Today's Tech: toys
One thing you learn pretty quickly at the Consumer Electronics Show, there's next-level technology in just about everything you can imagine. That includes some toys that you might think of as "old-school."
LAS VEGAS - One thing you learn pretty quickly at the Consumer Electronics Show, there's next-level technology in just about everything you can imagine. That includes some toys that you might think of as "old-school."
Wooden letters for your kids have been a staple in households for generations, but the French Company Marbotic is taking them to a new level, combining those classics with your tablet to create a more interactive experience than you might expect.
"They're so intuitive with these devices, they already know how to play with them. So the thing is, if we just want to them to use them, ok - but to manipulate real things with them is so important because they have to develop... their sense of reality. It's better for their brain," said Marbotic founder and CEO Marie Merouze.
You download the app, then literally touch the letter to the screen to have the tablet react.
Even Lego's are suddenly high-tech, with the new We Do 2.0 program bringing science into schools with a familiar toy.
"We're following the NGSS, that's the Next Generation Science Standard curriculum... To basically teach practices or develop practices for students," said Lego senior content specialist Yannick Dupont.
Science disguised as play-time - a concept Lego is hoping catches on.
"It's the good old brick system. So students from age 7-10 would build these robots. It is a little bit more techie because it's bluetooth connected to the device. It has motors, it has sensors... so there's a little bit more complexity to it," said Dupont.
Even those big Virtual Reality sets, seem to be turning into something you'd actually buy.
Companies like Fibrum designed the headset around your phone, developing free apps you can download and play either alone or with a group of friends.
"You can connect with bluetooth to the smart phone. You can move, shoot, shoot some zombies, all that stuff," said Fibrum spokesman Alexey Svirskiy.
The headset goes for $129 dollars, and you'll pay $20 more for the controller. At the moment, Fibrum has 24 apps available on Google Play.
