TOY FAIR 2012: Use your iPhone to power this new stuffed animal
NEW YORK — One common theme among the many booths at Toy Fair 2012 was technology and compatibility with Apple products. Everything seemed to include a web-enabled feature to enhance the fun and usability of a product.
Along those lines, one of the most exciting new toys to premiere at the convention is dubbed “the smartest stuffed animal in the universe.” After experiencing a TeeGee, which looks like a cross between a monkey and Telletubbie, it’s hard not to think of this as the future of toys.
The product is an adorable, wide-eyed creature that comes to life when using an iPhone. The toy, which comes in a variety of colors, is “capable of playing games, telling dynamic stories, teaching concepts and interacting with children through smart accessories and speech recognition,” according to an official press release.
Kudos to the developers of TeeGee for blending technology and education. This has the potential of becoming the next Tickle Me Elmo, but it won’t just laugh with delight when touched. These aliens come with a stated purpose of helping advance the knowledge of the young crowd.
So, where can one get a TeeGee? Right now, we’re told that major retailers will have the product in summer 2012. So just wait a few more months.
Here’s how it works:
• Download a TeeGee game or story from the iTunes App Store to either an iPhone or iPod Touch.
• Connect your mobile device to a cable that is hidden in a back pouch. You actually have to connect your phone and then zip it inside the pouch. This way, it uses the technology to come to life, yet your child may never know that it’s powered by an Apple product.
• When TeeGee makes a request, your child will take care of him (or her) like a baby doll. Feed the animal with his banana. Make him feel better with his first-aid kit.
It appears that the pink and purple versions are females (lipstick), while the red, green and blue ones are males. Suggested retail price will be $49.99, a bargain for a chance to own the future.
Click here for more information.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
