Children

Talkies let kids reach out and touch someone via plush toy

Talkies let kids reach out and touch someone via plush toy
Toymail Talkies let kids send and receive voice messages from friends and family
Toymail Talkies let kids send and receive voice messages from friends and family
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Features list for the Toymail Talkies
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Features list for the Toymail Talkies
App screen for the Toymail Talkies as seen on a parent's phone
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App screen for the Toymail Talkies as seen on a parent's phone
The bat version of the Toymail Talkie
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The bat version of the Toymail Talkie
The back side of the dinosaur version of the Toymail Talkie
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The back side of the dinosaur version of the Toymail Talkie
The dinosaur version of the Toymail Talkie
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The dinosaur version of the Toymail Talkie
The mouse version of the Toymail Talkie
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The mouse version of the Toymail Talkie
Four-button interface on the back of Toymail Talkie
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Four-button interface on the back of Toymail Talkie
The shark version of the Toymail Talkie
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The shark version of the Toymail Talkie
Toymail Talkies connect to a home network via Wi-Fi
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Toymail Talkies connect to a home network via Wi-Fi
Toymail Talkies let kids send and receive voice messages from friends and family
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Toymail Talkies let kids send and receive voice messages from friends and family
Toymail talkies are easy for toddlers to use
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Toymail talkies are easy for toddlers to use
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In 2013, Toymail introduced a cute line of mailbox-shaped devices that were designed to let small children trade voice messages with friends and family without putting them in front of a screen. Now the company has taken the concept a step further with Talkies, which are essentially an upgraded version of the the company's original device wrapped in a plush toy form factor.

Like the original Toymail devices, Talkies connect to a home Wi-Fi network and allow kids to send and receive voice messages from approved friends and family members using either the free Toymail app on iOS or Android devices, or another Talkie. The Talkies feature a simple four-button interface that Toymail claims is easy for kids to operate, saying that two-year olds had no problems using the beta version of the device.

The back side of the dinosaur version of the Toymail Talkie
The back side of the dinosaur version of the Toymail Talkie

An audio alert lets kids know when there's a new incoming message, and new outgoing messages can be recorded on or off-line. The toy will snore when asleep and squeal when thrown in the air, while shaking it activates a voice filter to make the user's voice sound funny. Since kids can say the darndest things, a sharing function lets parents share voice messages on social media.

Talkies will come in four different versions – bat, mouse, shark and dinosaur – and Toymail is currently taking a limited number of pre-orders for the discounted price of US$59. On release Talkies will retail for $79, with shipping throughout the US expected next month.

The short video below shows how the Talkies work.

Source: Toymail

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1 comment
1 comment
Bob Flint
The animated video misrepresents the toy with it's blinking eyes, and scrunching moves...