Petimo: World’s First Social Networking Robot - Cheap Kids Toys?

Petimo the Interactive Robotic Cheap Toy

Now this is an interesting find. Chanced upon the Petimo Toy Robot, supposedly the world’s first social networking robot! I am not sure if the toy robot would end up as a cheap toy (I would update my readers on the price once they are made known), but it sure looks cool and definitely a world's first! The Petimo Toy Robot is developed by a team led by Associate Professor Adrian Cheok from the Keio-NUS CUTE Centre. Now the Petimo may still be at its prototype state, but it has already shown great potential! Before I explain this toy in detail, maybe you would want to take a look at how this toy looks like:

Pretty cute if you ask me right? And this is just an example, the robots come in different shapes, sizes and maybe even characters! The Petimo Toy Robot is built with a furry exterior, which feels like animal skin, and has a small round physical shape, providing a warm and tender feeling of a baby animal. Doesn't it look cuddly? I'm sure children will find it friendly, lovable and adorable! Oh, and the Petimo is designed specially for children between the ages of 7 to 9 years old.

Now what is this toy robot all about and how does it link to "social networking"? As younger children are more exposed to the internet these days, it has also become more likely for them to join social networks to make friends or use them to keep in touch with their friends in the real world. However, as everybody knows, cyberspace is not a safe place for kids. Thus some researchers had the idea of introducing a toy robot, known as Petimo, that would would not only be a fun cheap toy (well I certainly hope it would be cheap!) but would also protect the children from the dangers of the online world.

Basically, the Petimo Robot Toy was designed with the main aim in mind to protect children from potential risks in social networks and the virtual world. This is done by bringing the online world into the real world through the use of the Petimo Toy Robot, which instead of being an avatar in the online world, acts as a avatar in the real world. Thus if a child wishes to add a friend in the online world, which is called Petimo World, the two Petimo Toy Robots owned by the two kids have to physically touch each other. The proximity requirement increases safety and thus adds a new physical dimension to social networking. In addition, this prevents strangers from making friends with the children. Petimo can thus be used to connect kids to any social network but at the same time protect the child from it. Just look at the diagram below to get a better understanding:

With the use of the Petimo Toy Robot, children experience enhanced relationships with their friends through interactions in the real and virtual world by sending gifts and emoticons mediated by the robots with haptic, visual, and audible events. Now thats cool! The toy robot is the link to the kid's online world! In addition, interactions with the Petimo Toy Robot not only includes touching but also squeezing, thus allowing children to interact with the robot more closely and improving their emotional relationship with the robot. The Petimo Toy Robot can also be used by teachers to promote social interaction among children in class! According to Assoc Prof Cheok, he mentioned more features will be added to the Toy Robot. These include touch-screen functions, new types of covers or skins for the outer finish of the robot as well as a whole range of applications that include games and intuitive features like 3-G technology and more.

The 3D virtual world known as "Petimo World" has social networking capabilities and was designed based on Japanese popular “Kawaii” (cute) culture. In Petimo World, the cute virtual characters are linked to the physical Petimo Robotic Toy, and while the children are playing with their friends through Petimo physically, the virtual characters interact with each other in the online world accordingly! The Petimo World also provides the capability for parents to supervise their children’s online behavior through its parental authentication module which enhances not only children’s online security but also the relationship between children and parents. For example, all tentative friend additions are queued in the parental authentication module for approval and a notification is sent to the parents informing them about the awaiting friend requests. This feature bridges the missing moral link between parents and children in the virtual world. Cool!

Together, Petimo and Petimo-World would act as new tools to cultivate positive social behaviour towards computing environments among young children/kids. The Petimo Toy Robot has already been selected by an international review panel as one of the best three submissions for the Como for Children (C4C) design competition held at The 8th International conference on Interaction Design and Children (IDC 2009). If you are interested in reading the research paper, you may click here. By building real social networks through interactions with the Petimo Toy Robot, children would be gleefully entertained as squeeze, touch and send gifts / emoticons to their friends, families and parents. Hopefully this toy would be cheap. Stay tuned to my cheap toys blog as I bring you more updates on the Petimo Toy Robot in the future!

The Invention of Lego - Just what I need - Some cheap Lego Toys!

Now if you are a toy lover, you should never never ever leave lego out, because it is one of the most fantastic toys ever invented! In my cheap toys bargain toys blog, I will definitely be writing posts on cool and cheap lego toys I find any such good cheap lego toys online! So far I have already got a few posts on lego. I have talked about how much I loved cheap lego toys when I was a kid and also wrote a post on a cheap lego star wars toy.

Let me give Lego its due credit by talking a little about the origins of Lego. Basically, lego was created in 1932 and in Denmark. If you still don't know lego comes from Denmark, I would be very disappointed with you! Ok back to the story. So in 1932, there was this guy called Ole Kirk Christiansen, who was a master carpenter and joiner in the village of Billund, Denmark. He had a business making stepladders, ironing boards and most importantly wooden toys.

In 1934, Ole Kirk Christiansen called his company LEGO, which was formed from the Danish words "LEgGOdt" which means "play well". 1949 was the first year in which the company produced about 200 different plastic and wooden toys and bricks. These bricks would be the predecesor of today's Lego bricks. At that time, the toys were only sold in Denmark.

In 1958, Ole Kirk Christiansen invented the current LEGO stud-and-tube coupling system. This was the component which allowed Lego bricks to combine together and also to break up when force is applied. This invention was patented and also resulted in millions of combinations between the great number of Lego Bricks.

In 1962, Lego toys were finally introduced in the United States. Lego suddenly expanded in a big way. In 1969, the Duplo line of big bricks were created for babies and young children while in 1977, the Technic was created for older kids, teenagers and maybe geeks. I have a model Technic airplane, but I guess I missed the Duplo phase of lego when I was young. Lego even became a toy that can "develop the child's critical judgment, manual dexterity, and ability to think for himself."

And that is the brief history of Lego. I would also like to add that with the advent of the internet, Lego further made use of it to create more Lego sets, with people from all over the world submitting their best creations. Lego toy kits were also created for many genres, such as movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones etc. There are also many Legolands and many Lego exhibitions showing life size objects but made up of Lego bricks. The lego world is just amazing!

So does this article make you like lego even more? Remember to tune in to my toys for cheap blog for more cheap toys coming up!

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Top 10 Old Times Cheap Toys When I Was a Kid Part 2

Well now I shall continue to do some honour to the cheap toys that I had as a kid a long long time ago. Well guess here are my next two top 10 cheap toys (cheap or not u decide) that I had as a kid. These cheap children toys are my very very good favourites:

3. Transformers

Now this toy needs no introduction. Currently still very active in the market with movies (another new movie coming up this year known as Transfomers: Revenge of the Fallen) still being produced. But if you ask me, you cant compare those new Transformers toy to those of yesteryear. Since when did Megatron morf into a T Rex? Totally not my style....Oh by the way, if you still own some of these old toys, dont think they cant be considered cheap toys now as Im sure there are many collectors out there...cheap become expensive....great deal! Especially if they are still in the box and upopened! Super valuable!

Megatron the bad guy or megatron the ugly beast....u choose! If u ask me I still prefer the gun!

4 Ghostbusters

Yet another name that needs no introduction. Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddmore fight ghosts with trusty sidekick Slimer! Dont think they still selling these toys now. Collectors items again! Where did those toys which I have last time go? Last movie was so long ago in 1984 believe it or not! Remember the toy when they even had a real size ghostbuster proton pack...those were the days man! Not to forget marshmellow man.... and the music....WHO DO YOU CALL? GHOSTBUSTERS.......

Anyways, I understand that there is also a new Ghostbusters movie coming out soon. Hopefully this would mean that there would be a revival of Ghostbusters toys! Let's pray hard that this wish would come through! Till that time when the Ghostbusters toys are released, tune in to the Bargain Toys blog where I will update you on the latest cheap Ghostbusters toys just released for the movie and selling at a bargain! Stay tuned......

News Post - New Rules on Toys Could Spell Doom

By Lea Ann Overstreet Allen and Clay Carey, Click here for full article in USA TODAY

Looming federal regulations that could force used-item retailers and thrift stores to trash many children's toys and clothing are getting a second look from the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The regulations, passed under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act in August and set to go into effect Feb. 10, are aimed at eliminating lead-tainted cheap toys designed for children 12 and younger. They require all such products — clothes, toys and shoes — be tested for lead and phthalates, the chemicals used to make plastics pliable.

The main issue for retailers is the costly testing, which can run from about $400 for a small item to thousands of dollars for larger toys with multiple pieces, according to Kathleen McHugh, president of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.

Toys not tested would be deemed hazardous whether they contain lead or not, under the wording of the law.

Abby Whetstone, owner of Twice as Nice Kids in Denver, said consignment stores such as hers would not be able to afford expensive lead tests.

"It would affect every piece of inventory we have," Whetstone said. "We're a little terrified at this point."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted this week to work on exemptions to the regulations and evaluate the way they could impact sales from consignment shops, online retailers and even yard sales.

"We are working on a 30-day comment period where we will hear from consumers, manufacturers, retailers, anybody affected by the act," commission spokesman Scott Wolfson said. The review won't be finished by Feb. 10, but the law will still go into effect that day, he said.

Wolfson said there are some obvious holes in the act, which the commission will seek to fill.

Lara Lang, who has helped run consignment sales which raise between $25,000 and $30,000 a year for the Hermitage United Methodist Church preschool in Nashville, says the concept of protecting children is good, but she was critical of the act.

"How on earth are they going to enforce that? They can't. There are people who have yard sales. Are they going to police those?" she asked.

The changes would also affect toy wholesalers and distributors such as Challenge & Fun, a Massachusetts-based company that imports most of its products from Europe. Company co-owner Rob Wilson said he'd have to cut his 500-product line to 20 or 30 to meet the requirements. "Even there, if I have to spend $20,000 or $30,000 on testing, that's a big hit," he said.

Goodwill Industries International, among the charities that could be affected, is waiting for clarification before it starts changing the way it does business, spokeswoman Charlene Sarmiento said.

Carrie Weir, who owns Web-based Los Pollitos Dicen, a children's clothing line specializing in T-shirts, would be hit both as a clothing designer and a parent.

"We all want regulations to make sure our children our safe, but this law goes too far," Weir said.
Overstreet Allen and Carey report for The Tennessean in Nashville

Cheap Toys Blog is up finally!

Want to buy Cheap Toys for your kids?

Welcome to my Cheap Bargain Toys Blog! This site provides all the information I can find about cheap toys and toy bargains for kids. Guess I just wanted to do something new this year and promoting cheap toys online seemed like a good place to start. Just started yet feel that I have got so much to say! Please be patient as I try to build up this new blog on toys. I still miss those days when I was a kid and the great toys I used to play. Not to mention all the cheap kids toys that I bought those days! Yeah toys were relatively cheaper then. As I go along, I will blog about some of the toys I used to have a long long time ago, and I will also try to find all the cheap toys for kids that a father or mother (I love good parents who buy their kids toys!) can find online. Hope to see more and more people come to visit my blog and view all the cheap toys that I have to offer! Please stay tuned....

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