Children

LeapPad Ultra tablet adds Wi-Fi and a kid-safe browser

LeapPad Ultra tablet adds Wi-Fi and a kid-safe browser
The new LeapPad Ultra from LeapFrog has a larger screen and looks more like a grown-up tablet
The new LeapPad Ultra from LeapFrog has a larger screen and looks more like a grown-up tablet
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The LeapPad Ultra now boasts Wi-Fi capability and a kid-safe web browser
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The LeapPad Ultra now boasts Wi-Fi capability and a kid-safe web browser
The bigger screen on the LeapPad Ultra measures seven inches and
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The bigger screen on the LeapPad Ultra measures seven inches and
The LeapPad Ultra from LeapFrog is due to be available from mid-July and will retail for US$150
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The LeapPad Ultra from LeapFrog is due to be available from mid-July and will retail for US$150
The new LeapPad Ultra from LeapFrog has a larger screen and looks more like a grown-up tablet
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The new LeapPad Ultra from LeapFrog has a larger screen and looks more like a grown-up tablet
The LeapSearch browser in the LeapPad Ultra offers access only to videos, images and sites from the web that have been vetted by LeapFrog’s Learning Team
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The LeapSearch browser in the LeapPad Ultra offers access only to videos, images and sites from the web that have been vetted by LeapFrog’s Learning Team
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The latest child-friendly tablet from LeapFrog is the LeapPad Ultra, a new device that boasts Wi-Fi connectivity, a kid-safe web browser, along with a larger, higher-resolution screen compared to previous models. Looking altogether more grown-up (but still being tough enough to survive whatever kids can throw at it), this could be the device to give your iPad a break from baby-sitting duty.

The LeapPad Ultra follows on from the LeapPad 2, but at first glance it's obvious that this is more than a token update. Thanks to a seven-inch screen with a 1024 x 600 resolution, it instantly looks more like a standard tablet than the LeapPad 2 (with its five-inch 480 x 272 offering). The new light-touch screen has also been designed to work with fingers or a stylus, so little users can practice their writing skills.

However, Wi-Fi capability and a kid-safe web browser are possibly the biggest additions to the device. The LeapSearch browser is powered by Zui and restricts access to age‐appropriate videos, images and sites from the web, which have all been personally vetted by LeapFrog’s Learning Team. The Wi-Fi can also be used for peer‐to‐peer play across nearby devices.

The LeapSearch browser in the LeapPad Ultra offers access only to videos, images and sites from the web that have been vetted by LeapFrog’s Learning Team
The LeapSearch browser in the LeapPad Ultra offers access only to videos, images and sites from the web that have been vetted by LeapFrog’s Learning Team

Parents, can also (via a four‐digit security code) use the wireless capability to download LeapPad content from a library. This consists of more than 800 educator-approved games, apps, eBooks, videos and music that has been selected for the target audience of four to nine-year-olds.

While the front and back camera and video recorders are still only two megapixel, the quality of video recording has been upped from 240p in the LeapPad 2 to a slightly more respectable 480p. Internal memory has also increased to 8 GB. The MP3 player functionality (which was sold separately in other models) is now included, as is a built-in lithium-ion battery which should be good for around nine hours of use.

The LeapPad Ultra is due to be available from mid-July and will retail for US$150. Downloadable apps start at $5, while game cartridges will sell for around $25.

Source: LeapFrog

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3 comments
3 comments
Gregg Eshelman
How long until it's hacked to run Android (if it doesn't out of the box)? Looks like it'd make a nice ruggedized tablet for adults.
DonGateley
With some restrictions this has all the characteristics necessary to be allowed in prisons and jails so the incarcerated can read. Many people think they shouldn't be allowed music because it's too much of a pleasure. That's equivocal.
TechHead
Apple should follow that example and make their products a bit less fragile. I know I'd love to throw my phone against the wall and watch it bounce off again!