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Leapfrog Talking Pen
AndroidCat writes "Leapfrog has just announced their Fly pen computer for children. It talks, giving feedback as they write and draw, and with special Fly paper, you can draw a calculator, press the 'buttons' with the pen and it will read the answers. Cute, but is this a real working product? Let's see. If they included a 1 GB USB drive, it would be an interesting product for geeks too--just don't write fdisk. And remember to turn off the voice when making notes during meetings." Here's a picture of the device.
If I draw Lindsay Lohan, can I push her buttons too?
hopefully it can also draw those bitchin' lens flares so prominently featured in the 'photo'. curse photoshop for popularizing those things...
go get it
...are spoiled rotten these days.
back in my day we had burnt log and a reasonaly flat rock and we loved it damnit.
What ever happened to kids playing with teddy bears, or learning from reading books? Technology might be making it too easy for them, so they don't even learn.
Though the idea does sound pretty cool...
runs out and buys one
While it's intended market is for children, the applications this could be used in are astounding for all ages. Lesson plans become interactive, doodles become narratives, and comments become richer. This would open up a unique interface which would benifit those who aren't technically proficient.
:)
Not to mention a few crafty programmers and this could be a great tool for around the house.
or practical joke.
-Teiresias
would you really want to put down cold hard cash for this? it seems like just another thing that parents could buy to give their kids in hope that it'll help. If you were that age and got one of those, how much time would you really dedicate to it?
This sig contains repetition and redundancy.
"Here I was writing some erotic fiction in my spare time, when my pen started moaning! I will never write erotic fiction in court again."
Great civilizations have lived and died on false theories. Don't mess up mine with a few facts.
"Hey, who turned out the lights? WTF is this CueCat doing here? Oh no! GET ME OUT OF HERE YOU BASTARD!"
Since the picture isn't a photo but a computer-generated 3D drawing, I don't they've actually built one yet. No mention on their site either.
what logitech was going to do with that digital pen and paper failure of theirs.
remember the pen that as you write stored your writing in memory and then you could download to the computer but only IF you bought their horribly overpriced paper?
I was given one that came with a 30 page notepad. Neat idea, but it's data format was too closed so you either had to dink with it too much to send the "writings" to friends or they needed to download and install a special app.
still sitting in a drawer here at work, Used it for 1 meeting, got pissed at the software that supports it, and threw it there.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
Considering the current translation technology, I'm not sure that such a function would be very useful. Also, just how smart is it's spelling? Can it correct for poorly drawn/backwards characters?
will come with three settings.
My daughter has a Leapfrog Learning Center, care of eBay.
t s
The novelty was worn pretty quick though, now it sits on top of the heap.
My complaint is that I want those talking items to have more Canadian versions.
So can I upgrade that pen's firmware?
How about some Canadian dialect eh?
And some more Canadian geography or history too?
We know more about America than our own country.
Regardless, LeapFrog sure is pumping out the product;
http://www.leapfrog.com/do/browseproduc
Prior Art!!!
Bill Cosby had a talking pen in Picture Pages in the early 80's.
It even sang and danced...
Aye taut meeselph teh 3Ng1e5h 0n slashdot!1
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
What're you writing? The Encyclopeadia Britannica? A Windows bug list? You'd still have room to transcribe the entire Linux kernel, the Bible and War & Peace! (Well, perhaps not if you include the Windows bug list, but you get my point!)
I remembered various pens, but not the special paper. Yup, this sounds like they're using that technology. (It probably has a patent or two.) Since the Logitech one had USB, maybe Leapfrog has just hidden the connector? Add that 1 GB drive and a hackable OS...
One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
My stepdaughter (7) is a television junkie (thanks to idiot father, who has primary custody), and LeapPad is great for her because it's about the only way she'll voluntarily read the written word. LeapPad gives instant feedback and immediate gratification, which is a big plus for a child who doesn't have a lot of confidence in her reading skills.
Fortunately, my son (Just turned 2) dosen't need any incentive to read -- he just grabs a book and sits down on my lap until I read it to him. Even still, we have numerous Leapfrog toys which he plays with constantly; one of his favorites is a set of talking alphabet refrigerator magnets, which undoubtably contributed to him knowing the entire alphabet before he was two. A fun toy which reinforces the lessons you teach your kids is fantastic for a parent. (The important word here is REINFORCE. Don't expect a learning toy to teach your child for you while you sit on your ass watching pro wrestling.)
Why is it that the proponents of "one nation under God" are so eager to get rid of "liberty and justice for all"?
What ever happened to kids playing with teddy bears, or learning from reading books?
Nothing. This still happens. However, believe it or not, with improved technology comes possibilities for improved learning. Maybe with the right tools, kids can learn to read and write and calculate at earlier ages, when their brains are more pliable.
Then again, you probably think Kids shouldn't have pre-school, and they should just get shoved into a government run public school when they turn 5 or 6, and "that will learn them."
Just guessing.
Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
"Hello! I see that you are writing a suicide letter.
May I suggest:
- A new template (?)
- A slower, more painful way to die(?)
- The Grammar Wizard (?)
If there is anything else you need, please feel free to contact my distant brother, Clippy.
Have a nice day!"
B...S...O..D...
;)
Y'know, that brings up an interesting point that I'm wondering now... Think they'd incorporate any easter eggs into this thing? You'd think that someone involved with the project would have thought that something like that could be funny.
Won't that be ... sticky?