Tag Archives: children

CogniToys’ Dino Grows With The Child

March 11, 2016ces, Interview, Special Media, Toys, videoces, CES2016, children, Interview, toy, videoAndrew

Developed on the back of a successful Kickstarter campaign, CogniToys are Internet-connected smart toys with speech recognition that interactively engage and grow with a child. The first CogniToy is a (roughly) six inch friendly green dinosaur – what’s not to like? Aylee talks with Donald Coolidge, co-founder of CogniToys to find out more.

As if being a friendly colourful dinosoaur isn’t enough, the CogniToys Dino is personalised to grow with the child, slowly adjusting its content and interactions based on how the child is playing with Dino, what the toy is asked, the words used and so on. The child can talk to the toy and Dino talks back.

The toy is wi-fi connected and the heavy processing is done in the cloud using technology developed from IBM’s Watson. This drives the experience and the engagement to the child, allowing natural responses to questions. If the kid asks why the sky is blue, it’s Watson that provides the answer.

Dino can be pre-ordered for US$119 with shipping expected in June 2016.

Aylee Nielsen is a video producer at F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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OmniO Rider Backpack Buggy

April 16, 2015audio, Gadget Show, Interview, Transportation, travel accessoriesaudio, British Inventors Project, children, Gadget Show, Interview, transportation, travelAndrew

Parents, we’ve all been there. You’re as far away from home or car as possible and your toddler decides that he or she has had enough of walking. No amount of encouragement or cajoling will make him take another step and you have to carry your darling all the way back.

If you recognise this story then you’ll be interested in the OmniO Rider, a lightweight buggy (stroller) which collapses to a backpack. The production version is expected to weight less than 6 kg and that’s definitely lighter than a toddler! I tried on the prototype and even it was light enough.

In most other respects it looks much like an ordinary buggy with cupholders and nappy changing bag.

Aside from from the clever folding mechanism, the OmniO team developed a new wheel design that uses rollers for sideways motion. Called omni-wheels, they can go at the front or the back of the buggy depending on the driver’s preference. I liked these – lovely piece of engineering. Who says you can’t reinvent the wheel?

The OmniO Rider is currently an Indiegogo campaign where it’s trying to raise $50,000. With an expected retail price of $500, there are early bird offers at $350, so get in quick.

Taking all this into account, it wasn’t a total surprise when it won Gadget Show Live’s “British Invention of the Year Award”.

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Child Angel Keeps an Eye on Children

April 15, 2015application, audio, Gadget Show, Gadgets, GPS, Interview, Security, wearableaudio, British Inventors Project, children, Gadget Show, GPS, Interview, safety, Tracking, wearableAndrew

Continuing GNC’s coverage of the Gadget Show Live and the British Inventors’ Project, Child Angel is one of the smallest and most advanced child tracking device on the market. Made to be attractive to the child and easy to use in an emergency, the Child Angel wrist-mounted tracker provides accurate location monitoring by combining GPS, GSM and Wi-Fi hotspot triangulation.

Child Angel keeps children safe in three ways. First the parent can view the child’s location on a map using the Child Angel app on their smartphone or tablet (both iOS and Android). Second, the child can send a “Help Me!” alert by taking off the bracelet and third, an alert is raised if the child leaves a geo-fenced SafeZone.

The battery life is about 48 hours and the Child Angel can easily be recharged through the micro-USB. The Child Angel bracelet is available in different colours and can be customised with personalised covers, too.

The Child Angel should be available soon with a retail cost around £100.

https://youtu.be/dMM-4poN908

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Doddl Cutlery for Children

April 15, 2015audio, Gadget Show, Gadgets, Interviewaudio, British Inventors Project, children, gadget, Gadget Show, InterviewAndrew

Child-friendly products are fertile ground for inventors and it’s no surprise to see a number of ideas presented at Gadget Show Live as part of the British Inventors’ Project. Here is Doddl, a cutlery (flatware) set for children that has uniquely shaped handles to help the child hold the knife, fork and spoon.

Doddl improves co-ordination and control while promoting independent eating and develops motor skills, eventually easing the transition onto adult cutlery.

Doddl will be pre-ordering on Kickstarter from Sunday 3rd May (though there is an older campaign on CrowdShed). Make eating a Doddl!

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SafeSip Stops Spills

April 15, 2015audio, Gadget Show, Gadgets, health, Interview, travel accessoriesaudio, British Inventors Project, children, gadget, Gadget Show, healthcare, Interview, travelAndrew

SafeSip is a reusable drinks cover that fits almost any glass, mug, cup or can to stop spills. It’s a simple product that has myriad uses with children, the elderly, during travel, on picnics or in places where a liquid leak would be disastrous.

Made from food-grade silicone rubber, the SafeSip can be pulled over a wide range of drinking vessels, including fizzy drink (soda) cans, with a straw pushed through a self-closing hole in the SafeSip. It’s dishwasher safe, works with both hot and cold liquids, and comes in eight different colours. Another great product from the British Inventors’ Project at the Gadget Show Live.

The SafeSip is currently crowdfunding at CrowdShed.

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Pony Palace Camp

June 7, 2014bookbook, children, horse ridingAndrew

At the Pony Palace riding school, ponies Barney, Biscuit and Kaz are getting up to their usual mischief during Summer Camp with their riders Holly, Carrie and Patrick. With a clear round needed to clinch the winning rosette, it’ll take tumbles and tears before everyone’s back safely in the stables.

Pony Palace Camp is the first in a new series of books, Pony Friends Forever, that all pony-mad children will love. Based on the animals and events at Lessans Riding Stables outside Belfast in Northern Ireland, author Pauline Burgess tells the stories from the ponies’ point of view. Although light-hearted and fun, each book will will deal with a situation that young people face, from illness to family-breakups. Launched today at Lessans, the book is available from all good retailers, including Amazon and Waterstones.

For regular Geek News Central readers who fear that they have inadvertently logged onto Mumsnet, the author Pauline, is a friend and neighbour, hence the diversion from the usual tech topics. Normal service will be resumed shortly with reviews of the Motorola Moto X and the Archos Helium 50 smartphones.

Safe Games for Kids by Toca Boca at The Gadget Show

April 16, 2014amazon, Android, Apple, application, Gadget Show, Gaming, google, Interview, iOS, IPAD, iPhone, Kindle, smartphone, tabletamazon, Android, Apple, applications, Apps, children, Gadget Show, Gaming, google, IOS, IPAD, iPhone, kids, Kindle Fire, smartphone, Tablet, Toca BocaAndrew

As a a parent with a tablet-loving daughter, I’m always worried that she’s either playing inappropriate games or else building up whopping a credit card bill via in-app purchases. Being tech-savvy, I can easily rectify the latter by controlling the password to my account, but this doesn’t always negate pester-power. The former is still a concern and I’m not alone as these two issues are relevant to parents everywhere.

To help mums and dads, Swedish outfit Toca Boca, “a play studio that makes digital toys for kids” have created a range of open-ended, non-competitive games that appeal to children where the initial purchase cost is the only time you need to flex the credit card. There are over 20 apps available for Apple, Android and Amazon devices, and include games for young hairdressers, chefs, doctors, vets, chemists, scientists and drivers. The themes are very similar to some of the popular “free” games that are out there; the Toca Boca versions usually cost US$2.99 but there are no subsequent in-app purchases.

I chat to Sonia about the Toca Boca apps and how parents can be more confident in what their children playing on their tablets without the worry of an enlarged credit card bill.

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