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Vinci's smart headphones play music, no phone required
It was inevitable that voice-controlled headphones would one day land on our heads. With Siri and Alexa answering our questions and cueing up music for our ears, it was only a matter of time until something like the Vinci smart headphones appeared. Available for pre-order on Kickstarter, it can play music, act as an activity tracker, get directions, read back text messages and more wirelessly via WiFi or a 3G connection. And that's without being connected to a smartphone.
The other CES 2016 trend: Put a screen on it
Wearables, 4K and 8K TVs, connected homes, and self-driving cars may be the mainstream themes dictated by multimillion-dollar corporations. But sometimes a concept pervades all corners of CES, from plucky startups to multinationals. This year: Put a screen on it. Adding a screen to something that usually exists without one seemed to pop up again and again. It's not always a bad idea, but it's nearly always an unusual one.
New child-friendly Vinci Tab II 'M' is smaller, lighter, cheaper
If your Vinci II tablet was working out your children's arms, more than their minds, then fear not. The makers have just announced the arrival of a new, lighter "M" model. The 5-inch kiddie slate is compatible with the Vinci Curriculum and Kids library apps, and keeps the option for Parent Mode for when Dad wants to check the football scores via the Android-based OS. Designed for users kids on the go, the tablets can also be networked for some little-LAN action. It's still the same 1.2 GHz A8 Cortex running the show, but if you thought that smaller screen might mean more battery, then sadly you're mistaken, with the company's own website estimating just four hours of junior-fun -- half that of the larger version. That said, up for pre-order at $169 ($80 less than the 7-incher) maybe that's enough to soften the already rubberized blow.
Toddler-friendly Vinci Tab II makes its way to online retailers
Though already available through Amazon and SkyMall, the Vinci Tab II -- who we met in a previous life -- has found its way to WalMart.com and is moseying to other e-tailers such as ToysRUs.com, Diapers.com and YoYo.com next month. The Vinci carries a 7-inch (800x480) display, a 3-megapixel camera, 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor, 8GB of intenral storage, a microSD card slot, runs Android (flavor unspecified) and is touted as the only tablet certified for child safety. The tab also supports three levels of premium educational apps and includes a few samples, interactive storybooks and animated music videos for your rug rats to work their noggins.While the slab's first incarnation lacked WiFi to minimize radiation exposure to little tykes, the latest iteration can pack WiFi for those who'd rather not update apps via microUSB. Interested in keeping your young'un busy? You'll be set back $249 for a WiFi model or $199 if you forgo wireless connectivity -- a hefty drop from its predecessor's $389 starting point.
Switched On: Tablets are toys. No, really.
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Ever since the tablet market exploded, we've seen a wide range of designs find both success and failure. But most of the tablets on the market have something in common: they are primarily designed for adults or at least children old enough to be responsible for a fragile device. Particularly for the popular iPad, we have seen a number of specialized cases design to protect the tablet for use with young ones. But a small cadre of tablets aimed specifically at kids -- including preschoolers -- begs several questions. Are tablets good tools for kids? Is there value in optimizing them for kids? And if so, how should they be optimized?
Vinci tablet for babies goes up for pre-order, prepares to be hurled across the playroom
When some of us were tots, there was one family computer, and we were lucky if we got our sticky little fingers on it while we were still in diapers. Times have changed, though, and for some parents, sharing the 'ol iPad or 10.1 with curious babies just won't do. Enter Rullingnet's Vinci tablet, that ruggedized tablet for toddlers we played with back in January. It's up for pre-order now, and though it's not exactly the modded Galaxy Tab we saw demoed, it's a very similar piece of hardware with a 7-inch (800 x 480) display, rugged casing, a 3 megapixel camera and Froyo on board. If you'll recall, it's missing any wireless radios (you know, to keep littles ones from being exposed to radiation), but parents can update apps via microUSB. Aside from the kid-proof caging, though, the hook here is that the tab comes pre-loaded with educational content such as 3D games, music videos, and animated storybooks -- a package overseen by the company's founder, herself a mother to young kids. With a starting price of $389, it's slightly less expensive than other Android tablets, though there's also a version with a more grown-up $479 price tag that doubles the battery life to six hours and comes loaded with more educational goodies. Hit the source links to pre-order, and remember that the tab's intended for kids ages three and under, so if yours is already forming sentences, well, your investment should be good for at least a year.
Rullingnet's Vinci tablet is a rugged Galaxy Tab for babies, we go hands-on (video)
As technology advances, so do babies. Seriously, it's amazing how often we see toddlers finding their way round smartphones and tablets these days, but according to Rullingnet founder Dr. Dan D. Yang, a lot of these products or apps are either too predictable or too dull to inspire the younglings, especially her own two-year-old daughter. As such, Dr. Yang came up with the Vinci tablet, which is essentially a seven-inch Android Froyo tablet bundled with educational 3D games, music videos and animated storybooks for ages of three and under. The prototype we saw was actually a Galaxy Tab housed within a rubber frame, but Rullingnet is working with Samsung to produce a similar-looking 1.3-pound device sporting a flush spill-proof housing, an unnamed Cortex-A8 processor, a 3 megapixel camera on the back, and a microSD slot. Wireless components are removed to reduce radiation exposed to children, but parents will be able to install or upgrade apps via the micro-USB port. Expect to see a late Q1 or early Q2 release for about $479. For now, have a look at one of the preloaded games after the break. %Gallery-113839%
