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The world of wearable smart devices just got friendlier and more playful because LeapFrog announced their latest toy, the LeapBand, which is the first wearable activity tracker designed especially for kids ages 4 to 7. The LeapBand is a fun combination of a pedometer and one of those popular virtual pets from the 90s called Tamagotchi, remember? You had to take care of a virtual pet, like feeding and playing with it, in order to keep it happy. The new wearable device has a noble purpose: getting the younger generation more active and sporty.
The LeapBand tracker resembles a toy watch, it has a strap made of thick, thermoplastic polyurethane plastic that snaps onto a kid’s wrist. You can get it in three colors: blue, pink or green and according to its creators, the strap mechanism is still being worked on. The wearable device measures 1.9×2.3×1.6 inches and has a 1.44 inch thin-film-transistor color display. Its screen has a 128x128p resolution and is backlit.
The speaker is above the screen and it features an activity button to the left of the speaker. The right and left arrow keys are below the screen, along with a star key right between the two arrows. The LeapBand tracker has a miniUSB port on its right side and you can charge it using the Lithium-Polymer rechargeable battery using a cable. LeapFrog said that the LeapBand requires recharging every four to six days, if used on standard play time.
When you activate the LeapBand for the very first time, you will need to choose one of eight customizable virtual pets from the Pet Pals franchise. You can choose from a dog, cat, dragon, panda, monkey, penguin, unicorn and robot. You then need to customize your chosen pet by selecting one of the seven colors and one of the four names suggestions. After your first activation the tracker stays on constantly measuring the children’s activity throughout the whole day. The LeapBand is on even when the screen goes dark. By pressing the star key, the screen is turned on.
LeapBand Wearable Activity Tracker For Kids – price and availability
The LeapBand will be available in the US around August 2014 for $39.99. You will be able to buy it at major retailers and online. The tracker will also include an app called the Petathlon, free to download on Apple IOS devices which use 6.0 or higher and on Android devices running 4.03 or higher.
