Baby iCan Play Case Is Simple Genius

By David Ewalt, Forbes.com

I knew that Apple’s iPhone was something special the first time I saw a friend’s two-year old pick one up, swipe to unlock the screen, and then amuse himself playing an extremely simple video game.

I also knew that eventually the kid was going to drop the phone in a toilet, accidentally call Tibet, or send a nonsensical email to everyone in the contact list.

The iPhone’s intuitive touch screen is so easy to use, even babies get it. Software developers have capitalized that on that and released some really fun, simple software for small kids. But many adults have a hard time handing their beloved phone over to a baby –there’s a lot of people who have spent hours holding their phone in a death grip while baby pokes and prods at the screen.

That’s why the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Baby iCan Play Case blew my mind. It’s one of those “why didn’t I think of that?” ideas –simple, useful, and beautifully executed.

The case lets babies play while protecting mom or dad’s iPhone or iPod Touch: The device locks into the rubberized case, and a clear film covers the screen, protecting it from drops and drool alike. There’s even a hard plastic cover you can place over the home button so baby doesn’t send an email or mess up your game of Angry Birds.

The iCan Play case will be available from Mattel in July 2011, at a suggested retail price of $14.99.

Original Story on Forbes Blog, Read it Here: http://blogs.forbes.com/davidewalt/2011/02/17/baby-ican-play-case-is-simple-genius/