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IBuku Pets Transforms Old iPhone Into Huggable, Educational Toy

ANN ARBOR -- Ann Arbor-based Arbor Cube says its iBuku Pets product, voted Best Tech Toy of the 2012 International Toy Fair, turns an iPhone or iPod touch into an interactive toy for kids.

In addition to the easy to hold cuddly case, the educational iBuku Pets' App and their cast of playful characters, infuse fun, learning and entertainment into what is normally mindless touchscreen button pressing. Available on Kickstarter today, iBuku Pets will ship to customers in December.

Check out the iBuku Pets in action at this link. www.kickstarter.com/projects/ibukupets/ibuku-pets-repurpose-your-old-smartphone-give-it-t

The app allows adults to breathe new life into an old iPhone or iPod touch, keep them out of a landfill and recycle them into a recreational and educational toy for kids. The free iBuku Apps take children on adventures through a fictional rainforest with a playful cast of characters including Alvi, Bibi and Duru. Children will experience fun and games, mixed with learning about recycling and protecting the world from pollution. Characters interact, talk and even sing along with kids as they explore new worlds and meet unique creatures. Apps are constantly updated with new adventures, lessons and features, keeping them exciting and engaging.

Made from a cushy, kid-safe, non-toxic, phthalate-free, PVC-free, BPA-free and AZO dye free material, the iBuku Pets doll is also washable and easy to clean. The toys are lightweight enough for kids of all ages to carry, but durable enough to protect a phone from a tumble down the stairs, fall from the kitchen table, or a toss in the toy box. With additional apps, iBuku Pets will become your child's best friend as the ideal night light, alarm clock or even a lantern. For additional battery power, iBuku Pets will offer an optional integrated battery back up (sold separately).

"Our goal is to build imagination and turn mindless button presses into something more valuable," says Royce Channey, iBuku Pets designer. "Every few months it seems that there is always a new iDevice. This forces millions of fully functional smartphones to just waste away in the trash or collect dust in a bottom drawer. iBuku Pets allows you to pass this technology along to your children in a productive and valuable way."

For more information on iBuku Pets visit www.iBukuPets.com or contact Brad Hobbs at (305) 374-4404 x119 or by e-mail at bradhobbs@maxborgesagency.com.

Based in Ann Arbor, Arbor Cube is a start-up tech-toy innovator founded by parents and friends who are also engineers, industrial designers, and developers.

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