If we believe the usual suspects among typically well-informed tech bloggers, Google has begun testing its own cellphone. Apparently it will look just like an iPhone, with a huge touchscreen, but it will be thinner and it is squarely aimed at the crowd that has become so dependent on texting and mobile Internet. Which, of course, includes single parents who need to stay in touch with their kids.

A new study published today highlights an increasing concern that our children are watching too much TV. And if Dimitri Christakis, director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute is correct, children in home daycare may in fact be exposed to more than twice the TV time than those who visit daycare centers.

It isn’t quite the happy ending some would have wanted to see, but it isn’t the disaster most of us would have expected. Jon & Kate Plus 8 concluded yesterday on an emotional note, setting the stage for what may be peaceful dissolution of the Gosselin’s marriage.

Richard Jaramillo of Singledad.com is looking for a few single dads to join a reality TV show featuring single dads.

So here we are again kids. Another day, another moment of single parenthood. How great it is to be a single parent. Like many of you, I have my kids 50% of the time. When I have them on my days, we have a blast. We play ball, I get to be a daddy taxi to all their events and school activities. We read, play cards and watch movies. Then I get to recharge my battery.

I get my kids 50% of the time, so the other 50% I get to focus on me! How great for me and for those of you who do the 50/50 split…how great for you. This is where it gets hard for some of us. What do we do when we don’t have our kids? Well, here is a list!

Just recently I was reminded how engaged my children are with all the news about space and especially all those rather amazing projects NASA does. In fact, there is a huge amount of material on NASA’s website that your children may find entertaining – and I am not just talking about videos that, for example, showed the most recent launch of the space shuttle Atlantis on Monday this week.

A new website just published enlists Earthlings to contribute to the mapping of Mars in a playful way. Of course, the site caters to the interests of children and there is a wealth of information your kids might enjoy.

I have no doubt that some video game or even video game console is on the Christmas shopping lists of most single parents. But before you shell out your dollars, be sure to check what your kids want and keep in mind what will be new next year – especially Microsoft’s gesture recognition technology.

Thankfully, the choices for video game consoles aren’t that tough. Kids tend to make up their minds pretty much on their own. Some research what each console is capable of can be a tremendous help which console and what games you should purchase. Nintendo’s Wii remains the family fun and most social console, Sony’s Playstation 3 has without doubt the most capable and most sophisticated (and also most expensive) hardware that includes a Blu-ray player, but has yet to prove how it can truly differentiate itself other than claiming it is a high-end gaming and entertainment device.

The longest running children show in the United States will celebrate its 40th anniversary next Tuesday. Launched on November 10, 1969, the show currently reaches more than 8 million viewers in 120 countries. So far, 4186 episodes have been aired in 39 seasons.

For the 40th anniversary show, First Lady Michelle Obama will make an appearance and talk about the importance of healthy food and excercise.

Halloween and Trick or Treating are just around the corner. And if you think about it, organizing that walk around the neighborhood is much more than just picking up a costume at your local Halloween store, decorating the front of your house and buying a basket of candy. Aside your traditions, there is a basic set of tips that goes along with the single parent Trick or Treating experience to make sure you and your kids have a fun time.

Yes, this is one of those I-told-you-so stories and yes, we all know that too much video gaming isn’t that great for you. But just in case you need scientific evidence, here is a new study that shows yet another link between too much video game time and attention deficit disorder (ADD).

According to researchers from Iowa State University, high volume action video game players – those who play around 40 hours per week – have more difficulty keeping focused on tasks requiring longer, more proactive attention than those who played video games less than a couple of hours a week.

A documentary showing the final days of Michael Jackson is set to open in theaters next week. While director Kenny Ortega is widely criticized for misrepresenting Jackson state of health, other people, including Jackson’s choreographer Travis Payne reveal more background information, including Jackson’s motivation for a comeback.

Payne told MTV News that the musician saw a responsibility “to the earth and each other”. Reportedly, he was also excited to show what so many parents try to communicate their children: How they grew up and what they enjoy to do: “[…] he was excited to do it because he was still young enough to do it and his children were now old enough to appreciate what it was that he had loved for so many years,” Payne said.

Astro Boy is definitely a movie you want to see with your children, especially if you are a single parent – simply because of its history and story of the special relationship between a single father and his son. The reviews of the animated feature can be describes mixed at best, but if you watch it with the right expectations, it should make for an entertaining afternoon with your kid.

Based on a Japanese comic book from the 1950s and 1960s, Astro Boy may be too old to be an icon even for most single parents today. However, there has always been a loyal fan base in the United States and the fact that the story has been resurrected as a 90 minute movie is not really a surprise. Astro Boy is one of the most anticipated movies of the year.