The moonwalk is certainly a quintessential Michael Jackson dance move. Everyone seems to try it, but few do it very well. That didn't stop Studio Brussel from putting together the ultimate tribute to the recently departed King of Pop: the Eternal Moonwalk. Thousands of fans around the world have contributed their own 10-second interpretations of this famous dance move and they are now strung together in a continuous stream that slides across your monitor. You'll find animated characters, toddlers, pets, food and various other objects, as well as plenty of goofy adults. There are even some 5-star moonwalk artists. The order is random, so you'll see a different collection of videos each time you watch.

Do you think you've got killer moonwalk skills? Or maybe you just want to add to the tribute to Michael Jackson? Visit Eternal Moonwalk to see what has been done so far and to see the instructions on adding your own clip to the mix.

*I didn't see anything questionable while watching, but because this site contains user-submitted content, it may not be appropriate for all audiences.

Read More

• Visit Eternal Moonwalk
• How to Moonwalk on Ice Skates
• How to Moonwalk Like Michael Jackson (YouTube)

If you're anxiously awaiting the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, you'll want to make a visit to the official movie website. Although it's not as immersive as previous Harry Potter websites, there are still some fun things to do.

• Wizard Pairings asks you to enter your name and the name of another person to see which Harry Potter pair you most resemble in love or friendship.
• Muggle Hub has an assortment of videos, screensavers, wallpapers, icons and more so you can show off just what a huge fan you are.
• The YouTube HarryPotter site has a "3D Experience" that allows to you create your own 3D potion-making videos. This is hard to explain, but super cool to see and try out!
• And my favorite, a custom version of the Daily Prophet. Upload your own pictures or video into the Daily Prophet. You can then download it, print it out, or share it with friends.

There are some other fun goodies on the site as well. Hey, we need something to do while we wait, right?

My Secret Circle BFF Pack Photo Courtesy of Senario

My Secret Circle, a social networking site for tween girls, launches today. The site, which allows girls to chat, play games and share pictures online, uses special technology to allow girls to connect with their friends online. Each girl has a "key" (similar to a USB flash drive) that they can use to access the site. To add a friend, girls generate a one-time-use secret code that will identify another girl as a friend.

My Secret Circle Access Keys are available to purchase individually, or in a special "BFF" (Best Friend Forever) 2-pack just for sharing.

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• Visit My Secret Circle
• Virtual Worlds for Girls

The theme for the July All About Parenting Blog Carnival is "mid-summer madness." I can't imagine a better theme, since our summer has started out with rainy day after rainy day. Not only are the kids out of school, but they're stuck inside the house. It isn't pretty, let me tell you!

When the kids are bored with their toys and can't be outside, how about some computer time? Now, don't groan. There are plenty of creative activities that your kids can do with the family computer and gadgets that don't involve video games or surfing the web. In fact, some of them can make for fun family time!

Younger Kids

• Create a summer scene - Help them take digital pictures of items that represent summer and create a collage to hang in the window. No collage software? Try a free online option, like Photovisi.
• Make an ABC book.

Older Kids

• Have a photo scavenger hunt.
• Design and make custom t-shirts.
• Create video games.

Families

• Gather your favorite family photos and learn digital scrapbooking.
• Script and film a stop-action animation film.
• Set your imaginations free and plan your ideal family road trip.

Netbooks have come into favor due to their compact size and accessible pricing. These mini laptops are designed primarily for browsing the Web, checking email and light word-processing use. The hold particular appeal for anyone who travels or totes their laptop around regularly.

Disney Netpal by Asus in Princess Pink Photo Courtesy of Disney Consumer Products

Now, your kids can have a netbook of their own. Disney Consumer Products and Eee PC Netbook manufacturer, Asus, are coming together with the Disney Netpal by Asus. The little laptops are designed to be durable, as well as safe and appropriate for young people.

Key features of the Disney Netpal by Asus will include:

• A spill-proof keyboard
• Rugged design
• Customizable desktop design with Disney characters
• A variety of parental controls, such as time limiting and an approved website list
• A collection of special applications for kids, including email, browsers, photo/music managers and games
• Built-in camera
• SD/MMC card reader
• Wi-Fi capabilities
• 8.9" display
• Windows XP home
• 1.6GHz Intel Processor, 1GB RAM, 3 USB ports

The Netpal, which will be available in "Princess Pink" and "Magic Blue," is expected to retail at about $350. Look for the Disney Netpal by Asus in late July.

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What are Netbooks?

Like many others, I watched the most recent episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 with sadness. The announcement of their pending divorce after 10 years of marriage and eight children is heartbreaking. It is difficult to see a family going through such challenges and knowing that the children, especially, have a long road ahead. What's even worse is knowing that all of the anger, bad behavior and negativity is being captured online.

Last week, I posted a link to my article on Blogging Safety and Privacy and I asked you to share your own privacy and safety tips. In my article, I suggest that parents avoid sharing embarrassing stories about their children, but it's not just the kids' escapades you should reconsider. The Internet simply is not a private place. More importantly, the information you share isn't going to go away. Through projects like the Internet Archive, the things you share today (or five years ago) will still be around in years to come.

Jon and Kate Gosselin are effectively recording all of the intimate details of their relationship for their children to experience over and over. Not only that, their kids' friends will have access as well. Unless you want to create your own mini-reality TV show, take a moment to consider what you share online. It may come back to haunt you - or your kids - in the future.

What do you think about permanently recording your family's most difficult experiences for all to see?

Related Content:

• Jon and Kate Separate
• Jon and Kate File for Divorce
• The Gosselins File for Divorce
• Joint Custody Advice for Jon and Kate?
• Jon and Kate Plus 8 Equals TMI
• Was It the Chocolate Pudding, a Book for Kids on Divorce
• Seeing the Kate Gosselin in Me (and You)
• Is Kate Gosselin a Working Mom?
• Does Mady Gosselin Need Discipline or a Diagnosis?

Whether you're a casual forum user or a hardcore blogger, you'll probably need to make some decisions about how much information to share about your family online. Do you post kids names and ages? What about pictures?

Not surprisingly, the answers will depend on your family, your visibility online and your own comfort level. To help you come up with the right answer for your, I've got some tips on protecting your kids while blogging and how to handle posting photos online. And, if you've got some ideas of your own, please share them with others.

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Is it Safe to Post Photos of My Kids Online?

Blogging Safety and Privacy

Share Your Tips 

A recent study at Ohio State University suggests that Facebook may be negatively impacting grade point averages for both undergraduate and graduate students. Despite assertions from the students that use of Facebook wasn't interfering with school work, Facebook users were averaging a half a point lower on their grades.The students also self-reported significantly less studying time than their non-Facebook-using peers.

The study consisted of a relatively small sampling (219 students) and researchers admit that students may be less to study with or without Facebook. They saw a positive correlation between extracurricular activities, while students who spent a lot of time working were less likely to be Facebook users.

I found that study to be interesting, but am skeptical about the results since they didn't take into account other commonalities among students. Math, science and engineering students were found to be heavier Facebook users than humanities students. The extracurricular link could also be significant. Considering that the students with lower GPAs claimed that they only spent one to five hours a week studying, while other students claimed 11 to 15 hours, a half point difference in GPA seems slight.

I hope they look further into this by expanding the research pool and taking into account other factors that may impact their GPA.

Read More

• Read the Ohio State Facebook Study Results
• Study Overview from Ohio State

In 2008, producer Rachel Dretzin encouraged us to explore the lives of teens as they socialized, rebelled and defined themselves in online spaces. The Frontline film, entitled Growing Up Online, was illuminating for many parents who were able to see clearly that the online world has become an extension of the "real world" for teens.

The intense reaction that resulted from Growing Up Online sparked Rachel and Frontline to delve deeper into our use of the Internet and digital media. The result is the innovative project, Digital Nation. Digital Nation is a multi-faceted endeavor. It includes an interactive website and an upcoming Frontline special. What makes the project interesting is that we're all invited to participate, voice our opinions and share our stories.

If you're interested in learning more, take some time to visit the Digital Nation site. You'll be able to preview clips that have been filmed as part of the documentary and follow the journey of the Digital Nation team through their blog. You're invited to comment and ask questions. And, if you find yourself wanting to tell your own story, you can do so by submitting a video or essay to the site.

The Digital Nation project brings up a lot of questions about how a society and culture can change and adapt, the nature of our core values and how we interact between generations. If you're interested at all in the impact of digital media on our lives, you'll want to get involved. There is some pretty powerful content on the website and it's another venue for talking with your own kids about their views and opinions.

Read More

• Visit the Frontline Digital Nation Website
• Watch Growing Up Online
• Share Your Story

E3 2009 has been going on this week. It's one of the leading video game conventions and it's where many of the big names in the industry announce their newest pet projects. Each year, gamers look to E3 to get a sense of the future of the industry. This year, we weren't disappointed.

The news that has been funneling out of E3 has created quite a buzz, but one of the most talked about demos was something from Microsoft called Project Natal. Billed as a "controller-free system" or, alternatively, "the system where you are the controller," it has the potential to revolutionize gaming as we know it.

Project Natal is technology that works with the Xbox 360. The technology includes a 3-D motion sensing camera, voice recognition, face recognition and the ability to read facial expressions. Imagine a Wii-like game that has no controller, but can read the movements of your entire body, including your relationship to the screen.

The most impressive demo of the Project Natal system came in the form of a virtual boy named Milo. Milo recognizes people and can judge their emotions based on their facial expressions. Honestly, if I hadn't seen a demo a couple of years ago of the type of software that makes this possible, I'd have been quite the skeptic. You interact with Milo just as you would with a person in front of you. You can hand him objects (which are scanned in by Natal and brought into the virtual world), and "accept" objects from him (allowing for the imagination necessary to pretend to wear fake goggles or use other virtual objects). You can have conversations with him. It's all very creepy, honestly.

Time will tell if Project Natal lives up to the hype, but early reports seem to be positive.

Read More

• A Hands-on Review of the Project Natal Demo from Wired.com
• Five Things I Want to Know about Project Natal from PC World