The O2 Gurus are at the Gadget Show Live in Birmingham, where the very best and latest in kids tech is on display.
The Gadget Show Live isn’t just about sophisticated new smartphones and the latest innovations in 3D printing. There’s also a whole load of fresh tech for the kids to get excited about – which is just as well, considering that over three-quarters of visitors to the NEC will be bringing their children along for the ride.
What, then, are the main standouts from the Kids Tech Arena this year? Read on for our top 3 picks.
1. Technology Will Save Us
The lovely guys at Technology Will Save Us strive to make tech comprehendible and easily accessible to all. They design gadgets and kits that kids can make themselves, giving youngsters a highly enjoyable and effective way of learning the science behind the electronic products they see in their everyday lives.
The nifty tech on display at the Gadget Show Live demonstrates this ethos perfectly. There’s the DIY Electro Dough Kit, which lets you build your own electronic models whilst simultaneously learning the ropes of basic circuitry, as well as the DIY Synth Kit – the Gurus personal favourite – which will allow your child to create music using a homemade synthesiser.
2. Leap Motion
The team at Leap Motion have crafted a seriously impressive new method of interacting with your computer. With the help of just a small USB plugin, Leap Motion removes the need for a mouse and keyboard, instead letting you use your hands and fingers to interact with your screen, offering unprecedented freedom and control.
Best of all, they created a whole host of fun and educational apps to accompany the device, many of which are on show at this year’s Gadget Show Live. Some are highly educational – the Google Earth plugin, for instance, lets you fly around the globe and zoom in on any city, river or mountain range, without ever needing to press a button.
Others are just plain good fun, such as the addictive Cut The Rope or the endlessly satisfying Fruit Ninja, which the Gurus may or may not have spent half an hour at the show playing…
3. Toca Boca
Toca Boca remains a world leader in the development of cool touch-screen apps for kids. Commendably, their games are all about imagination and creativity, and are safe, non gender-specific and non-competitive to boot.
The Toca Boca stall is typically busy at this year’s Gadget Show Live, crammed with kids eager to try out the company’s latest offerings. They include Toca Pet Doctor, where children are tasked with caring for injured animals, and Toca Lab, a great science app that lets kids conduct their own experiments via the safety of their phone or tablet. Toca Hair Salon Me is also great fun, giving children the chance to create hairstyles without experimenting on their own precious locks.
How would you like to see kids technology develop in the coming years? Tweet us at @O2 and tell us, using the hashtag #GSL14.
You can also find us on O2 Guru TV or visit an O2 Guru in store.
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