Commentary

Getting Mom Friendly At CES

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas each January is always a trip — in more ways than one. My favorite stop is always MommyTech, for its annual conference on innovations and trends in family-friendly technology and the opportunity to visit exhibitors that understand the importance of mom as a target audience. Following are some highlights from MommyTech and elsewhere at the show:

Children’s Tablets

New tablets of all types were in abundance, and several were specifically designed for kids.

  • Early childhood education specialist VINCI gave a sneak preview of ClubVINCI, a trans-media mobile learning platform that gives children social play and structured learning. Designed for use at home, ClubVINCI enables parents to automatically assess their child’s learning progress. 
  • AudioVox introduced a tablet specifically created for in-vehicle installation. The Rear Seat Entertainment In Vehicle Tablet Solution locks into the back of an included headrest—a great option for those long road trips.
  • Dreamworks Animation and tablet maker Fuhu partnered to introduce DreamTab, an Android kids tablet that features exclusive content from DreamWorks animators that kids can customize. It also offers a creative studio educational program entitled “Be an Artist,” which gives kids animation lessons with acclaimed DreamWorks artists. Who can resist?

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Robots

  • One of our clients generated buzz with a device that turns your iPhone/iPod Touch into a roaming robot that can move all around your house, complete missions, follow your face, chase a ball, and so much more — while teaching computer programming to children. Our entire office loves playing with it! 
  • Vex calls itself “a STEM Education Revolution” and enables children as young as 8 to build and drive fun robots. 

Electronic Playgrounds

  • One of the coolest intros was The NEOS 360, from Playworld Systems, which takes the best of indoor gaming and brings it outdoors. According to the company, NEOS combines the speed and fun of electronic games with the explosive movement of aerobic exercise to deliver a workout comparable to jogging or playing soccer.

Wearables

“Smart” wearables of all kinds were huge at the show. They ranged from a wide assortment of bands and wristwatches that transmit heart rate, blood pressure and other physical data to more mom-focused products.

  • The Mimo baby monitor from Rest Devices connects to a onesie to report on how a baby is sleeping. It tracks breathing, temperature and position and lets parents analyze the data through their smartphones.
  • FashionTeq introduced Zazzi, a ring that looks like jewelry but vibrates to notify women when they are receiving a message on their phones. The design can be personalized to identify which contact is calling. 

Some of these products are on the market, some are soon to be, others are just in the funding phase. When it comes to CES introductions as a whole, some are reality-based solutions to genuine problems faced by moms, while others seem to serve no true purpose except to indulge the inventor’s imagination. Whatever the status, it’s always exciting to get a sense of what’s next!

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