By Chris Scott Barr

You know how your parents and grandparents always told you how much better you had it than they did as kids? I’m still in my 20′s and I’m already thinking those exact same things. For instance, when I rode the bus to school I generally just read books. Eventually I got a portable CD player which would drown out the noise while I read. What do some kids do now? They get on their laptops and surf the net thanks to the 3G Wi-Fi router installed on the bus.

Alright, so that isn’t exactly the norm, only one bus out in Arizona has this convenience. The idea was to transform the hour-long bus ride into more-or-less of a study hall. The 3G router has been in place since last fall and the driver said that the it has made a huge impact on the students. Instead of the usual rowdy school bus activities that you generally see, most kids are simply typing away on their laptops. Sure, plenty of the kids are probably on Facebook or playing games, but it doesn’t upset the district officials. They’re just happy that it keeps them quiet. Not to mention there are students actually using it to get their homework done before getting dropped off.

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By Andrew Liszewski

Technically it’s just another speaker system designed to be strapped to a pregnant belly to provide the fetus with music to further its mental development before it’s even born. But the Ritmo Advanced Sound System can also be used to talk to your baby while it’s still in the womb with your iPhone, so in a roundabout way, it’s kind of like your fetus’ first cellphone. Sure, the only response it can give is a kick or two, but to be honest there are plenty of times when I’d love to be able to kick someone on the other end of a cellphone conversation as well.

The device, or at least the speakers, can be later removed from the belly straps and attached to a crib or stroller after the baby is born, providing enriching or soothing music and sounds while they’re sleeping or playing. The Ritmo Advanced Sound System is available now for a special introductory price of $129.99.

[ Ritmo Advanced Sound System ]