the scoop

the scoop

let your feet do the talking

With all the various ways to communicate these days, messages were bound to make it down to our feet, right?

Maybe you draw on your shoes already, but Graffeeti shoes (www.graffeti.com) are meant to display your artistic or free verse forms of expression (so your parents can’t get mad at you!). Each pair of shoes comes with color pens (the company says its pens are specially formulated, and does not recommend using other brands).

Notables include the Anthem Hearts shoes for ladies ($43.99, graffeeti.com) and the Lo Notes for guys ($38.99, graffeeti.com).

hcheck out this site

The iPhone and the iPod Touch were two of the hottest gifts this holiday season. As useful as the devices are out of the box, the true power of the iPhone/iPod Touch platform lies in a single application: the App Store.

The App Store is a single-stop shop for all the applications available for the iPhone/iPod Touch, including games, productivity tools and more. While the App Store offers descriptions, screenshots and user reviews, newcomers may feel overwhelmed by the thousands of programs to choose from. Which applications are worth your time and money?

Fortunately, there are several iPhone/iPod Touch program review Web sites out there that have done the downloading so you don’t have to.

For iPhone/iPod Touch game coverage, Touch Arcade (toucharcade.com) is tough to beat. Each review includes large screenshots and game play videos to let you judge the game for yourself. It also charts the latest price drops and sorts games by category so you can quickly find what you are searching for.

Unlike the single-category focus of Touch Arcade, Macworld’s iPhone section (macworld.com/products/iphone.html) looks at a broad range of iPhone/iPod Touch applications. A searchable program review archive allows you to sort by rating, name or date. The site also offers news and tips to help users make the most of their device.

While iLounge (ilounge.com) may not rival Macworld and Touch Arcade in number of iPhone/iPod Touch program reviews, it’s critical analysis and hardware reviews make it a site worth bookmarking. iLounge annually offers a free downloadable iPod and iPhone buyer’s guide which includes the site’s list of the 100 best iPhone/iPod Touch applications.

hot song

“My Life Would Suck Without You” (RCA) is everything Kelly Clarkson’s last album wasn’t — upbeat and up-tempo, coming across a bit like a “Since U Been Gone” remix crossed with a synthesizer surge for the anthem-like, sing-along chorus and a bit of Metro Station’s “Shake It.” “Life” isn’t exactly an artistic step forward for Clarkson, but it’s also not the all-out Clive Davis-sanctioned sellout many feared.

what recession?

Video games are still selling like crazy, even though the recession has caused industry growth to slow down a bit. Market researcher NPD Group reports that $21.33 billion worth of video game hardware and software was sold in the United States last year, up from $18 billion in 2007.

The best-selling game of 2008 was a holdover from the previous year, Nintendo’s “Wii Play,” with 5.28 million copies sold. The next three best-sellers were also from Nintendo: “Mario Kart Wii,” “Wii Fit” and “Super Smash Bros. Brawl.”

what’s up with the weather?

From tempests and tornadoes to hurricanes and lightning, visitors to Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Science Center will explore the science of extreme weather at StormFest, a hands-on, interactive educational festival Jan. 30 and 31.

StormFest will dispel many weather myths while exploring the real science behind common, and uncommon, weather and natural phenomena, answering questions such as “Why is the sky blue?” or “How do tornadoes form?” or “Could an earthquake occur in Pittsburgh?”

Hands-on activities throughout the Science Center on both days will explore acid rain, topography, pollution, windsocks, reading weather maps, water recycling, and more. On Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., The Weather Channel’s “Weather Dude” Nick Walker will present Musical Meteorology, an educational program explaining weather phenomenon through music.

Throughout the weekend, visitors have the opportunity to experience one of the most fascinating and shocking elements of weather — lightning. Residing in the Science Center’s Works Theater is a 9-foot-tall Tesla Coil, capable of producing 8-foot long, 1-million-volt electric arcs within the steel mesh cage it sits. For more information, go to CarnegieScienceCenter.org or call (412) 237-3400.