Kids Will Flip for Extended Hit Movie Action

(MS) - A quick glance at box office receipts reveals that movies are more popular than ever. With each summer movie season comes several blockbusters poised to break box office records. As enjoyable and engrossing as movies have become, once the credits begin to roll, the film experience and all the adventure that comes with it is over. With video games you no longer have to leave the movie going experience at the theater. Activision's video game Kung Fu Panda, based on the DreamWorks Animation film, continues the trend that allows families to take their favorite movies' adventures from the silver screen to their video game console. In addition, parents have often found that such games provide benefits and bonding opportunities with their children in a variety of ways.

In the Kung Fu Panda video game, players embark on an epic, action-packed adventure as they master the specialized Kung Fu fighting styles of Po the Panda, the unlikely hero, his teacher Shifu, and the legendary Kung Fu masters, the Furious Five: Monkey, Tigress, Viper, Mantis and Crane. Through 13 legendary levels from the movie and beyond, and spanning land, water and air, players must work their way to become the Dragon Warrior and defeat the ultimate enemy, Tai Lung, as they battle a variety of foes, overcome dangerous obstacles, navigate multi-tiered environments and solve challenging puzzles.

· Share a few laughs. Activision's Kung Fu Panda brings a unique and kid-friendly brand of humor into the living room for players of all ages to enjoy. Parents and children alike will appreciate Po's sense of humor as the quick-witted dialogue and hilarious situations from the film are brought to life in the video game.

· Share a sense of adventure. Like their parents, kids need escapism too. Together, families can enjoy an adventure across ancient China featuring favorite movie moments that take place from the opulent Jade Palace to the challenging Training Dojo and the majestic Wudang Mountains. The game also takes the experience beyond the film with game-exclusive content as players navigate their way through never-before-seen locations such as the mystical Lotus Lake and Tai Lung's training ground.

· Become a team. Children will bond with parents and friends as they team up with each other in various multiplayer battle arenas and work through a series of unique challenges as they defeat dangerous enemies and challenge one another in head-to-head face-offs.

· Learn the benefits of hard work. As kids continue to play the game, they'll learn to utilize each character's special abilities and combat skills to their advantage. When advancing through increasingly difficult levels, they will unlock special moves and earn upgrades to improve strength, speed and agility. For example, while playing as Shifu, Po's wise teacher, players utilize his wisdom, speed and kung fu mastery to perfect his Whirlwind techniques in order to take out multiple enemies. They will also master Po's signature "Panda Style" maneuvers including the Panda Quake and Panda Stumble. They can even use Monkey's spring-loaded tail attacks and explosive style to execute a variety of lightening-fast platforming moves. With so many different characters and kung fu styles available, players will realize that their hard work in the early levels will pay off in the more advanced levels as they acquire new abilities and increased powers.

Now's the time to get into the action with Kung Fu, Panda Style. For more information on Activision, Kung Fu Panda and other video game titles, visit www.activision.com.

Kung Fu Panda is rated "E 10+" ("Everyone 10 and older" - violence) by the ESRB.

CAPTION: Based on the DreamWorks Animation film, Activision's Kung Fu Panda video game allows families to take the unique and kid-friendly brand of humor from the film into their living rooms.

Keywords: box office movies summer movie kung fu panda video games video game video game console kung fu panda video game dream works animation shifu tigress viper mantis crane dragon warrior kids kid-friendly

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Gadgets H.S. and College Students Won't Want to Miss

(MS) - High school and college students returning to classes this year or just starting their upper-level education may find that these gadgets are just what they need for school success and more.

· Never miss a word: Taking notes and rembering important lectures is much easier if you record just what the professor is saying. While you can purchase a separate recorder for this purpose that saves the recording as an MP3 file or on a compact cassette tape, keep in mind that many MP3 players can also record, like Apple's ubiquitous iPod. Invest in the iTalkPro by Griffin Technologies, which plugs right into the iPod. The gadget contains a tiny microphone to catch all of those lectures, even if you doze off for a few minutes.

· Life of the party: While we're talking MP3s, what good are they if they're stuck on your player or PC, especially when you're holding your first dorm bash? You'll need an external set of speakers or a device that can broadcast your favorite tunes for the masses. Cisco's Linksys boombox has a WiFi connection that can pull songs off your PC and play them back on its own speakers or a different stereo system altogether.

· Talk and more: A mobile phone has virtually become standard issue for today's students. Newer models can do so much more than the cell phones of years past, like play music or video, take pictures, or send text messages typed on a QWERTY keyboard.

· Information at your fingers: A USB thumb drive is another gadget you won't want to pass up. While many students are toting laptops around to classes these days, there are still times when you may need to transfer files from one computer (say a home desktop) to another one (school computer lab). A thumb drive enables you to save a set amount of megabytes in folders and transfer as needed. Thumb drives come in all brands and prices.

· Wake up on time: Part of school success is getting to class on time and not being hindered by weather conditions. A projection alarm clock, like those offered by Oregon Scientific in their ExactSet line can be just what you need. This clock sets itself automatically, self-corrects for daylight savings time, projects the time in soft glowing red numbers on the wall or ceiling and now provides you with the indoor temperature. Learn more at http://www.oregonscientific.com/.

· Caffeine boost: If you're like many students who need a cup of Joe in the morning to get started for school, or rely on a cup for all-night study sessions, then investing in a quality coffee maker could be the affordable way to go. Try the Phillips Senseo Coffee Machine. This gizmo brews a cup of coffee in less than a minute and will taste better than left-over coffee from an all-night diner.

CAPTION: iTalkPro, courtesy of Griffin Technology.

Keywords: gadgets college students high school apple ipod italkpro usb thumb drive

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