comes with the mama kangaroo, the 3 little babies and accessories for the joeys. Because of the small nature of some of the parts, the toy isn’t recommended for children younger than 4.
Batteries are included, but you might want to buy extra, since kids never get tired of playing with this pet.
Balloon animals have always been a thrill to play with, but once they pop, the fun is over. Now, however, thanks to Squeakee, the fun never has to stop. This toy is created to look and act just like a balloon animal, but with much more fun. It has the ability to interact with your child in the same way a real life puppy can.
It’s as playful as a live pet, too. When a child speaks to the pet, the animal will react with understanding to whatever is being said. For example, if the pet is scolded, it’ll lower its head down.
The pet has the ability to sit up as well as stand. Children can pet the dog or tickle him and watch his antics. The dog delights in attention and reacts happily to the interaction.
When his legs rub across the floor, they can make a squeaking sound just like a balloon animal can.
The dog can also make a noise like it’s barking or panting. Through a special indention on the back of the dog, kids can insert a pin and the dog will make a popping sound like a balloon bursting.
The dog will then fall over with a squeak. Kids can use the special inflating accessory that makes the sound of air being pumped back into the pet. The dog comes with a squeaky toy and can be taught tricks using it.
He can roll over onto his back and much more. Once the dog is fed, much to the delight and laughter of kids, he’ll either pee or pass gas. My Life dolls have been around for awhile and make excellent gifts.
Top 25 Hottest Holiday Sales Deals: Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart UPDATED
Walmart’s Black Friday 2019 hottest deals are rivaling Amazon
My Life As 18-inch Poseable Hello Kitty Doll
African American, 18-inch Poseable Doll
This year, Walmart has placed on their hottest toys list, the My Life As Hello Kitty Doll, African American version. This doll is something that any child will be happy to have as a holiday gift.
It’s suitable for both play and collections. The doll is 18” just like the other dolls in the same line. It’s also completely poseable, so kids can act out dozens of pretend scenes with the doll, such as walking or shopping and more.
The torso is soft, making it a great bedtime snuggle toy. The features on the doll are gorgeous with the lovely brown eyes. The eyes open and close, so kids can simulate bedtime for their new play friend.
The doll has long brown hair that has the ability to be both brushed and styled. The hair can hold My Life hair accessories, many of which are sold separately. She comes dressed in the popular Hello Kitty pajamas.
She also wears a pair of bedroom slippers that feature the Hello Kitty iconic face. A pair of glasses are also included, and these feature the red bow attached to one of the upper sides of the glasses.
Other accessories that come with the doll include a fluffy pillow and other items necessary for getting ready for bedtime, like the toothbrush and toothpaste. Kids will also get a pretend pencil, and a diary that has real pages.
For some extra glamor, there’s a bottle of nail polish that can actually be used and a small Hello Kitty lamp that really does work.
Life on the farm is a lot of hard work, but it’s also a lot of fun – and that’s the theme of the Barbie Sweet Orchard Farm Playset.
Kids can create different scenarios centered around life on the farm. There are plenty of animals with the set that need a lot of daily care. Kids can help each of these 11 animals thrive.
There’s a cute pony and an adorable baby goat. The mama pig comes with two cute little piglets. A calf and sweet little lamb can run and play all over their happy farm home.
The animal accessories include a hen and chick as well as a helpful little dog. The cat scampers around all over the farm to join in the fun. Because the farm is an open set, kids can play with it from any angle.
The barn has a grain silo that comes with a bucket and grain for a realistic appearance. The ladder makes it easy to get up into the loft and the windmill on top of the barn works.
The barn is equipped with a pulley that can be used to move the hay into the loft or lowered for the pony. The set has realistic looking cornstalks with corn pieces that can be plucked.
When it’s time to enjoy a good meal, kids can unfold the table. Accessories are included that allow kids to groom and take care of the animals. The Barbie doll is not included with this set, but can be purchased separately.
Most kids are familiar with the L.O.L line of dolls. The initials stand for Little Outrageous Littles and the year that they were first released, they shot to the top of everyone’s shopping list because they were one of the topmost in-demand toys.
The popularity continues with the newest in the line with the L.O.L. Surprise OMG REMIX Dolls with the O.M.G referring to Outrageous Millennial Girls. These are dolls that have a strong vibe toward creativity and that’s what makes them stand out.
These dolls are different from the originals in that they center around music. Each of the dolls stands at 24 cm tall and are designed with gorgeous, full hair done in bright colors, which is patterned in a rock star fashion for dolls that know how to rock a stage.
Each of the dolls comes with a set of two outfits. The toys even have their own band known as The Super Sonix. The dolls come with their own musical instrument that really works.
Just like with the smaller, original dolls, the fun and focus of the toy is on unpacking the dolls. Part of that fun is found when kids discover that each of these dolls comes with a song couplet.
To get the song in its entirety, the rest of the dolls will need to be collected. Inside the package, you’ll get the clothes, a stand for the doll, and accessories – like a brush, shoes, a purse and more – all packed in a turntable box.
China has overtaken the North American grasp on the 2020 movie box office as it nearly shits $2 billion, passing the United States total of $1.937. With coronavirus hitting a third wave in America, you can expect that gap to widen quite a bit by December.
It’s long been predicted that China would one day take over the global box office charts, but it’s still a surprise as America has always been the tops when it came to the film industry. Since the dawn of the motion picture business, it has always ruled the roost. One pandemic changed all of that.
Under $4 Million Winner
Just the fact that Liam Neeson’s thriller “Honest Thief” stole the top spot at the box office with less than $4 million in yet another quiet weekend of moviegoing speaks volumes of where the movie industry stands. It also shows the difference the two countries have taken in containing COVID-19. Remember, when $40 million or less was considered just okay for a film? Last weekend saw “The War with Grandpa” top out at $3.61 million so expect things to continue dwindling. After the latest James Bond “No Time To Die” pushed off until 2021, don’t be surprised to see Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman 1984” do the same.
The Open Roads Films movie brought in $3.7 million in North America the weekend of its U.S. debut. The film, starring Neeson as a notorious bank robber who turns himself in but was double crossed by two FBI agents, opened in Canada last week.
The film also played well in markets including Miami, Chicago, San Diego and Atlanta, according to the studio.
“Honest Thief” overtook “The War with Grandpa,” which claimed No. 1 last week. Despite coming in second, the comedy starring Robert De Niro earned $2.5 million. It has garnered $7.3 million domestically within a 10-day timespan.
Tenet Hits $50.6 Million
Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” now in its seventh week of release, grossed $1.6 million, bringing its U.S. haul to $50.6 million. The sci-fi epic, from Warner Bros., continues to fare better overseas. “Tenet” generated $5 million at the international box office for a global haul of $333.9 million.
Theater owners argue that it’s not fear keeping people from going to the movies, it’s the dearth of fresh product from major studios. But Hollywood companies have been reluctant to unveil their biggest movies because cinemas in major markets like New York and Los Angeles, which account for a bulk of ticket sales for any given movie, aren’t open.
A potential bright spot: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday gave movie theaters outside of the city permission to reopen at reduced capacity starting on Oct. 23. It remains to be seen whether the news will encourage studios to start unveiling major movies.
In the meantime, specialty studios such as 101 Studios and IFC Films have been supplying exhibitors with new indie dramas and comedies.
“Moviegoers, particularly couples, came back to theatres to enjoy ‘Honest Thief’ in a theatrical environment and were rewarded with a movie rated 88% on the audience score from Rotten Tomatoes,” Tom Ortenberg, who recently relaunched Open Road with Josh Green’s Raven Capital, said in a statement.
Disney Success
Disney, meanwhile, continues to find modest success with re-releases of past favorites. Tim Burton’s 1993 holiday classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas” brought in $1.3 million between Friday and Sunday. And “Hocus Pocus,” another three-decade-old hit, stirred up $765,000 over the weekend.
“Well-know stars like Neeson and De Niro, and Halloween-themed classics, are drawing audiences to theaters in solid numbers considering that only 49% of theaters in North America are open and [they are] operating at limited capacity in each auditorium,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with Comscore.
Romantic drama “2 Hearts,” starring Jacob Elordi of “The Kissing Booth” and “Euphoria” fame, pulled in $565,000 from 1,683 screens over the weekend.
Box office analysts suggest that YA-skewing movies, the kind that regularly populate Netflix queues, haven’t been a huge theatrical draw during the pandemic.
“Based on at least three youth-oriented movies released during the last month and a half, teens and young adults do not appear ready to return to the movies,” said David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research.
Among specialty releases, IFC Films’ comedic drama “Shithouse” opened in 28 theaters across the country and scraped together $6,750 ($241 per location). The well-reviewed movie launched simultaneously this weekend on premium video-on-demand platforms, where the studio said landed on the iTunes top 15 charts among independent offerings. “Shithouse,” the directorial debut of Cooper Raiff, premiered this year at SXSW and won the Grand Jury Prize.
After profiting and allowing hate groups to proliferate on Facebook, the social media titan has suddenly swung in the opposite direction fearing the backlash after allowing pages from Alex Jones, the Proud Boys, QAnon, and other extremist groups to grow. Mark Zuckerberg’s behemoth is taking out a lot of other pages as collateral damage, Movie TV Tech Geeks included.
Having been on Facebook for years, we’ve never had any issues, but we got a message from them Saturday alleging that our interview with Gil Darnell, an Australian actor who portrayed Hitler on “Supernatural,” violated ‘continued Community Standards violations.’ This was the first time Movie TV Tech Geeks Facebook page had any violations, but they have threatened to unpublish our Page for this one article.
As any “Supernatural” fans knows, the CW show starring Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki had an episode in 2016 where the soul of Adolf Hitler was trapped in a 1930’s pocket watch. Dean and Sam had to prevent a group of Nazi necromancers from resurrecting the Fuhrer. This shows how ridiculous it is that Facebook has overreacted to the article with Darnell.
As many know, trying to get a real person on Facebook, is next to impossible, and all we could do was hit the ‘I disagree’ button which didn’t give us any area to explain why they jumped the gun on threatening us. Other news pages that have come under this let us know that the word “Hitler” in the title was probably the culprit.
If that’s the case, Facebook really needs to get back to having live people go through ‘offending’ content. After hitting the ‘disagree’ button, a message informed that due to the Coronavirus pandemic, it could be a long time before hearing anything back as they had less people working there.
Boogaloo Boys still alive and kicking on Facebook.
The sad irony is that there are still many white supremacist groups with pages on Facebook today. Just a quick search under ‘boogaloo boys’ brought up this page above which has been there since July.
Zuckerberg recently stated that Facebook would be banning content that “denies or distorts the Holocaust,” so it will be interesting to see if they think the “Supernatural” interview with Darnell fell under hate or Holocaust denial as they also took out a huge swath of QAnon support pages.
Movie TV Tech Geeks has left messages for several Facebook employees, and we await their reply. As of now, we’ve learned that over 450 Facebook pages have had the same thing happen.
