science

Now (brand)

Now (brand) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Now (brand) rather than just read about it. In short: Now was a brand of electronics by Hasbro through Tiger Electronics that specializes in multimedia. Its most popular brand was the VideoNow, which was a personal videodisc player for children who wanted to watch their favorite shows on the go.

Now (brand) — illustration

Key takeaways

Now (brand) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Now (brand) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Now (brand) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Now was a brand of electronics by Hasbro through Tiger Electronics that specializes in multimedia. Its most popular brand was the VideoNow, which was a personal videodisc player for children who wanted to watch their favorite shows on the go. The device was introduced in 2003, and as it sold well, Tiger began to experiment with other Now brands. The Now brand was discontinued by late 2007, after the VideoNow Color FX and TVNow left store shelves.

Products

VideoNow

The first, and most popular, line of "Now" products. Introduced in 2003, the VideoNow systems are portable video players for children to watch their favorite shows on the go.

The systems use discs called PVDs (which stands for Personal Video Disc), which can store about 30 minutes of video,, limiting PVDs to one episode of a TV show with some trailers at the end. PVDs are derived from audio CDs, storing Video data on the left audio channel and mono audio on the right channel. The video plays at 15fps. Most VideoNow releases were of shows from Nickelodeon, such as SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents, and later they released shows from Cartoon Network, such as Ed, Edd n Eddy and Dexter's Laboratory, Disney only mostly released episodes of America’s Funniest Home Videos and one Hannah Montana music video. A small amount of movies were also released on the system, but due to the limited space on a PVD, said movies would have to be released on at least three discs, depending on the length of said film. The first VideoNow was released in October 2003 as a black and white media player, and by 2004, the VideoNow Color was introduced as a more colorized version of the system. In 2005, two new VideoNow systems were introduced; one called the "VideoNow Jr.", made for preschoolers through Playskool that also contains discs that were more flexible and rubbery. Another called the "VideoNow XP", that's designed to resemble the Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP, and included interactive features. By 2006, the fifth and final of the original VideoNow Players was introduced as the "VideoNow Color FX"; a more translucent version of the VideoNow Color. Hasbro also produced editing software for creating custom VideoNow Color PVDs called the VideoNow Media Wizard in 2005, which came with blank PVD media. Also included was the VCamNow, a VideoNow-branded camcorder that came with a copy of the Media Wizard.

PlayItNow The PlayItNow was a Digital Music Recorder launched in 2004 that also functions as a game console. It included an auxiliary port that allows users to record audio, including music, and they'll listen to it wherever they go, semi-similar to the HitClips. The device also came with licensed games from Atari, as usually 5 games were included, such as Pong, Circus Atari, Adventure, Battlezone, and Lunar Lander. Although, some PlayItNow devices also included another Atari game called Wayniak.

ChatNow

The ChatNow is a mobile phone-like walkie-talkie developed by Hasbro's Tiger Electronics division for the preteen market, as part of the Now brand of consumer products. It includes simple digital photography and text message functionality and transmits using the Family Radio Service UHF radio band. It has limited compatibility with other FRS gear; in particular, it is not compatible with CTCSS or DCS signals commonly used on standard FRS gear. ChatNow differs from standard walkie-talkies by having a 10-digit "Buddy number" (ex.0794020300), allowing users to communicate with specific other users in a telephone-like manner; to make text messaging easier, the ChatNow units provide limited buddy list capability. There is a limited digital camera built into the device as well, and the unit can store up to 30 black and white pictures. The units were sold in pairs, and came in both flip phone and slide-out configurations. Hasbro also manufactured add-ons and carrying cases for the line, including an antenna which allowed it to pick up FM radio.

TVNow Originally released in 2005 as the VuGo, the TVNow was a personal handheld DVR player from 2006 to 2007, published by Hasbro under Tiger Electronics, and was the last product Tiger released under the "Now" brand. Advertised as a portable video recorder, the TVNow allows kids to connect to a DVD player, cable box, satellite receiver, VCR, or TV, so that they can record and play back their favorite shows on the go. It has a 128MB Built-in Memory, which holds up to 1 hour of video, as well as an SD card slot for additional storage. The device also supports MP3 files. The package dimensions up to 9.1 x 7 x 3 inches, weighs 1.35 pounds, and its ASIN is B000M6CIJI.

See also Family Radio Service Hasbro Tiger Electronics Game Boy Advance Video Juice Box

Notes

References

External links Tiger Electronics Official VideoNow Website Tiger Electronics Official ChatNow Website Tiger Electronics Official VCamNow Website Tiger Electronice Official PlayItNow Website

Illustrations

A VideoNow Color without a disc inserted.

VideoNow PVD Size Comparison: PVD for Original VideoNow (left), PVD for VideoNow Color (right)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Now (brand)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Now (brand) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Now (brand) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Now (brand) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Now (brand)

In research: Now (brand) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Now (brand) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Now (brand) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2000s toys, Audiovisual introductions in 2003, Consumer electronics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Now (brand) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Now (brand) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Now (brand) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Now (brand) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Now (brand) in simple terms?

Why does Now (brand) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Now (brand)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Now (brand).