Introducing Beary Happi: The Next Generation Teddy Bear That Comes to Life This Holiday Season

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Nov 22, 2011, 08:00 ET

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The creative minds at Infantino® and Tipitap® bridge the world of iPhone® apps and toys to create HappiTaps™ — a first-of-its-kind, interactive, lovable 21st century teddy-bear available on Cyber Monday, just in time for the holidays.

Infantino, the baby brand known for its award-winning toys, baby carriers and infant products, and Tipitap®, an award-winning publisher of educational apps, have joined together to design Beary Happi, the first of many HappiTaps™.

The magic starts when you place your iPhone® or iPod touch® in a HappiTaps™ plush and huggable cover, available for purchase, and start the HappiTaps™ free app, available for download from the App Store. Watch as Beary becomes your child's new best friend.

HappiTaps™ are a new category-changing product that leverages toddlers' newly found fascination with iPhones and the classic comfort of plush, huggable toys to create a toy/app hybrid, a truly interactive and lovable companion.

Beary Happi is beautifully rendered in 3D computer animation, which together with the use of audio, video, motion sensors and gyroscopes (all of which make up the iPhone/iPod touch's cutting-edge technology), create a truly interactive toy. Kids will watch him come to life in a manner never before experienced in a plush toy.

"At Infantino we pride ourselves on making innovative and smartly-designed products for happy parenting," says Colette Cosky, senior brand manager at Infantino®. "HappiTaps is a beautiful way to make technology softer, make kids feel special and give parents real value in a toy that will provide never-ending entertainment."

Children will love nurturing Beary Happi, feeding him, helping him go to sleep, as well as listening to him chat, share fun facts, play 'Peek-a-boo,' tell jokes, stories and sing songs. The app features over 150 different expressions to keep kids engaged and learning and since the toy's life force is an app, new features will be added periodically through updates to create new fun and learning experiences for the child.

According to Emarketer, 20 percent of moms who own a smartphone use their device to download educational apps for their kids. Knowing that moms seek apps that educate and entertain their kids, HappiTaps™ was designed to cater to be both fun and educational, plus keep the realities of modern family life in mind. The HappiTaps™ cover features a child lock for the phone's home button that ensures kids stay within the app, while adults can still answer their phone.

"With Beary Happi, we go beyond the typical kids' app or video game to create an animated toy that becomes a child's friend, teacher and companion," says Martin de Santos, co-Founder of Tipitap.

Available November 28, HappiTaps can be purchased and found at select retailers by visiting http://www.happitaps.com for the iPhone/iPod touch cover (MSRP $19.99), while the Beary Happi app can be downloaded for free on iTunes.

For information about Infantino and Tipitap visit http://infantino.com/ and http://www.tipitap.com.

iPhone and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the US and other countries.

About the Infantino® Brand:

A major player in the juvenile industry, Infantino's products aim to create special moments for both babies and mom. Started over 25 years ago with a not-so-corporate culture and a creative, hands-on approach to infant product development, Infantino has built a name in trust and value. Designed with love in California and using the best materials and standards available, Infantino' s products give babies what they need and mom what she wants. Part of the Step2®Company, Infantino is headquartered in San Diego, Calif. Visit www.infantino.com for more information.

About Tipitap®:

Tipitap publishes bestselling and award-winning iPhone, iPad, Android, and Nook apps for young learners, striving to unleash the potential of touch screen multimedia devices to educate and entertain children—from babies, toddlers and pre-kindergarten to third graders. Their products weave together cutting edge technology and design, with fun and basic educational concepts to create effective learning experiences.

CONTACT:
Nicolette Harrod
Current
310-854-8223
[email protected]

SOURCE Infantino