vtech
Latest
VTech launches kid-friendly MobiGo handheld gaming system, Flip e-reader
You may be 32 36, but that's not to say that the kid in you is long gone. At this week's Toy Fair in New York City, VTech took a welcome step away from the landline handset department and tried its hand with a few swank toys. Up first is the $59.99 MobiGo (shown after the break), a handheld gaming system designed for minds within humans aged 3 to 7. Seen as a little tike's GameBoy, the device supports touch inputs and even features a QWERTY keyboard, both of which can be used to fish, color, draw, play on-screen instruments and generally enrich those malleable brain cells. Potentially more interesting, however, is the Flip; described as the planet's first children's animated e-reader, this $59.99 device has a 4.3-inch color touchscreen, a built-in dictionary and a QWERTY keyboard. Look out, Kindle!
Landline breakthrough: VTech announces a DECT 6.0 walkie-talkie
Landline phones might be for squares and cops, but VTech hasn't give up trying to make 'em interesting: its new LS6325 set is the first DECT 6.0 push-to-talk cordless on the market. That means you can get your walkie-talkie on at up to 1,500 feet -- not bad. The three-handset pack will be $80 and the four-pack will be $90 when they launch in April. See, its not all tablet news around here -- we bring you scoops.
Second-generation air-powered robot hand gets more sensitive
Accordions and robots don't seem to have much in common -- although an accordion-playing robot would make for a killer Weird Al song. Nevertheless, the RAPHaEL hand showed that push-box tech can make for some impressively limber fingers. Now the Virginia Tech College of Engineering Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory has created its successor, the RAPHaEL 2, and it too has already won an award. This time it grabbed top honors at the ASME Student Mechanism and Robot Design Competition with its air-powered digits, which now use a closed loop control mechanism and more advanced data acquisition hardware from National Instruments, enabling it to better sense what it's groping and to adjust pressure accordingly. It's also made of a more durable polycarbonate, but a carbon fiber version is said to be in the works, which should look totally awesome.
New VTech cordless can download cellphone address books over Bluetooth
We've seen plenty of landline phones that can also double as Bluetooth headsets, but VTech's new DS6321-3 takes it to the next level: it can also pull down your phone's address book, meaning you'll never have to remember a number again. Apart from that it's the usual cordless phone stuff, with DECT 6.0, three handsets, and -- they still have these! -- an answering machine, but it's really the Bluetooth stuff that's interesting here, so much so that VTech's even promoting this guy for use in homes without landlines. Should be out now for $100.
VTech's Bluetooth-packing LS6245 offers "virtual" two-line phone system
VTech's already teamed up with T-Mobile for the carrier's landline-friendly @Home service, and it looks like it now also has a slightly different solution of its own for folks using both a landline and a cellphone. At the heart of it is VTech's LS6245 base unit, which functions just fine as a standard DECT 6.0 cordless phone all by itself, and can also be paired with a Bluetooth-enabled cellphone to form a "virtual" two-line phone system -- letting you, for instance, take a landline call using the base unit's speaker phone and a cellphone call using the remote-like handset. Those really wanting to go crazy can also add up to twelve handsets to the setup (for $40 apiece), and the base unit itself ($80) will accommodate up to eight different Bluetooth devices paired to the system.[Via TestFreaks, thanks Vincent D]
Engadget's recession antidote: win a VTech IS9181 WiFi radio!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a boomin' VTech IS9181 internet radio on offer, ready to stream jams from the world wide web when not playing back your MP3 collection. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Special thanks to VTech for providing the gear!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) VTech IS9181 WiFi radio. Approximate retail value is $199.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Sunday, July 19th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here
VTech's $200 IS9181 WiFi radio now shipping
What, you didn't even know VTech was dabbling in home audio now? You should be ashamed! All jesting aside, the outfit's first-ever WiFi radio -- which was introduced "way back" at CES -- is now shipping. Priced at $199.95, the Wireless Music Hub boasts built-in 3W stereo speakers (not to mention a 10W subwoofer), 802.11b/g support, an FM tuner and an auxiliary audio port. Additionally, it can play back MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and RealAudio files stored on any nearby WiFi-enabled computer, though it can't actually get more beautiful with age. Sorry.
VTech's new DECT 6.0 telephones are too swank for grandma
VTech's not stopping with just a WiFi radio here at CES -- oh no, it's also introducing a snazzy new DECT line of telephones. Starting with the flagship LS6245, we've got a slim, stylish handset that packs both DECT 6.0 technology and Bluetooth, enabling one person to be on the main handset while a BT-enabled phone taps in as well. The entire lineup features touch sensitive buttons, caller ID, speakerphone, selectable ring tones and a 50-name / number phonebook directory, with the V.Style LS6215 even offering touch tech in the base unit. Each member of the '09 line is priced under $100, and the whole crew should be available for budding seniors in the first half of '09.%Gallery-40763%
VTech plunges into home audio market with IS9181 WiFi radio
VTech, the company you likely associate with old school telephones and educational toys, is breaking out of its shell in a big way. The outfit has just announced its first foray into the wide world of home audio with the IS9181 internet radio receiver. Said device packs 802.11b/g WiFi connectivity and can easily tap into over 11,000 free internet radio stations; additionally, it handles traditional MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and RealMusic audio files stored on a WiFi-enabled computer (Macs included), and the built-in auxiliary jack enables it to play back jams from practically any other source, too. You'll find a pair of three-watt stereo speakers, a ten-watt subwoofer and a Class D amplifier pushing everything to 11, but you'll have to curb your enthusiasm until it launches this Spring at $199.95.
Hands-on with T-Mobile @Home
We've been tooling around with T-Mobile's just-launched @Home service for a little while now; frankly, there's not much to write about, but in the case of a product like @Home, that's a very good thing. In order to be successful, the whole setup has to be drop-dead simple -- bear in mind that the carrier is targeting folks stubbornly refusing to give up their landlines here -- and it absolutely was. We'll be upfront, we cheated a bit by simply hot-wiring the HiPort router into our existing router, but it worked like a champ nonetheless with the blue phone service status light coming on about 90 seconds after we plugged it in. Customers choosing to play it straight and replace their existing router (or those who are buying a router for the very first time) are greeted with a fold-out poster explaining the step-by-step process to get the ball rolling in plain English.Sound quality was excellent, caller ID worked, and the voicemail system was up and running right away; if you've got messages, a blue light flashes on the router itself. No status symbol appeared on the handsets themselves to indicate that a voicemail was waiting, though, which kind of sucks considering that your router isn't likely to be positioned somewhere you can readily see it; the only saving grace is that you get the stuttering dialtone when you pick up the line.Overall, for $10 on top of your bill, this seems like a total no-brainer for any T-Mobile customer with a landline, especially since you can port your number -- and the VTech handset isn't a bad little cordless, either.Update: Folks have been pointing out that the voicemail button on the phone should light up when you have messages, but for us, it wasn't -- we checked it thrice. Just a word of warning!%Gallery-26064%
T-Mobile @Home gets friendly with your home phone
Still really attached to that landline phone? Seriously? That's cool, we still love you, and T-Mobile still wants your business. Following a few months of trials, the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home Talk Forever service has mercifully morphed into the simpler "T-Mobile @Home," featuring a Linksys-sourced router that plugs into a broadband connection and allows any plain ol' telephone -- you know, the plug-in kind -- to take advantage of unlimited nationwide calling for $10 a month on top of your regular T-Mobile bill. The so-called "HiPort" router runs $49.99 on a two-year contract, and if you're in the market for a fancy new cordless, they'll sell you a two-handset VTech DECT system for $59.99. No worries when you're ready to hop back into the 21st century, either; the system will happily work with T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home WiFi cellphones, too. Look for the whole shebang to go on sale July 2.
Vtech's IS6110 cordless phone touts QWERTY keypad, IM capability
No need to bust out one of those newfangled smartphones to get your handset-based chat on -- oh no, baby boomers and their offspring can now handle IM conversations via a landline telephone. You heard right, Vtech is getting all extraordinary on us today with the industry's first instant messaging cordless phone, and sure enough, the DECT 6.0 IS6110 features a full-fledged QWERTY keypad to keep those thumbs happy. All that's required is that the phone's base station be connected via USB to a PC, after which users can have free access to MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. What better way to gently introduce your mother (hint, hint) to this millennium than by dropping $99.95 on this?
VTech launches IS6110 instant messaging phone
Let's just get this out of the way: VTech packed a lot of ugly into the IS6110. That said, the phone isn't too shabby, using DECT 6.0 for call clarity, and supporting AIM and Windows Live Messenger instant messaging. To set it up you just plug the phone into a standard outlet, plug a USB cable into your PC and start LOL'ing all your buddies with abandon. The full QWERTY keyboard and color LCD should make the IM experience passable, but we're guessing this is going to be a price of quality scenario, with parents viewing the phone as a $99 solution to getting the chilluns off the PC for an hour or two so they can get some real work done on Bookworm Adventures. The phone is out in February.
Virginia finds no link between violent games and V-Tech murderer
The final official Virginia state report by the Virginia Tech massacre review panel found no link between video games and the murders committed by Seung Hui Cho. This corroborates the federal government findings in June which found no link. Turns out that the only game cited in the report is Sonic the Hedgehog. In the mental health history section of the report regarding Cho it says, "None of the video games were war games or had violent themes. He liked basketball and had a collection of figurines and remote controlled cars."The video game connection regarding the V-Tech massacre got rolling when Jack Thompson went on FOX News hours after the event and started making stuff up. Only to be outdone and followed with premature reporting by The Washington Post, which was later changed. According to both the state and federal reports, whatever is to blame for Cho's illness, it wasn't video games.[Via GamePolitics]
VTech report doesn't mention video games; PAC cries cover up
A federal government report released earlier this month about the issues surrounding the Virginia Tech shooting made no mention video games whatsoever, a point that Game Politics notes is substantial since contributor Michael Leavitt (pictured) had previously mentioned being aware of a potential video game connection.Members of activist Lyndon LaRouche's political action committee (PAC) have denounced the report as a cover-up, and quotes game news sites as evidence, citing this statement from Games Industry and "Gammer Life" [sic]: "According to GamePolitics, the video game issue was brought up at the V-Tech Review Panel hearings no less than three times by supporters of Lyndon LaRouche PAC."The 26-page report can be downloaded here (PDF file); a state-level review panel continues to study the event and will issue their own report later.
VTech at the International Toy Fair
While Mattel might've been liberal with the digital sprinklings across its 2007 lineup, VTech is most decidedly going for those tech-toy dollars with every fiber of its being at the 2007 International Toy Fair. Lucky for the kids, VTech is stepping a bit outside its normal educational role with some more entertainment-oriented gadgetry. Most notable is the $100 VTech Gadget, a phone-like device which includes a digital camera, movie maker, MP3 player, FM radio, games and a TV plug. The big seller is voice and text messaging up to two miles away, and VTech was kind enough to include 256MB of memory to store all that media you child will be messing around with. VTech's other media unit is the $60 Kidizoom Camera (pictured above), which cops that two-eye design from Fisher-Price and can shoot digital photos and videos, with computer and TV hookups for playback and editing. But if you're set on your kids actually learning stuff, VTech still has you covered with its Whiz Kid Learning System, which purveys interactive reading and learning via its portable "Whiz Pad" and touch-sensitive stylus. VTech is also upgrading its V.Smile edutainment system, which includes a sing-along microphone and writing joystick for an odd sort of educational video game platform. What a freaking brilliant time to be a kid.
VTech announces Internet-connected cordless phones
VTech's trotted out a pair of Internet-connected phones today in anticipation of the full unveiling at CES in January, although if you think "Internet-connected" means VoIP, you may be somewhat disappointed. These are strictly landline phones, albeit tricked out with some nifty Internet-assisted features. The ip8300 infoPhone (on the left above) is a standalone unit, using an Internet portal service from Casabi to pull information like news, weather, and horoscopes off the Net and directly onto your handset, viewable on the phone's color LCD. The phone itself uses DECT 6.0 technology so it won't interfere with your WiFi router or other wireless devices, with the phone's base station capable of supporting up to five handsets. VTech's wf6972 Wi-Fi phone takes a slightly different route to get on the Internet, using (as it's name suggests) your existing WiFi network to pull information collected from an application running on your PC (Windows-only, it seems). Look for the ip8300 to be available in March for $129.95 (and $49.95 for each additional handset), with the wf6972 landing shortly thereafter in April for $179.95, with each extra handset (up to 16 of 'em) running you $79.95.[Via TG Daily]
Nine year old wins scholarship for edu-game idea
In a marketing stunt to attract attention to their new educational game system, VTech has named nine-year-old Jonathan Fisher their first Chief V.Flash Officer, a position that carries a $10,000 scholarship as compensation. Fisher won the competition for the position with an idea for a game called Mission Possible, which utilizes players' skills in foreign language, geography, social studies and math.The $100 V.Flash, which launched kind of quietly in September, is the latest in a line of educational systems from V-Tech and the first to sport disc-based games and 3D graphics. It's not going to challenge the big three for console supremacy or anything, but it might make a nice alternative for thrifty parents who want to satisfy their little kids console cravings on the cheap.
