Archive for the ‘News’ Category
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Sesame Workshop Partners with Qualcomm for Augmented Reality Prototype
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Qualcomm Incorporated and Sesame Workshop have joined forces to explore augmented reality experiences for children by creating a prototype play set that brings physical toys to life. An application is being demonstrated at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), running January 10-13.
The collaborative project explores the use of a tablet with a traditional play set, aiming to make children’s’ playtime more fun and educational. The prototype play set includes traditional elements such as common household objects and figurines of classic Sesame Street characters Cookie Monster, Bert, and Ernie. Additionally, the demo includes a tablet and an application that uses Qualcomm’s newly branded Vuforia augmented reality platform. When the tablet is pointed at the play set, the pieces and the play environment come alive through the tablet’s camera, transforming the play set into an interactive experience.
Qualcomm is exhibiting at Booth No. 30313 in South Hall 3 at CES.
Tags: CES, International Consumer Electronics Show, Qualcomm Incorporated, Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop, Vuforia
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Hit Partners for Bob the Builder App
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Hit Entertainment has partnered with BigPlay Studios, a developer of game, education, and book apps, for the launch of Bob the Builder: Muck’s Train to Trouble for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, available in Apple’s App store this week. This marks the first app release for the Bob the Builder brand.
Bob the Builder: Muck’s Train to Trouble is an interactive reading experience, which also features painting activities, video clips, and games. Every page includes narration, character voices, custom animations, and easy-to-read words with highlighted text.
With this first Bob the Builder app, Hit Entertainment adds to its iOS apps portfolio, which includes apps featuring Thomas & Friends, Angelina Ballerina, Fireman Sam, and Barney.
Tags: app, Bob the Builder, HIt Entertainment, iOS
Posted in Licenses, New Products, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
About the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
The HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair kicked off Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The fair, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), runs through Thursday, January 12. Three complementary fairs—the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair (staged by HKTDC and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.), the Hong Kong Baby Products Fair, and the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show—are also running concurrently with the toy fair.
The 38th Toys & Games Fair is welcoming first-time participants from Greece, Macau, Russia, and Ukraine. Group pavilions are bringing together companies from the Chinese mainland, India, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, and Thailand. Other highlights include the World of Toys Pavilion, a new Animal Kingdom product zone, the return of the Eco Toys Display Zone, and the Brand Name Gallery, which boasts a record 80 exhibitors—30 percent more than last year. The Hong Kong Toys Conference looks at the latest safety directives from the European Union and the U.S.
This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.
Tags: HKTDC, Hong Kong Baby Products Fair, Hong Kong International Licensing Show, Hong Kong International Stationery Fair, Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Sun-Mate Announces Slew of New Licenses for Entertainment Brands
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
Sun-Mate Corporation has obtained a number of licensing rights to a broad spectrum of entertainment brands, including Star Wars, Spider-Man, Power Rangers, WWE, the recently announced Hello Kitty and KISS joint branding, and the fashion art brand Public Zoo.
For Star Wars, Sun-Mate will develop ATM machines, arcade-style games, tabletop games, and guitars based on the brand.
Spider-Man and other Marvel Heroes, including Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, will be featured among keyboards, drums, ATM machines, and other activities being developed by the company for U.S. consumers. Sun-Mate will also develop various Power Rangers-branded pinball game machines, which will incorporate Power Rangers’ themes of fitness, responsibility, teamwork, and helping others.
Tags: Hello Kitty, KISS, Marvel Heroes, Power Rangers, Public Zoo, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Sun-Mate, Sun-Mate Corporation, WWE
Posted in Licenses, New Products, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Innovation First International Launches Moshi Monsters Bobble Bots
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Innovation First International is launching Bobble Bots, a new brand and product line. As part of the launch, the company has joined forces with Mind Candy, the brains behind the Moshi Monsters brand, for the debut of Bubble Bots Moshi Monsters. The line will hit store shelves across Europe and North America this spring.
The line of bobblehead mini robotic pets and customizable play sets will feature the patented Hexbug Nano vibration technology. Moshi Monsters will be brought to life in their own customizable environment. The initial assortment of Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters will include 24 battery-operated collectible Moshlings and a variety of configurable, 3-D “dollhouse” replicas of the streets, yards, buildings, and houses found online in Monstro City. Every product will include secret codes to unlock digital assets in the online world. The products will be showcased (by appointment only) at London Toy Fair, Nuremberg Toy Fair, and New York Toy Fair.
Tags: Bobble Bots, Innovation First International, London Toy Fair, Moshi Monsters, New York Toy Fair, Nuremberg Toy Fair
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Newark Children Receive Hundreds of Toys in Holiday Giveaway
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
Photo Credit: TIF
On December 17, children in need from the West Ward neighborhood of Newark, N.J. received hundreds of toys from the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) as part of a special holiday giveaway hosted by Franciscan Charities. In attendance were representatives from TIF and Franciscan Charities, as well as elves (local volunteers) and a special appearance by Santa.
More than 700 toys were distributed to more than 600 children. The gifts were among the 500,000 toys donated throughout the year by toy industry manufacturers to The Toy Bank. Gifts were also donated via TIF’s annual Holiday Toy Drive, which is held each year from November 1 to December 31. To date, more than 175,000 toys, valued at more than $2.5 million, have been donated for this year’s Holiday Toy Drive.
Toys for the Newark event were donated by Kid O Products; Pretty Ugly, LLC; Briarpatch, Inc.; and New Adventures, LLC.
Tags: Franciscan Charities, Holiday Toy Drive, Newark, Santa, The Toy Bank, TIF, Toy Industry Foundation
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
TIA Teams Up with PunchTab for “Play Happens” Toy Fair Game
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
Play Happens, the official game for registered attendees of the American International Toy Fair (February 12-15), will be more interactive and engaging, due to a new partnership between the Toy Industry Association (TIA) and PunchTab, an instant loyalty rewards platform.
Play Happens will kick off online in the weeks leading up to the fair before transitioning offline into the streets of New York City during Toy Fair week. PunchTab’s instant loyalty rewards program will enable players to earn Play Happens points by interacting with the Toy Fair blog before and during the show.
Points collected online can be traded in for prizes or stockpiled for the grand prize: a NYC New Year’s Eve 2012 package. During the show, Play Happens players also earn points on a virtual game board by checking-in via their smartphones at different locations throughout New York City. The geo-location component is powered by FourSquare.
Tags: American International Toy Fair, FourSquare, Play Happens, PunchTab, TIA, Toy Industry Association
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
K’nex Partners for Special Exhibit at Science Museum
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
The Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. has opened “K’nex: Building Thrill Rides,” a special exhibit that enables young visitors to explore the science, math, and technology behind amusement park thrill rides. Kids can find out the angular velocity of the Blender Ride as it spins about the center post, and more.
K’nex Brands is displaying models made solely from K’nex rods and connectors. The models ranges from a rollercoaster measuring more than 10 feet tall to six-foot Ferris wheel and a variety of swing rides from three to 10 feet. In addition to the exhibit, the museum will feature activities and K’nex and Kid K’nex for kids ages 6 and up and ages 3-5, respectively. The exhibit will run at this location until May 6.
For more information, visit www.mods.org and www.knexexhibits.com.
Tags: K’Nex Brands, K’Nex: Building Thrill Rides, The Museum of Discovery and Science
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Revisions Made to Key Parts of ASTM F963
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
The ASTM International Committee F15 on Consumer Products has approved revisions to ASTM F963 (Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety). Changes made to the standard include revisions to the section on heavy metals, the introduction of compositing procedures, and new safety requirements and technical guidance for bath toy projections, acoustics, and other potential safety hazards in toys.
ASTM F963, under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee F15.22 on Toy Safety, includes guidelines and test methods to prevent injuries from choking, sharp edges, and other potential hazards. The standard is reviewed and updated on a regular basis by the subcommittee, which includes technical experts from academia, consumer groups, industry, and government.
Tags: ASTM F963, ASTM International, bath toy projections, Committee F15, compositing, heavy metals
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
ABC Kids Expo’s 2013 Show Moves Back to Vegas
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
ABC Kids Expo will be moving its 2013 show back to Las Vegas after feedback from industry participants, announced All Baby & Child, Inc. (ABC), the parent company and organizer of the trade show. The location for the upcoming 10th Annual Expo, to be held October 14-17, 2012, will remain at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Most of the exhibit space for the 2012 show (75 percent) has been sold.
ABC says it is working closely with Louisville officials and suppliers to address concerns for the 2012 show. Concerns being discussed include improving healthy food options and reduction in wait times, reconstructing the expo center’s Wi-Fi system, and having more restaurant options in the city on Sunday.
For more information, or to register for the 2012 show, visit www.theabcshow.com.
Tags: ABC, ABC Kids Expo, All Baby & Child, Kentucky Exposition Center, Las Vegas, Louisville
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