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In this episode of gadgets almost too silly to mention, we check out Pinkie, the Talking Toonie hands free cell phone accessory! Does plugging your cell phone into an animatronic teddy bear make talking to your boss, your in-laws, or even answering wrong numbers more fun than usual? You bet it does!
What’s in the Box?
Pinkie The Talking Toonie comes with instructions, a coiled jack extension cord, and four connectors to connect to most cellphones. (Nokia 5110, 6110, 6150, 7110, Siemens C25/C35, etc etc.) Pinkie takes three AA batteries and has an on/off switch on the bottom, as well an an AC port for use with an AC adaptor (not included.) Lastly, the volume knob is also on the back next to the coiled jack port.
What’s Good About It?
The effect of having a conversation with teddy bear that is animated to move in time with the person on the other end of the phone is really, really odd at first. Once you become accustomed to the effect though, you start to imagine that the person you are speaking to really is the teddy bear. (At least we did – too much Red Bull maybe?) The speakerphone function was good, with no added echo beyond what you would find using a normal speakerphone accessory. What surprised us most was the incredible “AWW HOW CUUUUUUUTTTE!!!!!!! Factor” this bear packs. Seriously, every member of the female sex that we showed this bear to from ages 14 to 35 instantly wanted one of these handsfree bears. Most guys (including us) thought Pinkie was just plain goofy, but WOW did the girls think she was cute. If you have a significant other with a cell phone, this little bear would make a fantastic gift. The Talking Toonie we reviewed had nice soft plush “fur” and had a sturdy feel.
Click here for a demonstration video of Pinkie, the Talking Toonie Teddy Bear!
What’s Bad About It?
$44.95 might be a bit steep for some, but the Cute Factor seemed to far outweigh the price for all the girls we demonstrated Pinkie to. The volume seemed a little low from the bear’s speaker, even turned up on high. Lastly, make sure your cellphone (or your wife or daughter or girlfriend’s) is supported with the Talking Toonie. We really wanted to use our newer N-Gage and Treo 600 to test this product with, but had to resort to using a Nokia 3570 as there was no connector that would work with either of the newer phones.
Planting Pinkie on the dashboard of your car and conversing with her (and the person on the other end) hands free is not only a blast for you, but will also amuse your carpool as well as all the drivers stuck in traffic with you. The Talking Toonie is clearly geared towards the younger female audience, but would make an excellent cell phone gadget for just about anyone. We know we love ours!
That looks like an ‘Only In Japan’ thing.
Just one more tool our robot overlords are using to soften us before they strike.
I bought two, one for my wife, and one for my daughter. I don’t know who liked it the most, but they were (and still are) ecstatic!
You are right about the âcute factorâ You would think it was a real puppy!
Very high quality, well made, instructions could be better… overall, definitely worth the money!
Someone please list the complete set of supported phone. I cant find anything about supported phone on the seller’s website.
Thansk.
As of today, July 26, 2004, all cellphones are now supported, except Nextel i1000 and i2000.
Pinkie The Talking Toonie
This gadget is the perfect gift for that special somebody of the female species who loves Teddy Bears and Cell Phones. “In this episode of gadgets almost too silly to mention, we check out Pinkie, the Talking Toonie hands free…
Can anyone email me about what website store i can purchase voice activated bears like this. Please someone email me about it. I really want to get this as a gift for someone special.
Is this still available to purchase in US?
can anyone email me what website store to purchase this voice activated bears like this really need it urgent please……i really need this as a birthday gift for someone special please……anyone can help me?