Regardless of how old we get, Geeks are going to see new technology and immediately want to pick it up. This definitely is the case when it comes to a group of systems created by LeapFrog. We may end up picking these up for our kids or nieces and nephews in the end, but it’s still cool seeing what the youngsters can get their hands on. Read on to find out what the young generations can expect in the next few months.
Earlier this week, I had a lunch meeting with some of LeapFrog’s PR team, and I got an early look at several US$10,000 prototypes of this upcoming technology.
Leapster 2 is somewhat like the first one, but it’s design is slightly more comfortable. It’s backwards and forwards compatible, so old games can play inside it, and new games can play in the first Leapster. The one downside with the forwards compatibility is that you’d miss out on the new abilities of the system.
The game now plugs into a USB cable, and you can download your kids’ progress.
That’s all part of the LeapFrog’s Learning Path. Parents just create a profile for their children on a computer, then connect the Leapster 2 handheld to it. This is a way to keep track of what kids are learning, and it’s a way of building confidence and enthusiasm for learning–both from parent and child. When kids connect to the system, they can upload and unlock online rewards–like baby Achievements! Like the first Leapster, Leapster 2 auto-levels to make sure keeps are continually challenged.
The system launches with 5 new games and 10 revamped versions of old games.
The Leapster 2, which is recommended Ages 4-8, is due out this summer for an MSRP of US$69.99.
As cool as the Leapster 2 is, I think LeapFrog’s next bit of hardware is possibly more exciting. It’s called the Didj Custom Gaming System, and it’s the next logical developmental step from the Leapster 2. Parents can once again use LeapFrog’s Learning Path, but this time the entire experience is customizable. It does rely on parents to input a lot of information, such as spelling curricula or times tables, but one would expect a parent going this far for their kids would be OK with this level of involvement.
The system itself feels much more like a GameBoy than the Leapster 2, and it’s clearly aimed at a slightly older audience. In this case, though, there is actually an age overlap. The Didj is meant for students Ages 6 to 10. It’s mostly a hard rubber casing with some plastic. The colors are white and gray as opposed to bright green and navy blue.
The system will launch with 9 titles, including Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Didj is set to come out this summer for an MSRP of $89.99.
The next part of the evolution in learning is the Crammer, and it is a device that probably would have helped most of us get through middle school a little easier. It comes pre-loaded with curricula going up through 8th grade, including biology. It kind of looks like an alarm clock, and it features directional touchscreen controls.
There are some 30,000 math, social studies, and science questions packed into this handsized studying tool. The best way to use this device seems to be in flash cards. The devices come with an onboard Spanish to English translator. How about that!?
As with the others, this device connects to a PC through a USB port, and parents can see how their children are doing. Additionally, rewards are available; once again, kind of like achievements.
Crammer, which is for 3rd to 8th graders, will be available this Fall for an MSRP of $59.99.
Another new gadget I got to check out is the Tag Reading System. It kind of resembles LeapFrog’s Fly Fusion, but it’s not a pen. The system uses fairy similar encoding, though, with the specialized paper. The difference is that the paper takes the form of book pages. A number of books are offered, from children’s classics such as “Olivia” to licensed titles like “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
The system is meant to help kids learn to read. After you buy the special version of the books, you hop online and download basically an MP3 of the book’s audio. When you press a word on the book, the device will say that word aloud. Young children can also get the entire book read aloud as they just follow along.
It’s particularly cool to be able to switch from one book to another, and without having to press any other button just click on a word and have it read aloud. I was told that up to 5 books can be stored at a time, and the navigation system is kind of like iTunes.
Tag, which is aimed at children Ages 4-8, is also set to launch this summer for $49.99.
All told, LeapFrog seems very dedicated to being the educational system of choice for kids from the first days of pre-school all the way until high school. Although I only got to see Tag in action, it looks like Leapster 2, Didg, and Crammer will be as adept at blending education and fun.
This jacket is pretty interesting - it harnesses the power of your body warmth in order to recharge portable electronic devices, notably cell phones, handheld consoles and laptops. This process is known as “electroless etching”, featuring rough silicon nanowires synthesized with silver ions on a flat water surface. These wafers will then be woven into coats, where excess warmth from your body is turned into energy that could give you additional talktime on your cell phone. This is definitely an interesting development that I won’t mind seeing incorporated into the majority of my wardrobe.
