Tech savvy tweens (ages 8-13) have a new product out on store shelves this week which uses pen and paper in a 21st century way. LeapFrog, a maker of tech-based learning products, is now shipping the $99 FLY Pentop Computer.
The FLY Pentop Computer, as the name implies, comes in the shape of a pen. It has computer functions built into it which, when combined with special accessory software cartridges and paper, allow tweens the ability to get audio feedback on the things they write and draw. For instance, a FLY Pentop Computer user can draw a calculator, touch the handwritten digits and functions to perform an operation — then hear the answer announced from the FLY Pentop Computer. With the FLY Through Spanish software, a user can write a word in English, touch the handwritten word, and then hear the word translated into Spanish as it is spelled out and then pronounced.
FLYware products, as the special cartridges are called, include spelling, math, Spanish, journal and game applications. Other accessories, such as a carrying case, recharger, external speaker and colored face plates, are available as well.
“Our new FLY Pentop Computer platform has completely blown the doors off of any prior learning products for tweens. We have opened up an entirely new class of learning opportunities that were seemingly impossible to conceive of until now,” said LeapFrog President Jerry Perez. “It’s all about making learning accessible, engaging and effective, and we believe the FLY platform can make a very positive and enriching difference in the lives of busy tweens.”
