For some reason Las Vegas doesn't let me leave. Every time I'm there (and since my husband loves Vegas, I've been there more than I would have ever gone on my own), my flight out is delayed. Last night, we were literally in our seats at 9 p.m. ready to go, when they announced we had to wait another hour and 10 minutes. I'm convinced it's a trap designed to get you to put more money into the Wheel of Fortune waiting for you back at the gate (they let us off the plane).

I finally made it home after midnight from my first trip to CES. I made the same mistake I made at MAGIC -- I wore the wrong shoes, i.e. boots with heels. I was walking around the Venetian in my socks by the end of the day. I was also thankful that Ypulse is not a gadget blog, and that I didn't feel the pressure to run around and look at all the shiny new sound systems and TVs (evidently I missed highlights like the Taser MPH -- the first combination hand-held music player and Taser). I kept it simple and just went to the Sandbox Summit, which is the first time anyone has put together a program focusing on children's use of tech toys and digital media at this event. Big props to Claire, Wendy and Robin for putting together an incredibly thoughtful program in the midst of an event known for guys, gadgets and the porn stars next door.

I missed the early morning stuff including the Sesame Workshop preso on their new report D is for Digital (though I did hear Elmo giving an interview in the speaker ready room). You can download the report here. Given Monday's post on children and commercialism, I thought this recommendation from the report for industry was very relevant:

Implement policies to protect children from commercialism in a digital age

Their action step?

Federal regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Communications Commission, and voluntary industry, public interest advocacy and philanthropic organizations, should initiate the advancement of policies that protect children from commercialism in a digital age. A revitalization of The Children's Television Act needs to be undertaken to modernize the child protections now called for in a digital age.

At the Ypulse Tween Mashup, there were some attendees really interested in working on this issue, especially as it relates to social networking. And I know the folks at Privo (Denise and Carol) want to get this discussion going. So if you are in the digital kids/tweens space and want to start working on this issue, please join the Facebook Group I just started for this purpose.

Next up was a panel discussion called "The New Frontier of Play." I was sort of tuning in and out as I prepared for my own panel, but some stuff to note:

Microsoft talked about its new PACT (helping parents limit their kids' play time on XBox and VISTA). It means parental involvement, access to content and control over time spent.

Mattel, i.e. Barbiegirls.com, talked about its staggering numbers -- they are up to over 10 million users. I'm sure the feminists in the room all shared a collective eye roll and gag at how popular the makeover tool is in that pretty pink world for young girls. I'm skeptical of their new product iDesign, which sounds super complicated -- CD Rom, scanner, Pokemon-like cards -- to create your own fashions. Especially since for kids that age, it's often the parents who have to figure it out. Read Izzy's take here.

Digital Blue talked about making mini-Spielbergs out of kids with cameras (they do all the Disney electronics). And refreshingly, Cartoon Network talked about the importance of "ensuring all kids have access to the best technology." And I loved Hope Lab's game for teens battling cancer "Re-Mission," which is funded by Omidyar. Read more about Re-Mission on Amy Tiemann's CNET blog.

Warren Buckleitner showed some pretty funny videos of parents and kids attempting to play with different tech toys. Most interesting to me was watching a young boy cry over the paywall that came up to play games in Nick's arcade. And on that note, Buckleitner offered the beginnings of some ethical guidelines for people running these sites like "Don't exploit the tired, frustrated parent."

I had fun on my panel and loved how Times columnist Michelle Slatalla was harshing on having actual guidelines for setting limits on screen time. It made me realize how much we all want five easy tips or simple rules you can use, ironically something the media Michelle is a part of (well, maybe not so much in the Times), perpetuates. Her point was that it's not so easy, it depends on you, your values, your kid, what they're doing online, its value, its effect on your kid, etc.

Lunch on "Cloud 9" (yes, I am now a full blown "Battlestar Galactica" geek), i.e. the mall with the fake sky at the Venetian, with What They Play's John Davidson was fun. I'm hoping he'll join me in Austin for my Core Conversation about what teens want in a game. He wrote an even better recap of the day here -- complete with video of the new air guitar hero thingy. When I saw it, I thought somehow the player was being scored on how well they were playing the imaginary guitar. I don't know how that would work -- maybe magic?

Finished the day with drinks in the Sandbox, chatting with the lovely women from Sesame Workshop, before going to the airport for my LONG trip home.

Posted by anastasia