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Toddlers can get their frag on with VTech’s baby gamer chair
Baby gamers finally have a throne of their own.
Must-have gear to make traveling with kids easier
Here's a list of the best travel gear for parents with kids, as chosen by Engadget editors.
VTech’s latest instant camera for kids prints photos for only a penny
VTech's upcoming $75 instant camera for kids will only cost you a penny per printed photo, and it comes out this summer.
The best white noise machines for babies
Engadget editors test out four smart white noise machines intended for the nursery.
The best baby monitor
By Harry Sawyers, Sarah Kovac, Winnie Yang This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.
Engadget giveaway: Win an HD Pan & Tilt camera courtesy of VTech!
Once you leave the house, there's no looking back, at least not unless you've outfitted your crib with a remote monitoring system. VTech offers a an easy-to-use solution with its HD Pan & Tilt camera, which provides live streaming video and two-way talk via the MyVTech Cams app. This Wi-Fi device offers in-app gesture controls to pan and zoom, giving you a clear view of your at-home surroundings, even in the dark. Along with the peace of mind that video provides, you can also have a two-way chat with any person or pet in the room (comprehension is up to you). You can also get motion alerts while you're away, for in-home security. This week, VTech has provided us with one of its VC931 HD Pan & Tilt cameras for one lucky reader. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning some extra peace of mind with this VTech monitoring camera. Winner: Congratulations to Chris Z. of Milton, WA!
Vtech settles FTC lawsuit over children's data privacy
Two years ago, kids electronics maker Vtech suffered a data breach that exposed the personal info of five million customers (over half of whom were not adults). Naturally, the DOJ on behalf of the FTC brought a lawsuit against the company for violating online privacy laws for children, becoming the first such case involving Internet-connected toys. Today, Vtech agreed to pay a $650,000 fine as part of a settlement with the FTC.
Germany bans children’s smartwatches over privacy concerns
Germany's telecommunications regulator, the Federal Network Agency, announced a ban today on the sale of kids' smartwatches, the BBC reports, and encouraged parents to destroy the ones they already own. The agency appears to be taking particular issue with the devices' abilities to transmit audio from its surroundings. Jochen Homann, the agency's president, said today, "Via an app, parents can use such children's watches to listen unnoticed to the child's environment and they are to be regarded as an unauthorised transmitting system."
VTech's new Android tablet has its own kid-friendly messaging system
VTech's tablets and other kids' gadgets have always focused on creating a child-safe walled garden, but it's fallen far short of having an ecosystem like what children can get on an iPad or Amazon Fire Kids Edition. Its new Android tablet for children four and older opens things up a bit by allowing app downloads from outside the VTech ecosystem, as well as messaging with iOS and Android devices -- all with a parent's supervision.
Ben Heck's sound-switching headphones
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){} You might not have wondered what Felix was like as a baby, but you're about to find out. Ben hacks apart a VTech baby monitor so that it's possible to listen to your favorite music with headphones, with interruptions when your little one needs attention. After breaking open the baby monitor, Ben finds the perfect place for the digital logic level control and 555 timers needed to latch onto the audio signal and switch over from music and back again. What devices do you need to make your life easier or more comfortable as a parent? Let the Ben Heck Show team know over on the element14 community.
2015's big hacks, attacks and security blunders
The security breaches, blunders, and disasters of 2015 tanked our trust in health insurance providers, credit agencies, the IRS, car manufacturers, connected toys for kids, and even "adult" dating sites. These stories shaped 2015, and forever changed the way we see data privacy and security. Most importantly, these painful moments in computer security affected millions, shaped government policy and validated our paranoia.
UK man arrested in VTech kids app hacking scandal
Police have arrested a 21-year-old UK man in relation to the VTech kid's app hacking scandal that compromised the accounts of up to 6.3 million users. The crime unit said he was being held on "suspicion of unauthorized access to computer[s] to facilitate the commission of an offense," but cautioned that the investigation was still in the early stages. The man was arrested in Berkshire, west of London, but his name wasn't released. As a reminder, the breach last month affected users of VTech's Learning Lodge app and Kids Connect chat program, and allowed the attackers to collect photos, chat logs and other private information.
Recommended Reading: Don't try to shop on Facebook or Twitter
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.I Tried Holiday Shopping on Facebook and Twitter and Got NowhereKurt Wagner, RecodeFacebook and Twitter may be testing options for buying products from ads and sponsored posts, but don't try to take care of your holiday list that way. As Recode's Kurt Wagner discovered, those buy buttons are pretty much non-existent unless you're in the test group. In fact, he didn't even stumble across a misplaced option to purchase in the News Feed.
Legislators want to know how VTech handles children's data
In the days following a surprisingly heinous hack on kiddy-gadget-maker VTech, shock and surprise have given way to pointed curiosity. The latest slew of questions come from Senator Edward J. Markey (D–MA) and Congressman Joe Barton (R–TX), who just issued a letter -- that definitely doesn't double as a PR grab at all -- calling on VTech to explain what kind of data they collect from kids under 12 and what they're actually doing with it. VTech (better known as Hong Kong-based VTech Holdings) has until January 8 to proffer a response, though the company technically doesn't have to respond at all.
VTech's data breach includes children's photos and chat logs
News of VTech's data breach affecting nearly 5 million customers first broke last week, and now it appears other kinds of info were easily accessible to hackers. Motherboard reports that the company kept photos of parents and children alongside "a year's worth" of chat logs on its servers where prying eyes could easily find them. The same hacker that alerted Motherboard to the initial vulnerability late last week found that VTech left the images and conversations from its Kids Connect service exposed as well. The company says that while images and sound clips are encrypted with AES128, the chat logs were not.
VTech's data breach affected five million customers
Kiddie toymaker VTech tried to downplay the extent of last week's data breach, which affected its "Learning Lodge" app store, but now it's revealed that five million customer accounts were compromised. Vtech says it's alerted Learning Lodge customers of the hack, and if you've got one of its devices, you should change your password (and password retrieval info) immediately. While the attack didn't reveal credit card data or sensitive personal information (like Social Security numbers or driver license IDs), it gave hackers access to customer's names, addresses, encrypted passwords and even birthdays and genders for kids. VTech says it's still investigating the situation, and it'll look into ways to strengthen its security. Breaches like this aren't unusual (it's thought to be the result of a relatively easy SQL injection attack), but it's notable since it involves products aimed at kids, which normally don't get much attention when it comes to data security.
Engadget giveaway: win a Connect to Cell phone system courtesy of VTech!
Many of us tend to drag our mobile phones around with us all day, keeping them close at hand and in pocket. But once you hit home, it'd be nice to gain a little freedom from device dependence -- while still having access to calls and notifications. Those are part of the benefits of the VTech Connect to Cell phone system. You can place the base unit in the ideal signal location in your home, charge up your cell and have calls and notifications passed along to up to 12 units throughout the house. If you're still running a classic phone line, it can handle those calls as well, along with an answering system, caller ID and tons of other features. VTech has provided us with five of these Connect to Cell devices for five lucky Engadget readers this week so they can expand their home system or gift it to deserving family members or friends over the holidays. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning.
VTech refreshes its MobiGo and InnoTab lines, keeps things affordable
VTech's kid-friendly slab may not sport Google's dessert-themed OS, but it does carry a lower sticker price than its Android-based competitors. The InnoTab 2 Learning App Tablet keeps its predecessor's $80 price tag while packing in 2GB of onboard storage (expandable up to 32GB with an SD card) and a rotating camera for taking stills, videos and playing AR games. The slate's vanilla configuration will hit shelves this fall, but a WiFi-equipped version can be had this holiday season for a $20 premium. The MobiGo 2 Touch Learning System is set to roll out this summer in a similar fashion, retaining a $60 asking price despite adding a motion sensor and microphone to its repertoire. Saunter on past the break for the press release.
VTech's InnoPad brings tablets to youngsters, floods their sponge-like brains with knowledge
Looking for a telltale sign that tablets have shot right past mainstream and into over-saturation? Fix your focus a few pixels up, and you'll be staring at it. VTech has just pushed out its InnoPad, a learning tablet developed specifically for kids aged 4 to 104 (or 9, if you're concerned with "facts"). Boasting a 5-inch touchpanel, a tilt-sensor for gaming control, microphone and interfaces for USB, an SD card and a headphone jack, it's actually more like a MID than anything else. Of course, the "kid-tough" casing makes it far bulkier than most, but at least it's designed to take a licking (and keep on ticking). Contrary to conventional tablets, this one will rely primarily on learning cartridges, but there is support for digital downloads for those who'd rather sync it up with their Mac or PC and transfer things to a memory card. You've got a slew of options when it comes to software, and once your kid's done learning for the day, the InnoPad can double as an MP3 player, video player and datebook. It'll ship this fall for $79.99, with each title priced at $24.99. Something tells us this thing's got "iPad killer" written all over it. In Children's Doodle font, but hey...
RoboCup Soccer 2010 finals show impressive realism by feigning injuries (video)
The World Cup may still be ongoing (despite what the US, England, and a handful of others may think), but the RoboCup 2010 in Singapore has just closed shop with an edge-of-your-seat display of autonomous action. The final game came down to two German teams, the Darmstadt Dribblers and the FUmanoids. As seen at numerous points, both android teams have even learned the ancient art of diving, toeing the uncanny valley a little to close for comfort. Video after the break -- we won't to spoil the ending, so let's just say Germany won by a sizable margin. If fierce competition isn't your cup of tea, we've also got footage of DARwIn-LC, a low cost (hence the name) humanoid from our friends at Virginia Tech's RoMeLa. These adorable little guys cost about $2,500 apiece and will be going out to 11 of VT's partner universities. Update: Dr. Dennis Hong himself sent us a few clarifications. The DARwIn-LC is a collaboration between RoMeLa and the company Robotis. No price has been disclosed, but the $2,500 is incorrect. Additionally, the robot is being planned as a "true 'open platform.'" In Hong's words, "we are "planning" to post all CAD drawings, fabrication and assembly manuals, and also the basic software on-line for free. Thus any one with certain equipment, budget, and skills will be able to make one them selves - or purchase the entire thing or parts from Robotis. We want to form a community of DARwIn-LC users to share new ideas for improvement, hack it, etc. and use the robot for research, education, outreach, and of course, an easy entry point for the RoboCup humanoid division." Also hit up More Coverage to see how RoMeLa fared at RoboCup! [Thanks, Stefan]
