Speakaboos Blog » Andrew

Speakaboos goes to Bollywood!

Andrew — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 21:09:08 +0000

Did you know that Bollywood produces more movies every year than Hollywood? Whether you’re a hardcore Bollywood fan or you’ve never experienced the amazing world of music and movies produced in India and South Asia, we think you’ll love six great new Speakaboos videos narrated by Bollywood stars Sonu Niigaam, Tanushree Dutta, Sanjay Suri and Upen Patel. Click here to watch the videos at Speakaboos, then visit our friends over at Saavn.com to learn more about Bollywood.

How old does a child have to be before you can sue them? Judge says 4

Andrew — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:25:02 +0000

There are times that I think the black-and-white nature of legal judgment is just not complex enough to address all of the possible situations that might come up in this world, and this is one of them: two years ago, a couple of 4-year old children, accompanied by their mothers, were racing bicycles on the sidewalk in Manhattan when they ran into an elderly woman, who suffered a fractured hip and died three months later after complications from surgery. Now, the woman’s estate has filed a lawsuit citing negligence against the children and their parents, and a State Supreme Court Justice has ruled that the lawsuit can go forward (there has not been a ruling yet in the case).The judge cited precedents from cases dating back to 1928 that determined children under the age of four are considered “incapable of negligence.” However, since the two children in question were already going on age five, they are now being sued. This case begs so many questions (What if the children were just a year younger? Or the victim, a few decades younger?); I really don’t envy the judge and jury who will have to decide this one. Just tragic.For more details on this case, see the article in the New York Times.

The new Speakaboos is here!

Andrew — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 20:01:02 +0000

Here’s our press release that just went out:Speakaboos Brings Educational Children’s Entertainment to the Digital WorldNew children’s website features classic children’s stories and educational activities narrated by today’s biggest celebritiesNEW YORK, NY-Speakaboos, the award-winning digital publisher of celebrity-narrated children’s stories, today announced the launch of the children’s website, Speakaboos.com.For children, Speakaboos.com features over 140 storybook videos, including beloved titles like Aladdin, Cinderella, and Humpty Dumpty, read by outstanding stars including Kelly Ripa, Kevin Bacon and Nick Cannon. Each video is accompanied by activities that will keep children engaged and learning after every story, including lesson plans, flashcards and games that meet national education standards.“After watching my nieces and nephews spend hours in front of the computer, and on their parent’s iPads and iPhones, it was obvious that, not only are children comfortable with these devices, but that they are gravitating towards digital mediums for entertainment. At the same time, parents and teachers are struggling to direct them towards educational options,” said Noelle Millholt, associate publisher for Speakaboos. “Speakaboos fills this gap, and even makes the site fun for grown-ups, who enjoy listening to stories read by their favorite celebrities.”Parents can also take the Speakaboos experience with them wherever they go. In addition to the website working wonderfully on an iPad, Speakaboos recently released Stories2Go, an accompanying iPhone app which places some of the sites’ most popular storybook videos at parent’s fingertips. Kids will develop literary skills while learning about technology in a safe and fun environment, even while on-the-go.About SpeakaboosSpeakaboos publishes one of the largest catalogs of children’s digital storybooks and interactive educational content. Speakaboos (www.speakaboos.com) features universally-recognized titles such as The Emperor’s New Clothes, Aesop’s Fables, and Mother Goose Tales told through the voices of celebrities including Kelly Ripa, John Krasinski, Miranda Cosgrove, and Nick Cannon. Speakaboos catalog is produced in multiple languages and distributed across platforms including online, mobile, device, classroom and retail. Speakaboos has been described as an “impressive”, “indispensable” and “valuable” resource that helps children “develop literacy skills” by publications including Parenting, Family Circle, The Boston Globe, LA Times, People, US Weekly, Kidscreen and Publisher’s Weekly. For more information about Speakaboos please visit: www.speakaboos.com/corporate/about. Join the conversation by following Speakaboos on Facebook www.facebook.com/speakaboos, or Twitter www.twitter.com/speakaboos.

Speakaboos is getting a makeover…

Andrew — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:12:50 +0000

Dear Speakaboos visitor,As one of our beta site users, we wanted you to be the first to get the news: Speakaboos is launching a new and improved site design next week!Here’s what you’ll find on the new Speakaboos.com:

Brand new site design and navigation
140 storybook videos, 40 interactive games and hundreds of worksheets
New videos, games and content added every week
Mobile access, iPhone/iPad compatibility, and brand-new mobile apps and videos
A revamped Speakaboos Blog

After the site is re-launched, full access to all of our new premium content will require a subscription fee…we decided this was better than plastering the site full of advertisements to pay the bills. There will still be plenty to see and do at Speakaboos for free, and subscriptions will start at just $4.99 per month.We realize this might be a burden to those who are used to the current format, so next week existing Speakaboos members will receive a special introductory offer by e-mail. If you haven’t already signed up to receive our newsletter, please do so here, and watch your inbox next week (also be sure to add newsletter@speakaboos.com to your contacts list so we don’t end up in your junk folder).Thank you so much for being a part of Speakaboos and helping us continue to grow. Your support and feedback mean everything to us, and we hope that you’ll like the new site as much as we do.Thanks again, and happy reading!

Watch Speakaboos at KidMango

Andrew — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:23:32 +0000

Our friends at KidMango have just launched a special Speakaboos “channel” featuring 25 of our videos. KidMango is a great tool for finding and viewing tons of popular, quality videos for kids–we’re excited to be featured on this great video site alongside favorites like “Care Bears,” “Dennis the Menace,” and “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego” (a classic!)Check out the Speakaboos channel here.

Activity Idea – Grow your own Beanstalk

Andrew — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:08:50 +0000

It’s never too early to start talking about biology–here’s a fun gardening activity that anyone can do, green thumb or not.Start by watching the storybook video for the classic fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk” at Speakaboos. Once your kids have heard all about magic beanstalks, they can grow their own:1. Fill a plastic or styrofoam cup with soil2. Plant one lima bean in the middle of the soil3. Water the soil daily (just a little bit of water will do), and watch your beanstalk grow!Your beanstalk may not grow tall enough to climb, but when it inevitably withers, you’ll have a great opportunity to talk with your kids about the life cycle. Let us know how it goes!For more stories, songs, games and activities like this one, visit Speakaboos.com

Allowance? In this economy?

Andrew — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:45:55 +0000

The Wall Street Journal this week ran a thoughtful article called “The 15 Money Rules Kids Should Learn.”My favorite entry:4. Good grades are expected and help around the house is simply the price of family life.Nice to see the WSJ point out, in an article about money, that not everything should be about money. Check out the full list here–seems like a good refresher course for some adults too.

The Curious Case of… a jellyfish that becomes young again

Andrew — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:19:28 +0000

So get this: there’s a species of jellyfish called turritopsis nutricula which is able to cycle backwards from its adult stage back into its first stage of life, and then grow back into an adult, over and over again–effectively making it immortal. Not a new discovery, but I just read about it over on Yahoo! Green and thought it was cool.

Air Traffic Control Child Phenom?

Andrew — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:21:38 +0000

It’s always amusing when a kid is good at an activity usually reserved for grown-ups, such as shooting pool or trading stocks.Well, maybe not always. Last month, air traffic controllers at JFK airport allowed a child to make transmissions to pilots. But what started as fun-and-games has quickly turned into a serious investigation. Click here for the AP story via Yahoo.

YouTube goes kid-friendly with “safety mode”

Andrew — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:44:39 +0000

A new optional feature on YouTube allows parents to browse the site a little more comfortably–safety mode filters content, searches, and inappropriate language on comments. See how it works in this YouTube video: