Software Upgrades Re-Create Old-School Toys as Smart Playthings
The internet of things includes toys.
Balls. Dolls. Race cars. So dull.
How can good old-fashioned toys like these compete for children’s attention when the kids seem umbilically connected to their iPads?
How about software-upgradable balls, dolls and race cars?
Established toy makers and entrepreneurs from outside the toy industry are creating a new generation of connected toys. Just as software updates pulse new life into years-old smartphones and tablets, so too for kids’ playthings. Equipped with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, the toys can be customized, personalized and improved through the Internet to make them just as dynamic as tablets.
“The world of imagination coupled with your phone is the new reality for toys,” said Adam Wilson, chief software architect at connected-toy maker Sphero. “Playing with plastic is just not enough today.”
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