droolicious : brave new baby

Brave New Baby: Outlast Astronaut Technology for Baby

Mir — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:03:00 GMT

Remember the old days when you had to think about how to dress/bundle baby for the weather? That's old news. Assuming you have $220 to burn on what is basically bunting, you can hop on over to Perinka and pick up Outlast's Astronaut Bundler. Yes, it's that Outlast -- the stuff NASA developed to protect astronauts from temperature fluctuations. Now available to the masses to keep Precious at just the right temperature.

This is either brilliant or ridiculous. I haven't quite decided, yet.

Brave New Baby: The Mouse That Smiles Back

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:02:00 GMT

If you can think of a concept for computer mice, odds are Swiss manufacturer Pat Says Now has already rolled out a mouse for it, and while some of the company's mice skew toward grown-ups (particularly oversexed male soccer fans), it's also got a wonderful selection of kiddie clickers. Case in point: the optical F!sh Mouse, which, besides having a chunky shape that'll feel natural for little palms, will also keep snack time in the back of your kids' brains as they play online. Unfortunately, at $29.90 Euros direct from Pat (around 44 bucks American), the fun doesn't come cheap; you're better off Googling for a U.S. retailer to save a bit, as actual prices vary widely.

Brave New Baby: Move over Webkinz, Welcome Photokinz

Mir — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:04:00 GMT

Okay, you won't be able to hop on a website and play Cash Cow with these babies, but your kids can load up to sixty-four pictures onto their cuddly Photokinz and snuggle with their favorite images. Who says only mom and dad should get to have a digital photo frame? Or even that a photo frame needs to sit on a tabletop?

Available exclusively from eToys and Target through the end of the year (there will be other authorized retailers in 2008 and beyond), which means you can grab 'em at Amazon, too. $39.99 apiece; the dog and frog pictured here are just two of the many choices.

Brave New Baby: Fisher Price FP3 Song and Story Player

Mir — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:03:00 GMT

I am constantly seeing really little kids with iPods, and hey -- if you have money to burn when your preschooler hurls that Nano across the driveway, be my guest. If you want an MP3 player actually made for little ones, check out the FP3 from Fisher Price ($50.97 at Amazon). It's rugged kid tough, with an easy, intuitive LCD display that uses icons so they make selections all by themselves, even if they can't read yet. Even the headphones are designed specifically for little ones, which is nice because I want my kids to get hearing damage from me screaming at them, not from letting them use the wrong headphones.

Brave New Baby: Sun Jar Solar-Powered Nightlight

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:02:00 GMT

You may've spun bedtime yarns that involved bringing the sun or the moon indoors to keep your kids safe in the dark; now, you can do both, figuratively speaking, thanks to the rechargeable Sun Jar ($34.99) and forthcoming Moon Jar. Just set the Mason jar outside in direct sunlight until its solar cell has juiced up the AA rechargeable battery inside (the jar is water-tight enough to survive nearly any weather conditions), and when the lights go out, voila! Instant sunshine.

Brave New Baby: Giggles Software Teaches Cause/Effect Through Play

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:02:00 GMT

As I type this, my 15-month-old son is perched on my left knee, whaling at the keyboard with both fists while I hunt and peck for letters with my right hand. No doubt you've been in a similar situation, and if you're tired of opening blank Word windows to let your wee one free-associate on the keyboard, Giggles Computer Funtime for Baby is an award-winning software series that'd make for a great holiday present/sanity break this year.

Giggles serves the same purpose as the aforementioned Word trick -- baby hits the keyboard, and stuff happens onscreen -- but the delightful images and sounds help to teach true cause-and-effect relationships, while the system-locking feature ensures that none of your valuable files will get annihilated in the process.

Available for $19.99 each, Giggles' Shapes, My Animal Friends (screen shots above), and ABC's & 123's titles are Mac and Windows compatible, and you can visit the company's website to download trial versions before adding them to your holiday wish list.

Brave New Baby: VTech Whiz Kid Learning System

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:32:00 GMT

Looking something like a Toontown version of a tablet PC, VTech's Whiz Kid Learning System ($49.99) lets kids access over 120 educational activities with the touch of a stylus. Just plug in the cartridge, slide one of the accompanying activity pages into the tablet, and start playing; the base system's "Wondertown Whizware" software includes a set of games designed to help teach reading, math, logic, letter- and word-recognition skills, as well as music and creative thinking. Or, for kids who are a little more comfortable with the PC (and really, isn't that how they come out of the womb?), connect the tablet to your home computer to explore Wondertown CD-ROM content on your monitor; print out new activity pages; track your progress during a game; and access additional content via the Whiz Kid World website.

The Whiz Kid core system is recommended for ages 3 to 6; additional cartridge/activity-sheet sets are classified from pre-K (Bob the Builder, Spidey & Friends) to K (Scooby-Doo, pictured above) developmental stages and are sold separately for $19.99 each.

Brave New Baby: Remote-Controlled Rubber Duck

Mir — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:04:00 GMT

Rubber ducky, you're the one,
You make bath time lots of fun!
Rubber ducky I'm so awfully fond of yoooouuuuuuu!

Forget low-tech ducks; on October 28th, 2007, this remote-controlled rubber duck will be released. Five minutes of charge gives you fifteen minutes of fun in the tub. (For an encore I suggest a unicycle-riding elephant in the crib.) You can pre-order only at Play.com for £12.99, but delivery is only available to UK addresses.

[Hat tip: Neatorama]

Brave New Baby: Squirt the Food with Boon

chrisjordan — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:02:00 GMT

Aaron mentioned Boon's innovative new feeding line last month. Finally the products are available for purchase.

Pictured above is the Boon Squirt Food Dispenser. The easy-to-fill bulb holds up to 3 ounces of baby food and attaches firmly to the spoon end. Simply squeeze the bulb to dispense just the right amount of food. Squirt comes with a protective cover to seal food in and keep the spoon clean between feedings.

It promises to make one handed feeding a breeze. Personally, I am not convinced that this would be easier than using a traditional spoon and jar of baby food.

Available online for $7.99

Razor Bumper Buggie Puts an Amusement Park in Your Cul-de-Sac

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:33:00 GMT

Between its electric wagon and these motorized bumper cars, Razor is ensuring that our kids will never know the simple pleasure of wheeling around in a Radio Flyer. Like Razor's wagon, the Bumper Buggie ($129.99 at Target.com) packs dual 65-watt motors and gives you up to 40 minutes of vroom-vroom time on a single eight-hour charge.

For safety's sake, it goes a wee bit slower than the wagon (2 mph as opposed to 3), and it also includes a safety belt and a breaker switch, just in case. You really do need two or more to get the full bumper-car experience -- but with the holidays coming up, there's always a chance you'll spot another one scooting through your neighborhood.

Recommended for ages 3 and up, although with a 38" length and a maximum rider weight of 55 lbs., budding racers may outgrow it by their 6th or 7th birthday.

Brave New Baby: Rock and Roll on a Dream Mover

Mir — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:02:00 GMT

My son was a colicky baby. As anyone who's ever had one of those miserable infants knows, this meant he needed to be in motion constantly -- which meant either I was holding him or he was in a swing, vibrating seat, or car for his first sixth months. It was torture.

Had the Dream Mover been around back then, I would've cheerfully plunked down $149.99 (get it Stateside at Baby Belly Boutique with free shipping) for a bit of respite. UK father and inventor Ronnie McCuaig has won a 2007 iParenting Media award for this brilliant design: The platform accommodates baby directly or within a stroller, car seat or bassinet, and when plugged in it makes a quiet shushing sound while gently rocking and vibrating at a speed that mimics a mother's heartbeat. Best of all, it uses no more electricity than a standard light bulb. [Insert obligatory "You new parents today have it too easy" gripe here.]

Brave New Baby: Prepare to Meet Your... Potty Monkey?

Mir — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 12:02:00 GMT

Proving once again that parents desperate to ditch the diapers will buy almost anything, here we have the logical alternative to just letting Junior take the lead. With the Potty Monkey from PottyMD ($29.99 at Amazon), now you can skip the nagging -- he does it for you! Set his timer for every 30 or 90 minutes, whereupon he will announce his need to eliminate ("I really need to go! C'mon, lets go potty!") to urge Junior to do so as well. Fun board book (for him) and potty training manual (for you) are included, as well as a little flushing potty (for Monkey).

Personally, if some monkey invited me to join him in toileting I'm pretty sure I'd be scarred for life, but I'm sensitive that way. Good thing I'm already potty trained, I guess.

Brave New Baby: Razor Electric Wagon

Mir — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:01:00 GMT

Remember when you were little, and you had to walk everywhere, except maybe if you were really lucky, occasionally your dad would pull you in a rusty metal wagon, and you'd bounce around and maybe your butt would hurt a little but you thought to yourself, "This is the ultimate luxury!" as you felt every single pebble underneath and your dad grew progressively more red-faced and sweaty with the effort of pulling you along?

Kids nowadays already had it too easy, what with their molded plastic luxury wagons with under-seat storage and attachable umbrellas. But this -- this electric wagon from Razor ($99.99 at Skates.com) -- is really going too far. Dual motors? Push-button power? Up to 3 miles an hour? I guess this is what you buy them if a couple of Alfas seem like too much.

Close-up photo after the jump.

Brave New Baby: PocketTherm Infrared Thermometer

chrisjordan — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:02:00 GMT

Slide at the playground too hot? What about that plate of food? Carseat buckles? Tub of water? Sickly looking snot-nosed child who is approaching your child in the sandbox?

Point, click, and read the temperature of things instantly. The Actron PocketTherm Infrared Thermometer ($29.99) is pocket sized and has many applications.

Yes, you can live without this. But just think of all the fun you are missing. My school aged children would have so much fun with a gadget like this I am adding it to my wish list to consider as a stocking stuffer this Christmas.

Brave New Baby: BRIO Network

Karen — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 21:04:00 GMT

BRIO wooden toys have taken the classics and gone high tech, all without using a computer. Deliver messages via "E-Mail Central" (a modified train set), search the Network with Detective Dex and his Search Pod, or my favorite: Attack the network with The Attacker and Viruses! It all sounds more imaginary than the traditional train set, and I do wonder if it will catch on with the kiddos.

The Attacker and Viruses, shown here, is $24.99 on Brio's website, where you can find the whole collection.

Brave New Baby: Check the Temperature with the Faucet Light

Mir — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 20:02:00 GMT

Maybe you can breathe a little easier through the defiant "DO IT MYSELF!" years with this temperature-controlled faucet light on board. Blue means the water's running cool, red means the temperature is at 89 degrees or above. Consider it autonomy with a side of color recognition.

Available at Amazon for $14.20.

Brave New Baby: Spying on Sitters

Karen — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:02:00 GMT

The Pampers Wipes Spy Cam is something one could debate. On one hand, I'd like to think I know our sitters well enough that I know they are doing a good job. Also, if I suspected something was wrong, I would pull my kids from questionable care (and have done so once). On the other hand, it may be worth the peace of mind. What do you think?

$444.00 at Spy Associates.