Baby Gizmo

High-tech tools for new dads

By Mike Hanlon

January 20, 2006 If there’s one thing more disconcerting than having to read the manual with a new product, its getting one that doesn’t come with a manual at all. As you’ve all no doubt twigged by now, the subject of this story is babies and as anyone who has had the privilege of being a parent will tell you, there are lots of times when a set of instructions would be incredibly handy. The GoodFather gift CD-ROM for new and expecting dads is basically a set of useful instructions for first time dads - an educational, game-like environment that really helps take the pressure off new dads when learning baby skills. So if you’re looking for a gift for a new or infanticipating male, this is something that could conceivably benefit several people though assisting a new father become an active and informed parent. Read More

Volvo Child Safety Seats released

By Mike Hanlon

October 25, 2005 Volvo pioneered automotive safety long before it was fashionable and its stocks have risen in recent years as active safety has become non-daggy and the Volvo emblem is now synonymous with safety in the mind of the public. So it’s a logical time to extend the brand, and there’s no more compelling issue around safety than that of baby seats. Yes folks, if you want your pride and joy to be as safe, secure and comfortable as can be, Volvo has launched a new range of ISOFIX child seats! Read More

Harness enables children to walk and balance earlier and safer

By Mike Hanlon

September 13, 2005 It doesn’t matter whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, because either way, you’re right. So goes the old axiom, and there’s never a more crystal clear demonstration of this than a child learning to walk. Tightrope walkers, rock climbers and gymnasts practice with safety harnesses, so why not a safety harness for children learning to walk. The pain of back surgery gave former plumber, Jeff Zinger, the impetus to design a tool to safely lift, hold, balance and provide self confidence to his 10-month old daughter as she learned to walk. He made it, and on the first family outing with the new device, a baby expo in Anaheim the couple were mobbed by people wanting one – so great was the crowd that formed around them, they were asked to leave. The overwhelming public response on that day, turned the home-made one-off into the first prototype of a new product and perhaps even product category. The Walk-o-long is now being used to assist children to climb stairs, play and even ice-skate safer and earlier than before. Read More

BabyCam back seat monitoring system

By Mike Hanlon

July 24, 2005 There is nothing as precious as a baby and there are few points in a child’s life when it is more vulnerable than in a vehicle with mum concentrating on the road. So when we saw the BabyCam from Rostra Precision Controls which allows safe and easy monitoring of children in their car seats without taking driver focus from the road, we figured we should let people know about it. The system is designed for Toyota SUVs/trucks, and features a small, compact, wide-angle view that enables mum the driver to turn around to check on an infant in a reverse-oriented car seat. A flush-mount installation places the state-of-the-art high-quality color camera in the center of the vehicle's roof interior/headliner for a streamlined, OEM-like appearance. The camera plugs directly into the mirror for easy driver viewing. A 3.5" LCD color display is included that is built into the rearview mirror to allow quick driver monitoring of children. Read More

The Shield Finger Guard

By Mike Hanlon

June 25, 2005 Babyproofing a home is not something you want to do half-heartedly as the consequences of an incomplete job can be too dreadful to think about. In most cases, this device fits into the extreme end of babyproofing, though there are some doors that seem to catch the draft and slam with a vengeance – doors for which the Shield Finger Guard is an ideal foil. The Shield Finger Guard offers an easy, inexpensive way to protect tiny fingers and hands from one of the most common accidents that occur at home. Read More

Baby Sling Affords Hands-Free Carrying for Baby

By Mike Hanlon

April 14, 2005 Fashion meets function for moms sporting the new Peanut Shell baby sling, a "back-to-nurture" product that carries baby in style while mom's hands remain free. The Peanut Shell is the first product from Goo-Ga, a Mountain View, California-based company founded by full-time mom Alicia Shaffer. The Peanut Shell sling is a pouch-style baby sling. It is designed to be worn over one shoulder with the opposite side resting on the hip. The Peanut Shell sling is also ideal for discreet nursing. Mrs. Shaffer's eight-month-old son provided the inspiration to form Goo- Ga. "My background is in medical sales where I was the top representative for the company. I loved my job but really wanted to be with my son full-time so I put my efforts into launching my own business," she stated. Read More

Magic Pencil Powers Early Learning

By Mike Hanlon

February 18, 2005 Educators agree that early exposure to holding and using a writing tool is important for a child's motor skill development plus their ability to learn to read, and moving from finger-touch learning to holding a pencil is a major milestone, especially those entering preschool and kindergarten. That's why Leapfrog has created the LeapPad 'Plus Writing' system which has been turbocharged with the ability to recognise handwritten letters and numbers with a 'magic pencil'. Read More

A new type of childs seat for bicycles

By Mike Hanlon

The safety and wellbeing of children is paramount to all parents, along with being able to share new experiences and adventures together. If you’ve ever looked at the traditional behind-the-rider child’s seat on a bicycle and felt it looked a bit vulnerable, then welcome to the world of parenting. If there’s a runaway locomotive or out-of-control dump-truck, you’d like the opportunity to backhand it out of the way before it reaches your precious offspring. Weeride is an award winning design that is uniquely engineered, and allows the rider to share the adventure of cycling with children as young as 12 months in a safer, more enjoyable environment. Read More

V.Smile TV Learning System for kids

By Mike Hanlon

Parents have long-since succumbed to their teens' fascination with video games, but is that who's really at the joystick these days? More and more, younger children are favouring the thrill of playing their older siblings' games and media-savvy pre-schoolers are well versed in the latest television shows and video game offerings, many of which are entirely inappropriate for children. Read More

Fold up Stroller converts to backpack

By Mike Hanlon

Here's proof that you don't need a staff of MIT graduates to have and implement a good idea. This low-cost unit transforms from a three wheel stroller to a compact backpack in a few seconds, making it ideal for busy parents who need to juggle a young child with everyday tasks. With its unique rotating and snap lock mechanisms, the handles, seat and wheel struts swivel and fold in, reducing it to less than one third its original size - 56cm x 28cm x 27cm - and slips into a backpack that weighs 4 kg. Designed for children over six months, the QuickSmart is manufactured to Australian Standards, with important features like a five-point harness, parking brakes on each of the dual rear wheels and a single, swivel, dual front wheel for smooth ride and handling. And just like less clever strollers, the QuickSmart has all the comforts parents and children need - the seat and backrest are made from tough, easy care fabric in fashion colours, there's a canopy for protection from the elements and an elasticised mesh pocket that can store the necessities. Read More

Boardbug baby and child monitor for peace of mind

By Mike Hanlon

There are few moments in one's life which compare for sheer panic to that moment when you realise that your child is lost in a dangerous environment. A new combined baby and child monitor has been introduced in the UK that should significantly aid in reducing that terror. Using a wireless Radio Frequency transceiver system, the Boardbug Baby and Child Monitor is designed to help parents keep tabs on their babies and children. The Boardbug is small, has a range of up to 150 metres and a range of compelling functionality. As well as being a fully functional digital watch, the Boardbug operates in two modes - baby and child - and offers eight key functions. Read More

Wireless, handheld Baby Monitor with video

By Mike Hanlon

Thursday November 27, 2003 Almost any parent will testify to the value of audio baby monitoring devices in providing added peace of mind and an extra degree of freedom that can make a huge difference when it comes to getting things done around the house. If being able to hear baby in another room is an advantage, adding visual contact to the equation is the logical next step - and now technology is delivering. The Swann Guardian Angel Handheld Baby Monitor enables you to both see and hear your baby via an LCD colour screen on the palm-sized receiver at a distance of up to 300 feet.

The Swann Guardian Angel Handheld Baby Monitor costs AUD$349 and runs on rechargeable batteries. Read More

Brainy Baby boosts early learning

By Mike Hanlon

Monday September 29, 2003 Developed to help introduce a variety of early-learning fundamentals to babies, toddlers and preschool age children, Brainy Baby Learning library programs are a mix of reality-based visuals and colourful graphics combined with both classical music and kid-friendly songs designed for the parent and child to watch together.

The 45 minute programs are specially paced for young viewers and acknowledge the presence of a parent by allowing for "teachable moments" to occur. Read More

Sahara Limited XT Travel Playard

By Mike Hanlon

Another Jeep baby product ideal for the great outdoors is the Sahara Limited XT Travel Playard. This easily foldable, go-anywhere playard and portacot features two all-terrain wheels, a convenient travel bag with easy-pull handle, a removable saddlebag and a portable zippered saddle bag changing station. It also includes a removable bassinet with a deluxe soother. Read More

HippyChick baby carrier

By Mike Hanlon

Anyone who has ever suffered backpain from carrying an infant will attest to the ingenious nature of this new product.

The Hippychick child hip seat will help prevent back pain in any carer who has to carry a child on their hip. The seat is a back supporting belt, with a padded foam shelf that supports the child from beneath.

Hipseat offers one feature that no other child carrier can match - no weight is carried directly through the spine - it is spread evenly around the hips. This is very important for all parents - especially those who have a history of back pain. Read More

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited All-Terrain stroller

By Mike Hanlon

From its wartime origins to its prestige range of today, the word Jeep has represented enduring and robust brand values, the foremost being dependability in rugged conditions.

Accordingly, it seems entirely logical that the company has now extended its range to baby products.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited All-Terrain stroller features over-sized all-terrain wheels with rugged independent four-wheel suspension. It also has one-handed folding and steering for easy manoeuverability.

Standard equipment includes a five-point safety harness with quick release buckle, an electronic steering wheel activity centre and insulated cooler bag. Read More

Bilingual Baby Video Series

By Mike Hanlon

The most effective time to learn a language is between birth and age five - and that's the target age group of the Bilingual baby video series which covers most languages (Japanese, German, English etc) and uses an entirely immersive method of tuition where the language being taught is the only language used. Your child will only hear the language on the video. Foreign language words appear on screen to help readers and to reinforce what they see and hear. Small on-screen words appear in English so parents and older siblings can learn too! Read More