children

Third Point’s Loeb to Yahoo About Board Rejection: “Illogical Alice-in-Wonderland World”

Kara Swisher in News on March 28 at 10:45 am PT

Time to go down another rabbit hole!

Activision CEO Hirshberg Says His Call of Duty Is to Take Creative Risks

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on February 10 at 12:11 pm PT

Activision, as the maker of first-person shooter Call of Duty, took a risk bringing a children’s game to market. But Skylanders: Spryo’s Adventure has been totally worth it.

Viral Video: Jimmy Fallon Loses to a Lady (The First One)

Kara Swisher in Media on February 10 at 12:45 am PT

Bring it on.

“Goodnight iPad” Is the Perfect Book for the Kid Who Has Everything That Beeps

Ina Fried in Media on December 26, 2011 at 3:30 pm PT

The parody of the classic children’s book “Goodnight Moon,” which got a hilarious analog update for the digital generation, is a holiday hit.

Meet Kid Robot, Kibot: The Full AsiaD Demo (Video)

Kara Swisher in AsiaD on November 6, 2011 at 1:05 pm PT

It looks like a monkey, whose nose is an RFID reader, stomach is a control panel and ears are the navigational buttons. Would that my kids were that easy to control.

News Byte

Callaway Digital Arts Hires Gaming Vet Rex Ishibashi as CEO

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on October 20, 2011 at 12:26 pm PT

Callaway Digital Arts, which develops mobile applications for children, has appointed Rex Ishibashi to the position of CEO. Most recently he was CEO at Ohai, a social games company, and once served as president of Electronic Arts Japan. Former CEO Nicholas Callaway will become CCO and chief creative officer. Callaway is backed by Kleiner Perkins and based in New York.

News Byte

Ex-PayPal, YouTube and Yahoo Execs Raise Capital for Kid Activities in a Box

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on October 11, 2011 at 7:00 am PT

Mountain View, Calif.-based Kiwi Crate has raised $2 million in capital to help launch the company’s subscription-based service, which delivers a monthly package of hands-on activities for kids. The round was led by First Round Capital, with Mayfield Fund, Comcast Ventures, Felicis Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Consigliere Brand Capital, UJ Ventures and 500 Startups also participating. The company was founded in 2011 by Sandra Oh Lin, former eBay and PayPal executive; Yu Pan, PayPal co-founder; and Yael Pasternak Valek, an ex-Yahoo product manager.

Viral Video: Common Sense Media’s Kids’ Online Privacy Panel

Kara Swisher in Media on September 2, 2011 at 12:47 am PT

Here is a video from a panel I moderated earlier this week for Common Sense Media about online privacy, with a focus on the impact on children.

Former Blue Nile Execs Raise $43 Million to Nurture Their New Baby, Zulily

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on August 10, 2011 at 9:00 pm PT

Zulily, an 18-month-old site aimed at mothers looking for bargains on clothing and accessories for babies and kids, closed a third round of venture capital today, totaling $43 million.

Viral Video: Samuel L. Jackson Reads “Go the F**k to Sleep”

Kara Swisher in Media on June 16, 2011 at 12:58 am PT

What more is there to say, except this viral video of actor Samuel L. Jackson reading a viral “children’s” book is hysterical. Written by Adam Mansbach, the book has developed a cult following — though it’s more for parents than for their children, of course.