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Hands-on with LeapFrog's new edutainment lineup
LeapFrog is virtually unchallenged in quite a few of its product lines, but that doesn't seem to be slowing them down any. The company was showing off bunches of new product at Toy Fair 2008, with most of it newly designed to hook up to the computer and help parents keep better track of what their kids are learning with all these "toys." Products like Tag -- a reading pen similar to the FLY pentop -- can tell parents what words kids are reading well, and how much time they spend with a book, while the new Leapster2 and Didj handhelds let parents track the curriculum the kids are running through -- with the Didj even allowing parents to work in custom vocabulary lists or other subjects into their kid's game of choice. Unfortunately, the LeapFrog2 suffers from same screen viewability woes of its predecessor, and both handhelds are quite chunky, but we did like the Didj's screen and software, and that $90 pricetag is quite palatable.%Gallery-16271%
LeapFrog debuts Crammer Study and Sound player for students
LeapFrog is moving on up the chain, and hitting 3rd through 8th graders with a new study aid, the Crammer Study and Sound System. Crammer works basically as a replacement for those annoyingly handwritten index cards, allowing you to enter data for each side of virtual "cards" and run through them on the 2.5-inch grayscale screen. You can also download study aids for a myriad of subjects, or use the included language tools to automatically translate and pronounce words for study. The built-in music playback is pretty straightforward, and lets kids relax with some songs or listen while they study. We spotted a prototype at the 2008 Toy Fair, and while it wasn't a functional unit, we got to see the iriver clix-style four-way screen clicking controls, which seem friendly enough. Crammer will be out Fall 2008 for $60, and includes 1GB of built-in flash memory.%Gallery-16269%
New LeapFrog portables bring internet connectivity to children's games
LeapFrog deserves serious props for recognizing that video games can play an important role in a child's development of motor skills and critical thinking. Its Leapster portable system has been in the market for several years, and now LeapFrog is leaping ahead with both a web-connected upgrade to the portable, and a new model intended for older children.Aimed at children ages 4-8, the Leapster2 appears to be largely a cosmetic upgrade to the original, but will include internet connectivity that will allow parents to monitor what games their kids have been playing, and track their growing expertise. New to the line, the Didj is aimed at children ages 6-10, and features a sleeker aesthetic, with a 3.2 inch screen and the same progress monitoring features as the Leapster2. The system will also allow its young users to personalize the look of each game, with custom avatars and backgrounds.Both systems will be available summer 2008, with the Leapster2 priced at $69.99, and the Didj at $89.99 USD.[Via Engadget]
LeapFrog intros web-connected Leapster2 and Didj handhelds
Heads-up kiddos! LeapFrog is out to swipe even more of that allowance with a pair of all new web-connected handhelds. Up first is the Leapster2, which now boasts a sleeker form factor and the ability to upload your totally sweet results to the web for mum and dad to ooh and ahh over. For you older tykes, the Didj handheld -- which is hailed as the first completely customizable educational gaming platform -- enables users to "personalize the look and feel of the games, from designing their avatars to choosing background scenery, color schemes and music." Also of note, the Didj features a 3.2-inch 320 x 240 resolution panel, a 393MHz ARM9 processor and 256MB of Flash memory, which should provide plenty of incentive to hack this thing into a second-rate media player when not beefing up that mental muscle. Both units are set to launch this summer for $69.99 and $89.99, respectively, while software titles for each will run $24.99 and $29.99, also respectively.[Via I4U News]
LeapFrog announces Fly Fusion and ClickStart My First Computer
Funny, our first computer was actually, you know, a computer, but for the preschool set not yet ready to step to a Vista Ultimate box, parents might look at LeapFrog's new ClickStart My First Computer. The $60 unit gives kids a "safe, age-appropriate computing experience" (i.e. no virtual foiling of terrorist plots in Las Vegas), good for learning the keyboard, mousing, counting, the alphabet, phonics, simple math, shapes, and colors. (Add-on software packs will be available, and cost $20.) LeapFrog also announced their latest FLY pentop device, the Fusion, which features four times more memory, a sexier new exterior, and an $80 price tag. Both are due out for the 2007 back-to-school season. Can baby spell Engadget? E-N-G-A... damn, how do you spell that anyway?
