Virtual Wrapping Paper and E-Gifts- Is There Really An Online Santa?

The internet has proven to be an amazing delivery conduit for words, information, music, pictures and generally anything that can be turned into little 1s and 0s. As we approach the end of the year the question is asked "Can the Internet deliver my Christmas presents?" Now thanks to a remarkable innovation at www.ustargames.com the answer is yes, there really is an online Santa.

Kite Capers, the first of the U Star Games range of interactive, personalized PC Story Books is now available as a present that can be delivered over the internet.

What the brains behind U Star Games have discovered is that although the ultimate worth of their product comes from the experience the end-users enjoy once they play the game, the actual giving of the gift is an experience rich in value itself.

So how do you replicate the whole experience of opening the carefully chosen card, reading the thoughtfully composed message, the unwrapping of the brightly colored wrapping paper and the joy of digging in pulling out your present? By simply providing exactly the same experience through an online animated, interactive experience.

The present buyer has their choice of 3D e-cards which they can personalize by writing their own message on the inside. Unlike usual e-cards, these appear much more like real-world cards, complete with front cover and two panel interior. Unlike real-word cards, however, these cards are interactive and even contain small simple games for the child to play.

The buyer has their choice of virtual ribbon and wrapping paper which is used to wrap a 3D gift box. After the easy job of personalizing their gift-box and card, the user simply fills in the recipient's email details includes a brief message and the present is on its way.

The child gets an email, addressed from the sender's email address, containing a gift-link. Once this is clicked on the child is taken to a special site where they are presented with their card and gift-box.

After opening and reading the card, the child is then offered the option of "opening" their e-gift. This causes harps to strum, the ribbon to gracefully slide off the box, the lid to swing back and balloons to fly out of the box. Springing out of the box then is the 3D graphical representation of the Kite Capers CD-ROM package.

The child is asked if they'd like to download their present, if they do, the package is then downloaded quickly onto their hard-drive and away they go.

The process seems as fun to the gift-giver as to the lucky child and provides a wonderful option for those with young relatives they'll be unable to visit on their birthdays or this Christmas.

And much less mess for the rest us to clean up.

So have a look at Virtual Wrapping Paper and E-Gifts at www.ustargames.com the process is free and very easy to trial and you might find yourself sending your first present through the internet.

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

President-elect Barack Obama and his adviser Valerie Jarrett decide on lunch during a stop at Manny's Coffee Shop and Deli in Chicago, Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - President-elect Barack Obama promoted an economic plan Saturday he said would create 2.5 million jobs by rebuilding roads and bridges and modernizing schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars.



AP - The family of a college student who killed himself live on the Internet say they're horrified his life ended before a virtual audience, and infuriated that viewers of the live webcam or operators of the Web site that hosted it didn't act sooner to save him.

Barack Obama (R) and Hillary Clinton address supporters during a rally in Orlando, Florida in October 2008. Intense speculation flared Friday over reports that president-elect Barack Obama is weighing whether to name former Democratic primary rival Hillary Clinton as a heavy-hitting secretary of state.(AFP/File/Emmanuel Dunand)AP - President-elect Barack Obama has moved with unusual speed to select officials for his administration, and senior Democratic officials say he intends to name Timothy Geithner as his treasury secretary as soon as Monday.



Former US President Jimmy Carter, former UN head Kofi Annan, and Graca Machel, wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, seen from left, during a news conference in Johannesburg, Staurday, Nov. 22, 2008. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter says he and others have been refused entry to Zimbabwe for a humanitarian mission. Carter says he and other members of The Elders group were informed Friday night by former South African President Thabo Mbeki that efforts to secure travel visas had failed. The Elders group was formed by Nelson Mandela and includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Mandela's wife Graca Machel, an international advocate for women's and children's rights. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)AP - Zimbabwe has refused to let Kofi Annan and two eminent colleagues visit the impoverished African country for a humanitarian mission, the three said Saturday.



In this Nov. 4, 2008 file photo, Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, acknowledges the crowd during an election night rally in Phoenix.  Oprah wants her, and so do Letterman and Leno. Fresh from her political defeat, Sarah Palin is juggling offers to write books, appear in films and sit on dozens of interview couches at a rate astonishing for any first-term governor, let alone a Hollywood star.    (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)AP - Sarah Palin is juggling offers to write books, appear in films and sit on dozens of interview couches at a rate astonishing for most Hollywood stars, let alone a first-term governor.



Actor and president of the Screen Actors Guild, Alan Rosenberg, poses for a portrait in this March 17, 2003, file photo taken in Los Angeles. The Screen Actors Guild said Saturday Nov. 22, 2008 that contract talks with Hollywood studios has failed despite the help of a federal mediator and it will now ask its members to authorize a strike. (AP Photo/Ric Francis, File)AP - The Screen Actors Guild said Saturday it will ask its members to authorize a strike after its first contract talks in four months with Hollywood studios failed despite the help of a federal mediator.



In this image provided by NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough (anchored to a Canadarm2 mobile foot restraint) participates in the mission's second scheduled session of extravehicular activity Thursday Nov. 20, 2008 as construction and maintenance continue on the International Space Station. (AP Photo/NASA)AP - Astronauts up on the international space station faced the longest and hardest spacewalk of their mission Saturday, a seven-hour-plus excursion to wrap up repair work on a gummed-up joint.



U.S. President George W. Bush listens during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Lima, Peru November 22, 2008. Both leaders are in Peru for the APEC Summit. This is Bush's final scheduled foreign trip of his presidency.  REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque          (PERU)AP - President George W. Bush says he understands that countries across the globe are being hurt by the financial crisis.



Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, left, speaks to the media during a news conference on  Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, at the Annapolis Basin Conference Center in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. Gates was in Canada to participate in meetings of NATO's International Security Assistance Force to discuss the Regional Command South in Afghanistan. Canadian Minister of National Defense Peter MacKay is at right. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Mike DembeckAP - Even in a global financial crisis, the world cannot afford to skimp on its obligations to Afghanistan, which wants to double the size of its army but will never be able to pay for it, Defense Secretary Robert Gates says.



New York Knicks' Stephon Marbury sits on the bench as the Knicks take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Darren Hauck)AP - With two moves, the New York Knicks created salary space for a premier free agent and playing time for Stephon Marbury.



President-elect Barack Obama waves as he leaves his first press conference following his election victory in Chicago, in this file photo from November 7, 2008. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama said on Saturday he was crafting a two-year plan to fight an economic crisis of "historic proportions" and Chinese leader Hu Jintao said his country was ready to play a big role in the global effort.



Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan addresses a news conference in Nairobi, in this file photo from October 17, 2008, after receiving the report on Kenya's post election violence in 2007 from the Commission of Inquiry. (Antony Njuguna/Reuters)Reuters - Zimbabwe has barred former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and other prominent figures from visiting the country to assess the humanitarian crisis, the group said on Saturday.



Pedestrians walk past a Citibank branch in Singapore November 18, 2008. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)Reuters - Citigroup Inc has begun talks with the U.S. government as its plummeting share price raises doubts about the bank's ability to survive, a person familiar with the matter said.



The crew of the Belize-flagged cargo ship MV Faina stand on the deck after a U.S. Navy request to check on their health and welfare off the coast of Somalia, November 9, 2008. (U.S. Navy/Mass communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky/Handout/Reuters)Reuters - MOGADISHU (Reuters) Islamist militants in Somalia took steps on Saturday to attack pirates behind the world's biggest hijack and rescue the captured Saudi Arabian supertanker, an Islamist spokesman said.



Leaders of the U.S. automotive industry testify at a hearing held by the House Financial Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington November 19, 2008. From left are General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner, Chrysler Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli and Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)Reuters - Detroit automakers began work on turnaround plans demanded by Congress in return for $25 billion in aid as General Motors Corp said it would cut production more and give up two of its controversial corporate jets.



General Motors World Headquarters is seen along the Detroit River in Detroit, Michigan, September 17, 2008. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)Reuters - The board of directors of embattled U.S. automaker General Motors Corp is considering "all options" including bankruptcy, according to a report on the Wall Street Journal's website late on Friday.



A British military vehicle drives past an Afghan man in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province October 20, 2008. (Abdul Qodus/Reuters)Reuters - The Pentagon is considering a plan to send more than 20,000 troops to Afghanistan over the next 12 to 18 months to help safeguard elections and quell rising Taliban violence, officials said on Friday.



Iranian Ali Ashtari (C) attends his trial in Tehran, in this file photo from June 28, 2008. (Hassan Ghaedi/FARS NEWS/Handout/Reuters)Reuters - Iran has executed an Iranian businessman convicted of spying on the military for the Islamic Republic's arch foe Israel, the judiciary said on Saturday.



Al-Qaeda militant Rashid Rauf, seen here in 2006, was killed in a US missile attack in northwest Pakistan.(AFP/File/Farooq Naeem)AFP - The alleged Al-Qaeda mastermind of a 2006 transatlantic airplane bombing plot was killed in a US missile attack in northwest Pakistan early Saturday, officials said.



Former US president Jimmy Carter (left), ex-United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan (centre) and Graca Machel answer questions after they were refused visas and cancelled their trip to Zimbabwe. Carter has accused Zimbabwe's government of being AFP - Former US president Jimmy Carter accused Zimbabwe's government Saturday of being "immune" to the hardships of its people as he and ex-UN chief Kofi Annan were denied entry on a humanitarian mission.




Sega Dreamcasts Cause of Death?

What ever happened to that game console we used to call the... Read More

A Comparison Of the Next Generation Gaming Consoles (Part 2)

Arguably Microsoft can attribute a great deal of its success to the... Read More

PC Gaming Video: Meeting the Demands

If you have an interest in playing PC games that were made... Read More

Directional Afterburners for Tighter Turns, Vertical Flight and Agility

Directional Thrusters can increase the maneuverability of just about any modern jet... Read More

Rent Games Online

Renting video games online has exploded in recent months! I for one... Read More

Games To Encourage Thinking Skills

There is no doubt about it, using computer games is a great... Read More

Cloud Laser Art

A new art form in the future will be CLA. Cloud Laser... Read More

Indie Games that Made It to the Tops of the Charts this Year

1. Platypus http://www.deprice.com/platypus.htmPlatypus is one of the most unique looking games ever... Read More

Mind Boggling Information About The Popular Bingo Game!

Have you ever considered mind boggling statistics of a BINGO GAME?The bingo... Read More

A Parents Guide to Online Gaming, Part 1

The internet touches every aspect of your children's lives. Where you might... Read More

Increasing Rates of Climb in Fighter Aircraft Like the New Joint force Strike Fighter

We know from studying aircraft like the F-8 Crusader, in which my... Read More

Sapphire Tipped UAVs for Midair Collisions to Defeat Enemy UAV Swarm Threats

Defeating enemy UAV Swarms will be a challenge for our Net-Centric Blue... Read More

Flying an MAV Through Fan Blades to Attain Target

Flying an MAV Through Rotating Fan Blades ? It maybe possible to... Read More

A Look at the Sony PlayStation 3

At the recent E3 gaming Convention, Sony gave the world a first... Read More

The Story Behind OpenSimcity

I've always liked to play SimCity since I was little. I used... Read More

Computer Game on Mars; Design for Communication Device

Powering up hand held wireless devices in the field for Business Uses,... Read More

Blast From The Past - Retro Games Are Hot Again

Miss the brainlessly simple and extremely addictive games from the 80s? Find... Read More

Rent Games Online for the Kids

It's risky business allowing your children to play games online. I know... Read More

Improving Spelling with Games

You got it! You can do just about any type of learning... Read More

UAV GeoBat Balloon Radar Decoy Strategies

A GeoBat small UAV might be the perfect platform for an enemy... Read More

Why We Play Games, Part 1

There exists some ephemeral quality that separates gamers from the rest of... Read More

Computer Traumas

It has happened! Computer games have started to control my life on... Read More

The Future of Submarine Games

In the last six months, the demise of sims has been pronounced... Read More

Ten Things You Should Know in Video Games

BloodRayne | It's Zero Hour | Midasplayer | The latest in online... Read More

Create Computer Games - Get Started on Creating Your Own Virtual Worlds

I've always loved video games, ever since I first played them on... Read More

Free Games For Your Pocket PC

Admit It-You're Often BoredA pocket pc has about a million uses. But... Read More

Evolution of Gaming : Graphics vs Gameplay

If you are old enough to remember the early days of computer... Read More

Full Version Pocket PC Games For Free

Play Games InsteadDo you like your full version pocket pc games free?... Read More

Zuma Deluxe Style Games Evolution

As I think most of gamers who play in shareware games know... Read More

Popular Electronic Games - They Are Not Just For Kids Anymore

Superheroes battle monsters and space invaders in fast action games. Players take... Read More

You Dont Have To Be Rich To Be A PC Gamer

There is a common misconception that you have to take out a... Read More

Rome Total War: Battle Strategy Guide

A. FormationsIt's pretty much common sense to come up with a good... Read More

Free Pocket PC Casino Game

Casino Gambling Wherever You LikeAre you absolutely crazy about pocket pc gaming?... Read More

Review - Sony PSP

I'm fairly certain there are folks at Nintendo feeling some serious self-loathing... Read More

Review: Samurai Jack -- Code of the Samurai

Fans of Genndy Tartakovsky's "Samurai Jack," which wrapped last year on the... Read More

Securing Your Accounts With Well-Crafted Passwords

In the past I've never really paid much attention to security issues... Read More

Theories Behind Magic Trinkets in Video Game and Virtual Reality

In Gaming we deal between Simulation, Augmented Reality, Fantasy and Virtual Reality.... Read More

Play a Cool Jeep Game Online

If there were anything that could excite a Jeep enthusiast more than... Read More

Downloadable Game Review: Diner Dash

Playvue.com Editor's Rating: 8.0StorylineDiner Dash brings us the story of Flo, an... Read More

UAV Swarm Reconfiguration for computer war games

The modern battlespace is changing in the real world and in the... Read More

Another Title by Atari Released on StarForce Protected DVDs

"Atari has selected StarForce to protect their brand-new game called Race Driver... Read More

A Comparison Of the Next Generation Gaming Consoles (Part 1)

It's been about 5 years since we have seen a new video... Read More

UAV; Hunter II and RQ-1A Predator UAVs Needs Additional Modifications

Since the Predator has inverted "V" shaped stabilizers these stabilizers should contain... Read More

SMS Gaming - Text Paging Games that can be Played by Anyone

Using the Physical World as a Game Board: This is not a... Read More

Counter Strike, The Beginner of Broad Band PC Gaming

This is the world of 21st century, the century of technologies. Every... Read More

Next Generation Games Consoles - Separating Fact from Fiction

Over the next 18 months the 3 giants of the Games Console... Read More

Virtual Wrapping Paper and E-Gifts- Is There Really An Online Santa?

The internet has proven to be an amazing delivery conduit for words,... Read More