(Credit:
LeapFrog)
I've heard people say that two-thirds of Americans are not good at math and the other half just don't care. I totally agree, and we need to do something about this.
Apparently, the folks at LeapFrog think so, too. The company on Monday released its new game for the iPhone and iPod Touch called "Number Rumble" (hands-on review.)
This is the first in LeapFrog's planned series of learning games. Taking advantage of the multitouch technology, the application lets children spin and tap the devices to increase their math skills.
With the Number Rumble game, they can practice simple math skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division by themselves or they can challenge friends. The game helps them memorize math basics through three modes of play:
- Learn It mode lets the player spin the number wheels to create a math problem, then tap the equals sign to see and hear the answer.
- Quiz Time mode lets the player use their skills by choosing the problem type and spin the wheel to get a random quiz. Then they can shake the phone to select an answer.
- Random Quiz mode lets the player practice all four operations at once. For example, they can shake the iPhone to a fill-in-the-blank style questions, such as "13 + 7 = ?" or "? ÷ 2 = 11." and so on.
Unfortunately, LeapFrog is not all about education, as it charges $2.99 for the application at Apple's App Store, which is rather expensive for a simple game. But at least as far as math is concerned, that's less that $3.
The Zippity will hit stores this summer.
(Credit: Leapfrog)Leapfrog in New York is showing off a few new products, one of which is the Zippity--pretty much a takeoff on the Wii Fit, but for the under-5 crowd. The Zippity was actually co-developed by Leapfrog and Disney and builds on the two companies' existing relationship.
Leapfrog describes the Zippity as a "high-energy learning system" and calls it "the first interactive TV-based gaming system for preschoolers that combines full body movement, music, education, and fun." Leapfrog's trying to move beyond the handheld educational gaming/reading market and Disney is trying to expand its presence in preschool segment with tie-ins to its Playhouse Disney programming. As you might expect, youngsters will take their cues from characters like Mickey, Tigger, and Pooh, and the Little Einsteins.
The system comes with a foldable mat, and that giant joystick-like thing in the picture is called a "bopper." The $79.99 system comes with eight learning activities preloaded and the foldable mat and bopper interact wirelessly with the Zippity console that attaches to your TV. Additional games will run you $25.
Unfortunately, parents eager to wear their kids out with a workout on this little learning/fitness system will have to wait till summer to pick one up.
Comments anyone?
Wi-Fi paint? Bust warmer? Face slimming mask? Bandai telling women how to understand men? Why, that's just crazy talk! The Gadgettes are back in the saddle again, and this time, they ain't going anywhere anytime soon.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 |
EPISODE 122 |
Made-in-Japan Wi-Fi blocking paint
British Airways to allow in-flight texting
Computer newbs kick QWERTY to the curb
Thanko’s new plug-in bust warmer… whatever next?
Bandai helps women understand men
Japanese face slimmer will definitely not work as advertised
... Read more
Is the baby iPhone next?
(Credit: Leapfrog)There's good news for parents who are tired of having their toddlers getting their grubby little paws on their BlackBerrys and other smartphones while they're not looking. Leapfrog has announced a product called the Text & Learn or--as it's sure to be known in the blogsphere--the "baby BlackBerry."
Now kids can mimic their parents and send text messages and check their schedules at all hours of the day. The device, which is a bit bigger than your average BlackBerry, is geared toward preschoolers who are just learning to spell and includes games that focus on spelling and basic computer skills.
Virtual pal Scout is onboard to help; youngsters can exchange text messages with the little guy and check Scout's planner for meeting conflicts (OK, I'm kidding a bit there), and explore in a "pretend" browser mode. Other learning activities include letter matching, shape identification, and QWERTY keyboard navigation.
The Text & Learn was unveiled at the U.K. Toy Fair this week and isn't supposed to be announced in the U.S. until next week, but we do know it will be available this summer and will cost $25. No, it doesn't have any sort of wireless capabilities (what did you expect for 25 bucks?), though it'd be scary if it did.
Comments? Do we live in a sick world or is this a great tool for teaching tots to spell?
Leapfrog's Crammer comes in multiple colors.
(Credit: Amazon.com)There's been a lot of talk about cramming for presidential and vice presidential debates these days, and now there's a device to help all the candidates out: Leapfrog's digital flashcard gizmo, the Crammer, is officially available now.
True, the Crammer ($59.99) is being targeted toward kids between the ages of 8 and 13 (3rd to 8th grade), but I say you're never too old to use a cramming aid. Oh, and it has a headphone jack, plays music (there's 8GB of built-in memory), and has a couple of basic games onboard.
The Crammer is both Mac and Windows compatible and you upload content to the pocket-size device via its USB port using the LeapFrog Connect Application. According to Leapfrog, "more than 16,000 mathematics, social studies, and science questions, based on leading textbooks, are only a touch away using Crammer's sleek click-screen--at no additional cost." And, as an added bonus, LeapFrog throws in a Spanish translator. Not bad for $60.
LeapFrog's Didj gaming system.
(Credit: LeapFrog)A few months ago we got a preview of Leapfrog's new handheld learning/gaming systems, the Didj ($89.99) and Leapster 2 ($69.99)--and now they're officially available.
LeapFrog doesn't exactly bill the Didj as a Nintendo DS competitor, but the new device is geared toward 6- to 10-year-olds, an age bracket where the DS currently rules. Meanwhile, the Leapster 2 is targeted at even younger children.
The idea behind the Didj is to up the gaming and graphics ante while continuing to integrate the learning stuff that the company's known for. Those educational elements are starting to show up in a handful of DS games, but LeapFrog's giving the whole educational-gaming slant a harder spin to appeal to parents who would prefer to have their grade-schoolers graduate to something other than the DS.
While the Didj doesn't have a Wi-Fi connection like the DS, there's a whole online angle that LeapFrog's working with its LeapFrog Connect Application. The application lets children customize game content (the device connects via USB to both PCs and Macs).
According to LeapFrog's news release, "Players first select and personalize an avatar. Then they design the game, choosing background scenery, color schemes or music. Most important, parents and kids can then customize content, connecting gameplay with schoolwork. Multiplication hard to master? Kids can choose to be quizzed on the 6s, 7s and 8s tables. Spelling a stumbling block? Kids can create a custom spelling list from the 10,000-word database and practice for next week's test."
The Leapster 2 is also available now.
(Credit: LeapFrog)I saw an early build of the game that ships with Didj and the graphics are indeed--excuse the pun--a nice leap forward for LeapFrog. At launch, 9 games are available for the system, including SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog, Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants: Fists of Foam, and Indiana Jones. Another premium title, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, is due out shortly. Didj games carry an MSRP of $29.99.
Here's a rehash of the Didj's key specs:
- Processor: 393 MHz Arm 9
- Display: 320x240 resolution
- One 24-bit 2D layer (no hardware acceleration)
- One 16-bit 3D layer
- One YUV video layer (no hardware acceleration)
- Graphics: API OpenGL ES 1.1--A reduced instruction set version of OpenGL for embedded systems
- Main RAM: 32 MB DDRI 131 MHz
- NAND Flash: 256MB for data storage/download content
- Media Cartridge: 64MB
- System Software: Brio--Firmware is built on an abstraction layer called Brio to make OS and hardware transparent to developers. This means all software must be ported to Brio to run on this device.
- Screen LCD: 3.2 inches, 16.7-Million Color TFT
Anybody think the Didj is a worthy DS competitor? And: Can it appeal to both parents and kids?
LeapFrog's upcoming Didj gaming system.
(Credit: LeapFrog)I stopped by a LeapFrog event today to at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. I was pleasantly surprised when the company representatives trotted out a new handheld learning/gaming system, the Didj ($89.99), which is due to arrive this summer. LeapFrog doesn't exactly bill the Didj as a Nintendo DS competitor, but the the new device is geared toward 6- to 10-year-olds, an age bracket where the DS currently rules.
LeapFrog also had its upcoming Leapster 2 ($69.99) at the event, which is targeted at even younger children. The idea behind the Didj is to up the gaming and graphics ante while continuing to integrate the learning stuff that the company's known for. Those educational elements are starting to show up in a handful of DS games, but LeapFrog's giving the whole educational-gaming slant a harder spin to appeal to parents who would prefer to have their grade-schoolers graduate to something other than the DS.
While the Didj doesn't have a Wi-Fi connection like the DS, there's a whole online angle that LeapFrog's working with its LeapFrog Connect Application. The application lets children customize game content (the device connects via USB to both PCs and Macs).
According to LeapFrog's news release, "Players first select and personalize an avatar. Then they design the game, choosing background scenery, color schemes or music. Most important, parents and kids can then customize content, connecting gameplay with schoolwork. Multiplication hard to master? Kids can choose to be quizzed on the 6s, 7s and 8s tables. Spelling a stumbling block? Kids can create a custom spelling list from the 10,000-word database and practice for next week's test."
The Leapster 2 will be available this July as well.
(Credit: LeapFrog)I saw an early build of the game that ships with Didj and the graphics are indeed--excuse the pun--a nice leap forward for LeapFrog. The system is scheduled to be released in July with an MSRP of $90 and a total of 10 games will be available during the first year, including Star Wars and Indiana Jones branded titles.
Here's a rundown of the Didj's key specs:
- Processor: 393 MHz Arm 9
- Display: 320x240 resolution
- One 24-bit 2D layer (no hardware acceleration)
- One 16-bit 3D layer
- One YUV video layer (no hardware acceleration)
- Graphics: API OpenGL ES 1.1--A reduced instruction set version of OpenGL for embedded systems
- Main RAM: 32 MB DDRI 131 MHz
- NAND Flash: 256MB for data storage/download content
- Media Cartridge: 64MB
- System Software: Brio--Firmware is built on an abstraction layer called Brio to make OS and hardware transparent to developers. This means all software must be ported to Brio to run on this device.
- Screen LCD: 3.2 inches, 16.7-Million Color TFT
No parent left behind: The Tag Reading System
(Credit: LeapFrog)Busy and absentee parents, meet your new best friend. As part of Demo 08, the emerging tech conference which takes place in Palm Desert Januaury 28 to 30, LeapFrog is unveiling a new handheld learn-to-read technology that interacts directly with real books. Available this summer for $50, the Tag Reading System uses a pen-based reader (pictured) to provide audio for the stories, "as well as the fun-filled games and activities spread throughout the pages."
The press release describes the product this way:
"The Tag handheld works with Tag-enabled books to create an independent and interactive reading experience for children. By simply touching the highly responsive Tag reader anywhere on any page of a Tag book, children can bring their favorite stories to life. The pocket-sized Tag platform 'reads' by using a small, sophisticated infrared camera that works as an imaging system to recognize letters, words and symbols printed on the page. Using the PC- and Mac-compatible LeapFrog Connect Application, parents can download audio for each book in the Tag library, then manage content the way they manage MP3 or digital camera files. With 16 MB of onboard flash memory, the Tag reader can hold up to five books at a time."
Leapfrog says the Tag Reading System will launch with an 18-volume library of children's classic books, activity books and activity cards from such publishers HarperCollins, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic and others to "showcase beloved characters such as Fancy Nancy, Walter the Farting Dog, Olivia and Miss Spider." (I'd say something snarky about the audio coming to life in Walter the Farting Dog, but it's too early in the week to stoop to such juvenile levels).
As I said, the electronic component of the system will retail for $50, while Tag Books and Activity Boards will carry an MSRP of $13.99 each. The system is geared toward kids aged 4 to 8 and parents who feel guilty for not reading to their kids enough (that would be me).
For decades, tech companies have been trying to create a digital pen that appeals to the masses. But after years of effort, the world isn't exactly overrun with high-tech quills.
A new crop of companies, however, say it's too soon to write off the idea.
This week, Irvine, Calif.-based Iogear announced plans for a digital pen that can work with standard paper. Last month, educational computer maker LeapFrog introduced the FlyFusion, its second go at the digital pen. And later this year, Silicon Valley start-up LiveScribe plans to introduce a $200 device that can not only take digital notes, but also synchronize them with an audio recording.
The latest bunch are a far cry from the earliest attempts to add a brain to the standard Bic. But the question remains: Will these new devices be more than a curiosity? Or will they, like their predecessors, find themselves quickly relegated to the back of desk drawers or spend their days as expensive paperweights?
The quest for a digital pen people actually want has lived alongside another perennial tech pursuit--getting people to navigate traditional computers using the pen as an input device. While Microsoft has managed to create a few converts with its Tablet PC and many graphic designers use pen tablets for their work, the overwhelming majority of people still do their hunting and pecking via the venerable keyboard.
As for the standalone digital pen, it has been around, in its modern incarnation, since Sweden's Anoto developed a special kind of paper that allows a pen with a built-in camera to easily track itself.
Logitech has been using that approach since 2002, when it introduced the Io digital pen. It has since added handwriting recognition and Bluetooth wireless abilities.
Still, it has yet to really take off. "It's a small part of our business," said Logitech spokeswoman Nancy Morrison.
The allure of such devices is undeniable. The idea of a pen, only better, inherently sounds good. However, there have always been significant trade-offs.
That's still true with the latest crop. Both the FlyFusion and LiveScribe devices require special paper.
Brian Wells, the senior product marketing manager for Iogear, said digital pens have always required special paper, special pens or both. The benefit of the company's $99 Digital Scribe, he said, is that it can work with any pen and write anywhere. "Any paper, a sheet of paper, a sticky note, masking tape," Wells said. "Heck, you could probably attach it to the top of a wall."
Iogear's pen, however, must be connected to a computer while the notes are being taken. That's a big drawback, because most people who have their computer with them might just use that to take notes. (Iogear hopes to eventually add an untethered version.)
Wells said there is still a big market, such as college students in classes where they need to take down more than text, things like diagrams that can best be done with a pen and paper.
LiveScribe agrees, but takes the notion a step further. One of its big selling points is that it can record audio and then synchronize it with the handwritten notes. Microsoft offers a similar feature for computer-based notetakers that use its OneNote application, though the LiveScribe pen offers the benefit of being able to work without being tethered to a PC.
The device is expected to cost less than $200 and make its debut before year's end, the company said when it first discussed the product at the D: All Things Digital conference in May. LiveScribe declined to provide an update or comment for this article.
LeapFrog, meanwhile, introduced its $79 FlyFusion at the end of July. The device is a sequel to Leapfrog's first Fly. The last generation was a standalone device that used specially coded paper to enable youngsters to draw a calculator and then add up some numbers or draw a piano and then play music.
The new pen is cheaper, $79 versus $99, and about 25 percent smaller than its predecessor. "It really looked and felt like a toy," senior brand manager Chad Weiner said of the first Fly. Still, Weiner said, the original "sold surprisingly well," though he would not give specific sales figures.
This time around, Iogear is aiming at slightly older youths, adding the ability to take digital notes and then connect them back to a Windows PC, where they can be either saved or e-mailed as images, or converted to text (with the results varying widely based on the penmanship of the author).
For Iogear's Wells, the digital pen has been a labor of love. He's tried out devices since 1992, when he got his first one after graduating high school. That first model, which he took with him to Cypress College in Southern California, cost $300, required special paper and was tethered to a big plastic piece that sat under the paper.
Over time, though, the technology has improved. Wells said Iogear connected a couple years back with a chipmaker that had the technology that would work with any ink or paper.
"We thought it was about time," he said. "We thought we can really make a run now."
One thing all the new products have going for them is that they come at a time where Windows' support for digital ink has never been better. With Windows XP, only the stylus-based Tablet PC edition really supported pen input. With Windows Vista, though, the operating system supports more kinds of ink, including that from tablets like those from Wacom, as well as things like Iogear's Digital Scribe.
"Everything just kind of fell together," Wells said.
LeapFrog's FLY Fusion comes with 64MB of built-in memory and is expandable to 128MB.
(Credit: LeapFrog)LeapFrog's original FLY pentop computer garnered some attention when it was announced in late 2005, but truth be told, we kind of forgot about it after it came out. Well, the company has a new FLY--the FLY Fusion ($80)--and, as you might expect from a second-generation product, it's sleeker and has more features.
While the product isn't due to ship until early August, it can already be pre-ordered at Amazon. Here are the highlights, according to the site:
- With the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer, everything you write on FLY Paper is automatically scanned and digitized.
- With the tap of your FLY Fusion pentop computer, you can interact with your notes, get instant feedback and step-by-step help, even play MP3s and games, all on paper!
- FLY Fusion Pentop Computer includes: rechargeable battery, memory expansion slot, FLY Fusion installation CD, FLY Notebook, FLY World Application, 13 FLY Fusion Games, and USB Cable.
- Recommended age range fifth to ninth grades.
I saw a quick demo today of the Fusion (not to be confused with the Gillette Fusion razor) and was impressed enough to request a review sample (it should arrive soon). Truth is, I wasn't much a note-taker in school, and this thing made me wish I could go back and do it all over again. With this kind of technology at my disposal, I would have been a note-taking machine. Or at least I could have saved some of my better doodles.
