Make unique stuffed toys at home
The new play concept “Printies Design Studio” from Techno Source, features kits and refill packs which enable children to use their home PCs, inkjet printers and special Printies fabric sheets to create stuffed toys. It’s simple: design online at MyPrinties.com, print on both sides of Printies fabric sheets with any inkjet printer, tear along the perforated shape and pop out the Printies design, stuff it and put it on display.
The entire Printies design Studio line will retail for under $20 and is appropriate for children ages six and up. Children can design, print and stuff their own Printies toys in three easy steps:
• Design Online — Use the online design studio at MyPrinties.com to create any one-of-a-kind stuffed toy. MyPrinties.com will offer children thousands of professional art assets and design tools such as coloring, painting, and resizing effects. Children will be able to start with a blank canvas or select from quick start templates that allow them to customize professional designs. Kids can customize everything from a Printies’ hair to its toes and can even add scanned photos and other images for truly limitless customization.
• Print on Fabric Sheets — Feed the special Printies fabric sheets into any inkjet printer to print the custom Printies design. Once the first side is complete, feed the Printies fabric sheet through a second time to print the design on the back side. The Printies fabric sheets work just like paper in any ink jet printer.
• Stuff and Show Off! — Tear along the perforated shape and pop out the printed 2-D, pre-sewn creation, and use the included stuffing and stuffing tool to make it 3-D. Place it in any of the enclosed colorful pairs of “shoes” to seal it shut and put it on display.
The Printies line will make its debut with three themed activity kits: Printies Pet Design Studio, Printies Ocean Design Studio, and Printies Jungle Design Studio. Each Printies Design Studio kit includes everything needed to make six complete Printies using a home PC and inkjet printer. Techno Source will also introduce refill packs for each of the themed Printies Design Studio kits that offer more of the original templates for the child. Refill packs will retail for $9.99.
The cube goes touch technology
Rubik’s Cube has gone high tech with the introduction of Rubik’s TouchCube (www.rubikstouchcube.com), the first completely electronic solvable Cube. The solution to the classic Rubik’s Cube puzzle, a global symbol of intelligence, used to be several turns away, but now it’s just a few swipes away.
How does it work? Rubik’s TouchCube features touch sensor technology on all six sides, a motion-detecting accelerometer, and colored lights in every square. It even mimics the movements of the original 3x3 Cube — swipe a finger across three squares and the lights will follow, “turning” a side of the Cube; make an “L” shape to turn the top face of the Cube a quarter turn. Rubik’s TouchCube’s motion-detecting accelerometer only recognizes moves made on the top side of the Cube, so that a player’s fingers won’t move the lights on other sides when holding it.
Need some help? Solving the frustrations of hundreds of millions of Rubik’s Cube players, Rubik’s TouchCube also includes a built-in solver, so now anyone can easily learn how to solve the Cube step by step. Ask for a hint or watch Rubik’s TouchCube solve itself. Afraid you’ll lose your place? Internal memory allows players to save their current puzzle so they can resume play anytime. Love that iconic Rubik’s Cube sound? Players can choose between modern or classic sound effects at varying volume levels to have a new or nostalgic Rubik’s experience as they swipe. Rubik’s TouchCube will be available in the fall of 2009, retailing for about $150.
Free kid-safe iPhone browser
The Mobicip Kid-Safe Browser is the first free browser that protects children and teens from inappropriate web content on the iPhone. It is now available for parents to download from the iPhone App Store. Mobicip is compatible with the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch, and offers the same popular features that iPhone users love on the Safari Mobile browser.
Parents can sign up on www.mobicip.com/iphone and choose between three predefined levels of filtering based on the age of the child. Mobicip’s unique dynamic content analysis algorithm provides comprehensive protection, unlike URL-based solutions, without affecting the performance of either the device or the browsing experience. A demo is available at www.mobicip.com/demo.
Mario and Sonic head to the slopes
Two of the biggest video game heroes, Mario and Sonic, will be coming together again, this time taking their rivalry to the snow and ice. Heading to stores late in 2009 on the Wii home video game system and Nintendo DS, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will take players to Vancouver, Canada, host city of the official 2010 Olympic Winter Games. This gaming experience invites players of all ages and skill sets to face-off in some of the most intense winter competitions available for the Nintendo platforms.
Developed by SEGA of Japan, under the guidance of Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games will take players to lifelike Olympic venues where they can choose from a cast of playable characters, including new faces to the series to be revealed later this year. Following the worldwide popularity of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, which has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, this fresh gaming experience will feature completely new Olympic Winter Games events from the official competition schedule including Alpine Skiing and Speed Skating with more events announced throughout the year.
Tailored to the specific system controls, Nintendo DS and Wii gamers will enjoy completely unique experiences thanks to each platform having its own specific gameplay features and modes. One of the new features to be found in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is the inclusion of the Wii Balance Board which can be used in some events featured in the Wii version, allowing for a more interactive and realistic gaming experience.
