New baby monitors stream video, connect via Wi-Fi

The cry has been heard: After 30 years with little change to baby monitoring devices, new designs premiered this month at the Consumer Electronics Show promising Wi-Fi connectivity and high-definition video that streams live to a smartphone.

Some new monitors will have two-way audio, allowing parents to whisper comforting words in their baby’s ear without stepping foot in the room. Other monitors will text messages when a baby starts to cry, and still others will allow parents to shift the camera's view up, down and around the room remotely, using an iPad.

The next generation of technology represents a leap from most of today's monitors, which consist of a radio transmitter equipped with a microphone in the baby’s room, and a receiver in another room, often no more than 1,000 feet away. When the baby stirs, or coos, or cries, mom and dad can hear and decide whether or not to intervene.

The teenage baby-sitter, replaced by older pros

Meet Maile Yoshida, the baby-sitter of the modern parent's dreams. She's a cute and chirpy 28-year-old with a degree in communication from USC and more than a decade of child-care experience, including baby-sitting infants as well as children with special needs and behavior issues. She has 18 five-star reviews on SitterCity.com, and when meeting prospective families she comes armed with a packet of references, proof of her recent flu and Tdap shots, and her driver's license number.

Of course, you'll have to pay: Yoshida charges $20 to $30 an hour based on the number of kids, their ages and how much driving is involved, among other factors. She said her price is non-negotiable.

Yoshida calls herself a "career nanny" and explains that baby-sitting isn't just a way to make money on the side while she figures out what to do with her life. Baby-sitting is what she is doing with her life.

"This is my means of income," she said. "This is what I do for my career."

Despite the cost, some parents are turning to career nannies such as Yoshida, who come with references and experience, rather than the 15-year-old down the street, even if the need is for just a few hours on a weekend night.

The reasons for this shift away from teenage baby-sitters are varied. Some parents worry that high school students are too focused on their mobile phones -- texting and checking Facebook -- to be responsible for watching a child. Other parents said the supply of teenage baby-sitters has dwindled as college admission has become more competitive and students have gotten busier with extracurricular activities. Still others said teenagers get money from their parents, don't need a job and would rather attend to the demands of their social lives.

At the same time, the poor economy has flooded the baby-sitting market with well-educated people who might be employed elsewhere in better times. Add to that the swirl of anxiety permeating parenting these days, and moms and dads of a certain means facing the question: If something bad were to happen, would you rather have a teenager in your home or a responsible, driving adult?

Vinci, the tablet computer for babies

Vinci is believed to be the first tablet computer designed for babies as young as 1 week, and before you roll your eyes, consider this: A recent study by Parenting magazine and BlogHer found that 29% of Gen X moms say their children had played with a laptop by age 2. (OK, now roll your eyes.) In her latest installment of Parentology, Times staff writer Deborah Netburn looks at the Vinci tablet, the latest high-tech "learning system" targeted at the under-4 set.

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Credit: Rullingnet Corp.

Homework horror stories? We want to hear them

 
The Los Angeles Unified School District recently announced a new homework policy that says starting July 1, homework can account for only 10% of a student's grade. Anyone out there feeling relieved?

As Times writer Howard Blume reports in an article about the new homework policy, the philosophy behind the move is twofold: It is intended to account for the myriad urban problems facing the district's mostly low-income population who may have trouble fitting in homework between jobs, or long bus rides to school, or noisy households. It's also aimed at supporting L.A. Unified's increased focus on boosting measurable academic achievement.

In light of this news, we wanted to hear crazy homework stories from parents and students. Parents, have you ever jumped in and just did your son or daughter’s homework because it was late, or you wanted to boost a grade, or your kid was crying in frustration, or the teacher was asking for something far beyond his or her ability? Were you the one who ended up staying up all night to build that replica of a California mission? Do you think kids get too much homework, even over the summer? How much of it do you do, and why?

We're casting a wide net, so share your stories. You can leave comments or send an email to deborah.netburn@latimes.com.

We look forward to hearing your tales.

-- Deborah Netburn

Photo: Jenna Latt helps daughter Alejandra Larriva-Latt, 12, with her sixth-grade math assignment. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times.

Retro accessories for the iPhone and iPad

The iPhone is having a retro moment. Those iPhone photos that look like they were shot in the '70s are showing up on our Facebook wall with increasing frequency, and online shopping site Etsy is teeming with iPhone cases that camouflage your phone as a cassette tape, a Nintendo Game Boy or a plastic point-and-shoot camera from the '80s.

Why all the interest in making the iPhone look old?

"As technology gets more sophisticated, it kind of loses its soul,” said New York industrial designer Jonas Damon, who created the Alarm Dock, pictured above. “Before, things had a stronger identity because they had physical and mechanical structure, but now objects with archetypal shapes are disappearing.”

To see how designers are bringing back designs of the past for this device of the future, click to our photo gallery of the best retro iPhone looks.

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-- Deborah Netburn

Photo, top: Jonas Damon's Alarm Dock is $40 at Areaware.com. Credit: Areaware. Bottom: The iCade by ThinkGeek, $99.99, plays classic arcade games on the iPad. Credit: ThinkGeek.

International Yarn Bomb Day on Saturday

Knitters, get your needles out. Saturday, June 11, is the first International Yarn Bombing Day, when crafters around the world will create playful public art by tagging parking meters with knitted cozies or adorning public statues with crocheted scarves. A yarn bomb can be as simple as wrapping a 3-inch-long knitted band around a street light pole or as elaborate as covering an entire bus in a sweater.  The practice also goes by the names of yarnstorming, guerrilla knitting and yarn graffiti.

International Yarn Bombing Day was created by the self-described "knitting ninja" Joann Matvichuk, a wacky 44-year-old Canadian in Lethbridge, Alberta. The movement quickly gained steam thanks to the power of Facebook, and yarn bombing events are planned in Melbourne, Australia; Berlin; Vancouver, Canada; and beyond. Here in L.A., the KnitRiot Collective is planning to adorn a tree near a Highland Park elementary school with knitted and felted dollars to symbolize the additional funding they wish the school district had to spend on education. Political knitting? We're all for it.

Even if you don't plan to participate, keep your eyes open on Saturday for colorful displays around the city and if you see anything great, send us a picture at home@latimes.com.

To get a sense of what you might see, here's a photo gallery of recent yarn bombs from around the world: www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-international-yarn-bomb-pictures,0,928410.photogallery.

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-- Deborah Netburn

Photo: A yarn-bombed bench at Martin Place in Syndey, Australia. Credit: EPA / Tracey Nearmy

 

Spotted at E3 2011: Super Mario Bros. inflatable seats

E3, the video game trade conference at the L.A. Convention Center this week, is a riot of big-screen televisions, loud noises and neon lights -- not exactly the place one expects to find cute kids-room decor. But what can I say, I'm in love with this set of inflatable poofs with iconic Mario Bros. imagery. If there had been anyone manning the booth when I walked by, I would have snapped these guys up for my boys' room faster than a gamer can murder 23 people in Halo.

The poofs are made by Atomic Accessories, based in Italy, a company better known for making video game accessories such as guns and remote controls. They are marketing these poofs as small chairs for gamers, but that feels like a stretch. I'd just sprinkle them around a play room or child's room. 

I wish I could tell you more about where you can buy these poofs and how much they cost, but unfortunately, the Atomic Accessories website is not very helpful. I determined that Atomic Accessories is indeed the maker of the products, but I could find few other details. An email inquiry to the company's PR department has thus far gone unanswered.

The poofs appear to be available for purchase in sets of four on Amazon UK for 39.99 pounds (about $66) starting June 17.

No mention of the poofs' U.S. release at E3.

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-- Deborah Netburn

Photo credits: Top photos, Jason La / Los Angeles Times. Product image courtesy of Atomic Accessories.

Parenting: How to talk to kids about Arnold Schwarzenegger's infidelity

The revelation that Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child with a household staff member can go from shocking to nerve-wracking when your child is sitting beside you. For a certain type of parent, questions abound: Should I turn off the radio or television and try to limit my child's exposure to the sex scandal? Or is it OK to let my kid listen and absorb? Do I use it as the basis to start a conversation? And if I do start a conversation, what should that conversation be about?

Rabbi Laura Novak Winer, director of curriculum and planning for the Youth Programs Department of the Union for Reform Judaism, said if a child is old enough to ask questions about the ex-governor's infidelity, he or she is old enough to hear an honest answer. The answer, however, should reflect a child's age and also relate to the type of question he or she asked. If a 7-year-old asks, "Why is this in the news?" a parent might simply reply, "Arnold made a mistake and hurt his family."

Parents can assume that children in sixth grade and above will understand what is going on and will have questions. Winer identified three types of conversations that this moment in the news cycle might inspire:

1. Talk about monogamy and sex: If you believe that monogamy is the key (or at least one key) to a happy relationship, now is the time to talk about what monogamy means, and the importance of honoring the commitments we make to our boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse.

2. Talk about the importance of forgiveness: Remember, this may not be the first time your kid has heard this type of story. Perhaps a friend or family member has been through a similar experience. This is an opportunity to talk about the types of mistakes people make, the consequences those mistakes can have, and how we can forgive people for their mistakes.

3. Talk about the ugliness of gossip: It's time to discuss how real people are involved in this situation and how hurtful gossip about them can be.

What if, like a colleague of mine, you have a daughter and are wondering how to reassure her that some men are indeed trustworthy? Julie Cederbaum, an assistant professor at USC and an expert in family relationships, suggested reminding your child that this is a case of one person doing something hurtful, and that some people make choices we don't agree with, but that doesn't mean all people are bad.

-- Deborah Netburn

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Photo: Arnold Schwarzenegger with wife Maria Shriver in 2003. Credit: Carlo Allegri / Getty Images

Emily Chalmers' new book 'Modern Vintage Style'

Emily Chalmers' new "Modern Vintage Style" is a breath of fresh air in the arena of design books. The interiors are stylish but in a loose, easygoing way that feels true to the way people really live: a collection of elegant ceramic swans swimming across a bijou bathroom, a guest room adorned with birds and butterflies hand-painted right on the walls, or perhaps a living room that combines polka dots, stripes, florals and other graphic patterns but still looks neat and bright.

The look is flea market whimsy meets tidy modern with a dash of industrial chic. The mix is the point. "Without a little vintage, sleek modern interiors can seem soulless. And, without a modern context, vintage pieces seem fusty and staid," the book's intro says. "Yet, when they come together, interiors become completely fresh."

Chalmers is a London-based interiors stylist and proprietor of the whimsical home furnishings store Caravan. Her previous books include "Cheap Chic" and "Flea Market Style," which give you an idea of where she's coming from. Modern vintage, as she defines it, is not about getting things perfect; it's about creating harmony with the mix and match. "Modern vintage works through a rhythm of unexpected parings," the book says. In that way her vision reflects the carefully curated cluttered interiors that home photographer Todd Selby tends to shoot.

This is not a look that is expensive to create, but it does take time. "None of these homes were created overnight," the book says. "They've been a labor of love."

You can tell.                                                                 

Want more? We've got more pictures from Chalmers' "Modern Vintage Style."

-- Deborah Netburn

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Top left photo: Petra Boase's swan bathroom. Credit: Debi Treloar

Top right photo: Nathalie Lete's bedroom has birds hand-painted onto the wall. Credit: Debi Treloar

Bottom photo: "Modern Vintage Style" ($29.95). Credit: Debi Treloar

Dungeon apartment for rent in the Hollywood Hills

 

It's not easy to find a dungeon apartment in Los Angeles these days. Especially one lined with river rocks and boasting views of the Hollywood sign. But this apartment, which recently came up on Craigslist, is vacant; landlord George Ehling is renting it for $1,350 a month.

The dungeon is on the lower level of Ehling's 4,500-square-foot home at 7110 Woodrow Wilson Drive. A former wrestler who went by the name "Cowboy Cassidy," he also worked as an actor and later as a carpenter for the movie studios. He bought the house in 1967 and has spent 40-plus years customizing it. The entire facade is covered in mosaics he made out of almost entirely repurposed materials, includingthe bottoms of discarded beer and wine bottles as well as bits of marble and clay he's found while Dumpster diving.

Almost all the rocks that line the walls of the dungeon were excavated from his backyard. "When I was building the dungeon, I had 1-foot concrete walls all around," he said. "My wife said don't put rocks on there. That's how I knew I was on the right track."

Ehling is 84 now and told me he'd been renting out this apartment for five years. His most recent tenant left on April 4, and although he has shown the dungeon to a few prospective renters, as of press time, the apartment was vacant. He didn't know how many square feet it was but said it's bigger than a studio and smaller than a one bedroom. He does not think it's a good fit for a couple. "There's no escape," he said. "My wife and I have a mile betweeen us upstairs."

More photos of Ehling's dungeon apartment are after the jump.