Preschoolers can now create their very own gardens in a fun new game coming to Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch. I Can Garden will immerse your toddler into a playful world of flowers and fun. Watch for this great new game coming to Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch on August 7. In the meantime enjoy the I Can Garden teaser video:
Touch is the killer app for education. Computer mice and keyboards are unnatural, though the best of what is available today. It’s easy enough to learn the idiom of manipulating a plastic block on a desk to manipulate a pointer on a screen, but it certainly is an abstract skill. Touch removes the abstraction of manipulating shapes through a mouse with direct manipulation. Children clearly ‘get’ the paradigm, and instantly love the empowerment they feel through immediate success using touch based computers.
The video below highlights the experience of Churchend Primary School in the UK and their trial of the Microsoft Surface. The school saw a brief glimpse into the future of education with the children saying it best:
It feels like you are not in school, it feels like you are in a playing room.
Despite the feel of play, according to the teacher the children “clearly learned quite a lot”.
Welcome to the future of play school.
I’m proud to have been a part of an announcement yesterday involving Prevent Child Abuse America, the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation, and two of America’s leading doctors who are experts in the prevention of shaken baby syndrome. The announcement is in response to the “Baby Shaker” iPhone app fiasco. We announced a collaboration to create iPhone applications to help prevent shaken baby syndrome.
I was shocked to see anyone finding humor in an iPhone game that had players shake a baby until it dies. When people do not understand an issue, a common reaction is to respond with humor; so I am excited to work with Dr. Runyan and Dr. Murphy to help raise awareness of the seriousness of brain injuries by building fun and interactive iPhone toys to help educate both parents and children about child abuse.
On top of yesterday’s announcement Soma Creates is working hard on the finishing touches of our first iPhone toy for children. I can’t provide details yet, only this special sneak peek image. When the toy becomes available Soma Creates will be contributing to the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation. We are honored to help the Sarah Jane Brain Foundation assist the millions of children suffering from brain injuries.
Thanks,
Josh Heidebrecht
Pedisedate caught my attention by way of boingboing. The company creates an add-on to Nintendo Game Boy or similar devices that distributes nitrous oxide, to sedate the gamer. The device is intended as an aide to sedate children at hospitals or in dentist’s offices. Though, I do see the potential for use at home for those evenings that toddler’s just don’t want to go to sleep. Now, to find out where I can order nitrous oxide from 
The Pleo Life Form
Pleo, the robotic dinosaur toy, has gone extinct. The company behind the amazing robot dinosaur has filed for bankruptcy.
The dinosaur’s life like behavior captivated the hearts of many toddlers and their parents. If you are just learning of Pleo, you can watch the video below, or the many other Pleo related videos. Seeing Pleo in the videos you immediately gain an appreciation for the incredible technology built into this robot and can see why people have fallen in love with the Pleo Life Form. You can still find Pleo available through eBay and Amazon.
For those interested in the technology behind Pleo you can watch Caleb Chung, the father of both Furby and Pleo, explain his creative process and the evolution of both robotic toys life forms.
