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This ain’t your grandma’s teddy bear — this is Oliba

this aint your grandmas teddy bear is oliba screen shot 2015 11 at 1 53 22 pm
Parents, get ready to be replaced by a teddy bear. A godsend for those moms and dads who don’t always have the time to read their precious tykes a bedtime story (but still want their children to fall asleep to the sound of their voice), Oliba is a Bluetooth-connected teddy bear tracker that also doubles as a storytelling machine. Simply attach the owl-shaped device to your little one’s favorite stuffed animal and you’ll instantly be able to keep tabs on its whereabouts, and better still, record yourself speaking or telling a story to your child. With a built-in nightlight and cute design, Oliba is ready to take your kid’s teddy bear to the next level.

In order to protect overworked parents from the temper tantrums that are sure to ensue should little Jimmy or Jane misplace their favorite teddy bear, Oliba will alert you if the plush toy is left more than 100 feet away. Better still, “Oliba provides you [with] the last GPS track of the plush and the time elapsed since [it] was last seen.”

And with Oliba’s associated app, you can choose a story that comes pre-stored in the library, or you can record yourself saying hello, singing a song, or telling a story (or have grandma and grandpa use the app to send a message, too).

When it’s time for bed, “Oliba is a connected nightlight that lulls children to sleep and glows nightmares away,” and you can control the device completely from your smartphone (so you don’t have to tiptoe in and out of rooms anymore).

Currently available for backing on Indiegogo, the supplementary stuffed animal device has already raised $10,851 from 194 backers, and has 35 days left to meet its $30,000 goal. While the “Super Super Early Bird Oliba” is sold out, you can still get a “Super Early Bird Oliba” for the bargain price of $35. This will get you the Oliba for $34 off the retail price, along with the iOS- and Android-compatible Oliba app, and micro USB cable.

So change both your life and your child’s life for the better. Get yourself an Oliba, and turn teddy bear into Super Bear.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
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