7-inch Vinci Tablet for kids now up for pre-order

Posted in Tablet PC by Conner Flynn on August 1st, 2011

At last, a tablet that will gladly soak up your kid’s drool and take the appropriate beating as it is thrown around. It was first seen back at CES in January: a 7-inch tablet for kids. Back then it was actually a Samsung Galaxy Tab with a kid friendly casing.

Looks like they have figured it all out and you can now preorder it. There are two models, one priced at $389, another at $479. The differences are a 6-hour battery, compared to 3 hours on the lower priced model, and it includes more pre-loaded learning content.

Rolobox, for kids more interested in the box, than the toy inside

Posted in Toys by Conner Flynn on March 16th, 2011

Buy a kid a cool toy and chances are he/she will end up spending more time playing with the box it came in than the actual toy itself. Kids just have more fun when they can use their imagination. Well, the Rolobox is for just this phenomenon.

This little kit is about $14 and has four wheels and a pull string. The wheels and string attach to the box and turn it into a pull toy kids can play with. It’s a great idea, but it’s still not a plain blank box. Nothing is as fun as that.

Intel and Lenovo unveil Classmate+ PC Netbook for kids

Posted in Lenovo by Conner Flynn on March 10th, 2011

Intel has announced the Classmate+ PC developed with Lenovo. Much like it’s earlier versions, this model targets the educational segment and students in grades K through 8. The PC sits inside a rugged, drop-resistant exterior and it sports a spill-resistant keyboard.

In other words, it will survive a child’s use. The Classmate+ features an Atom N455 CPU accompanied by the Intel NM10 Express Chipset and comes with either 1 or 2 GB RAM. Lenovo adds a choice of storage with a 16GB SSD unit or 250GB HDD as available options.

Wash and Brush timer keeps kids clean

Posted in Home by Conner Flynn on March 9th, 2011

Kids just want to brush their teeth for 5 seconds and then they are done. But that doesn’t get rid of all of the germs. The Wash and Brush timer from TrendyKid can help you make them brush longer. The idea is that you put the timer in the bathroom and teach your kids how it works.

The hand or tooth icons select the timing mode and the light will flash green, telling you to go or continue brushing. As you get closer to the end of the countdown, it flashes faster and turns red when it’s okay to stop. The Wash and Brush timer uses 3 AAA batteries and costs about $8.

VTech InnoPad Tablet for kids

Posted in VTech by Conner Flynn on February 11th, 2011

All of the adults have tablets, so obviously kids are going to want one for themselves. VTech is here to help, with the InnoPad. This kid friendly tablet features a 5” color touchscreen LCD, a tilt-sensor for game control, a microphone, a USB port, SD card slot and a headphone jack. It is housed inside of a rugged kid friendly design.

Kids can unlock the interactive and animated reading, educational gaming and creative magic of the InnoPad in different ways since they have a ton of cartridges in the works, or they can download interactive e-books and learning games from VTech’s Learning Lodge Navigator. It also has an integrated MP3 player for listening to songs and a video player. Over 100 titles will be available for download by the end of this year.

Crazy gadget forces your kids to smile

Posted in News by Conner Flynn on February 6th, 2011

This seems more like something Batman’s Joker would use on unsuspecting Gotham residents, but it was actually created by a Japanese inventor. It’s called the Electro Smile. The device hooks onto your child’s face, then constantly sends electricity to your child’s cheeks, triggering the muscles to make them smile.

Creepy huh? It has an adjustable current, so even the most stubborn kid can be made to smile. This is definitely the work of a Batman villain. Why the long face son? Zap! he he he ha ha ha.

Isabella Fable rugged tablet for kids

Posted in Tablet PC by Conner Flynn on November 8th, 2010

Isabella has announced their rugged Fable tablet for kids. Now your little tykes can access e-books and share photos via VizitMe.com. The tablet can store created drawings in the cloud, and of course allows parents to limit content access so they don’t find bad things.

Isabella already has a deal with global education publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to provide picture books and interactive content. Some other features include a mobile broadband connection and a camera which can snap photos to be colored later using the drawing app.

KWID watch uses an hourglass to tell time

Posted in Watches by Conner Flynn on November 1st, 2010

The concept of “time” is a hard one for kids to grasp since their minds have yet to develop fully, so we better start training them with the KWID. The KWID is a watch that comes with a digital hourglass for a more visual and easily understandable representation on just how long a time period is.

So when you tell them that they have five minutes to clean up their toys, they can see just how quickly the minutes will vanish. Then once your child grows and understands time, the KWID watch comes with a traditional clock face which shows off the time displayed.

Sony RM-KZ1 remote control for kids

Posted in Remotes by Conner Flynn on October 20th, 2010

If your little rugrat starts throwing around the standard remote control that comes with your TV, it’s not a big deal. But what if you own a more sophisticated universal remote with a full touchscreen display? You don’t want the kids destroying that one.

Sony is here to help. The RM-KZ1 universal remote control was specially designed and built from the ground up for kids. It’s splash proof and features a locked down battery and programming compartments, you also have a “volume limiting” feature which locks the volume in place.

Stretchy Shapes rubber bracelets for kids look like gadgets

Posted in Toys by Shane McGlaun on August 18th, 2010

My daughter and most of her friends in the neighborhood all wear as many of those rubber band looking bracelets on their arms as they can fit without turning their hands blue. The bracelets look like all sorts of things when you take them off like animals and food among others.

A new package of those bracelets has surfaced for kids who like gadgets. The 24-pack of rubber band bracelets is shaped like all sorts of gadgets. They are in the shape of mobile phones, tablets, MP3 players, portable speakers, cameras, and notebooks.

Wii getting a tablet peripheral

Posted in Wii by Conner Flynn on August 17th, 2010

That’s right, everyone is so tablet crazy that even the Wii is getting a tablet. And it’s not even from Nintendo, but game publisher THQ. THQ will be launching the $70 uDraw Game Tablet aimed at 6-to-12-year-olds. It measures 9 inches wide and 7 inches wide, making it about the same size as a Nintendo Wii.

The tablet comes with uDraw software. Pictionary and Dood’s Big Adventure are sold separately, each priced at $29.99. To use the tablet, players connect the uDraw Game Tablet to a Wii controller. Then a stylus lets gamers draw pictures and play games.

Roundbox Computer will make learning fun

Posted in Computers by Conner Flynn on March 28th, 2010

They never had cool stuff like this when I was a kid. The Roundbox is a portable computer that is designed to encourage creative learning for children. No boring books with boring old text. Instead there is a digital camera, video game console, TV, DVD player, computer and pen, all in one rugged device that your child can’t destroy easily.

What more do you need for learning? It’s for kids from ages 5-14 and has a computer mode, gaming mode, movie mode, art mode and camera mode. The touchpad can even be removed and converted into a wireless mouse.

BoostApak lets your kid carry a booster seat in a backpack

Posted in Apparel by Conner Flynn on March 8th, 2010

The safety of your children is one of your top concerns as it should be. So you have to have booster seats in your vehicle, to keep your kids buckled. But it’s a hassle when the kids aren’t using it. What do you do? You make the kid carry it with them, that’s what.

When they arrive at their destination they can just take it with them as part of their backpack thanks to the BoostApak, which comes with a hard plastic shell for kids aged 4 to 11. It’s ergonomically designed to “protect growing spines and encourage better posture.” Not sure we believe that since it is a backpack.

Swinxs game console hits the US

Posted in Games by Conner Flynn on February 24th, 2010

Sure, you and I are busy playing our Xbox 360s , Wii and PS3s, but there’s another option. The Swinxs gaming console, which is now available in the States, even if it was announced two years ago. It launched in Europe last year. Just look at those kids. They seem to love it, all sugared up and jumping around.

The Swinxs offers hours of fun, using lights and a built-in voice which explains the game, recognizes players and acts as a referee. The whole thing is screen-free, so no TV needed. It can handle up to 10 players and offers 26 games.

Kettquad Pedal-Powered ATV

Posted in Toys by Conner Flynn on February 18th, 2010

Your little one deserves a quality ATV right? Why not buy your little rugrats the Kettquad from Kettler? The German company recently unveiled this four wheeler that features pneumatic tires for off-road terrain and even a protected enclosed chain drive. Looks like a ton of fun.

Expect it to hit the US sometime this year, with your kid hitting a tree soon after. It will retail for between $800 and $1000. It’s for kids 5 to 12 years of age, so don’t let your toddler ride this thing.