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MNHQ

NOW CLOSED Do you have a child aged 3-11? Try blobo, the new fitness-based gaming controller with your child and be in with a chance of winning a £100 M&S voucher!

14 replies

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 12/08/2011 13:21

We've been asked by blobo to find 10 Mumsnetters and their child(ren) (ideally aged 3-11) to test blobo out and add their feedback on Mumsnet.

Here's what blobo say: "Unlike other controllers where you sit on the sofa waving the controller around in the air, blobo not only copies your movements, but also knows how much force you are applying. In other words, you actually do have to run and jump rather than micro-jogging and simply standing up straight. If you want your avatar to run faster, you really have to run faster too!

In this way, blobo offers a genuine way to get children having fun and getting exercise at the same time. Indeed, blobo is the only fitness-based gaming controller available that accurately calculates the number of calories used. By giving children of all abilities the chance to measure their efforts using calories we see it as a good way for children to win a game even if they're not the fastest. This builds confidence and hopefully encourages them to be more active in the future. blobo is designed to be played with just as easily outdoors as indoors so you and your child can have lots of fun running around outside testing it!

blobo is a small, light, soft ball which connects via Bluetooth to your PC or Mac. With it being wireless, you can take blobo anywhere and play wherever you want as long as you are within Bluetooth range (typically 25m) of your PC/Mac. Take blobo outdoors or on holiday - there's no need to stand in a specific spot in front of the computer or TV!"

We're looking for 10 Mumsnetters for this product test - it is open to all UK MNers who have a child aged 3-11.

If you are selected for the test you'll be sent a blobo games pack, Fun&Fit, which includes a blobo, a CD with 6 fun fitness games - Archery, Basketball, Bowling, Karate, Long Jump and Running - a Bluetooth dongle and a charger (currently on summer offer for £39.99). You can also download other games (there is a charge of £2.99 for some but others are free).

You'll be able to keep the product at the end of the trial. In return we'd ask that you add feedback to a thread on Mumsnet, to let others know how your child(ren) found it. For more information about the product please visit the blobo website.

Everyone who takes part and adds their feedback will be entered into a prize draw where the winner will get £100 of M&S vouchers.

If you'd like to take part please add your details here.

Many thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 12/08/2011 13:42

You won't get an email but I've checked and we've got your application so don't worry!

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 12/08/2011 14:37

Sorry rumpleteaser, it's just UK

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 15/08/2011 11:26

Ingles2 - yes, we've got your application, don't worry
2gorgeousboys - not sure why that happened sorry - I've amended it for you

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 15/08/2011 15:40

For those of you who had queries/concerns about blobo, please see below responses from blobo about the calorie counting aspect and outdoor usage:

"Each Fun&Fit activity results in a score based on time, distance, power etc. and, in addition to this, each activity also has a result expressed in terms of the number of calories used. This is simply a statement of scientific fact and we think that it can be used very positively to demonstrate how different types of activity involve different levels of calorie consumption. Incidentally, it is also totally in-line with the NHS Change4Life campaign which encourages the whole family to be active and indulge in healthy lifestyles through developing an awareness of how exercise results in calorific usage. As to how the calorie information is used, however, is clearly entirely a question of parental choice.

blobo can be used indoors or outdoors, the point being is that you have a level of portability with blobo that you don?t have with other gaming controllers. If you have a laptop or netbook, then you can play with blobo wherever you want to. Clearly if used with a fixed PC or MAC then you are more limited as to how you can play blobo."

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 16/08/2011 09:47

Thanks to everyone that applied - here's the list of testers:

Sam100
Arfur
Ingles2
ledodgy
Skirmish
CroissantNeuf
ouryve
Fillybuster
lisad123
radiolover

I'll be contacting testers by email today. Sorry to all who weren't selected - as always please keep your eyes peeled for more product tests coming soon!

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 16/08/2011 15:49

Fillybuster - don't worry, being on hols til the weekend doesn't rule you out - just checking whether it's too late to change delivery address - will get back to you.

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 16/08/2011 16:36

All good Fillybuster - your blobo will be with you at your holiday residence on Thursday!

Everyone else's should arrive on Thursday too!

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 17/08/2011 10:01

Sorry ladies - they only have 10 to give away, but please keep your eyes peeled for other tests coming very very soon....

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 17/08/2011 13:39

CroissantNeuf - we at MN select testers at random so your number has obviously just come up!

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 18/08/2011 11:19

Fillybuster - I passed your query on to blobo and here's what they say:

"You play the games on a laptop. You can if you want to, plug the laptop into a TV. The technology works by measuring relative movement so if you do plug in a TV into a laptop, you can play in front of the TV as the sensors take all of this into account. So either play just using a laptop or play using a TV plugged into a laptop, it does not effect the game play whatever you do!"

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 19/08/2011 09:42

ledodgy - here's what blobo says about the delay:

"The download of free of charge software needs to go through different checks compared to purchased software. Purchased software is released as soon as the payment is made. The free of charge software incurs at short delay but no more than 24hrs before being released. This is to ensure that the system is not overloaded with spammers. The other day for example someone requested 4852 free of charge downloads of the same product! This might be children playing with the system and as there is no fee we need to have the delay in place to double check first."

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 19/08/2011 10:32

More response from blobo...

"Also as this is a software product, we need to have traceability as to where the free of charge software goes. This is for licensing purposes and to ensure that the code can be controlled and not used for other purposes or as spam. This means that even if the product is free, it still needs a formal address to be registered and the check out process is the best way to ensure we capture all the details of the user. However, we also do understand that the process needs to be as simple as possible and we are looking into authorised methods of simplifying the process!"

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 22/08/2011 09:42

lisad123 - yes - it'll be up soon but don't worry, I'll email you all with the link when it's ready

arfur - I've passed your query on to blobo and will post response here when it comes

MNHQ

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 22/08/2011 14:57

arfur - here's blobo's response to your query:

"Blobo has been designed to be very simple in its set up and would not normally require any changes to be made to a laptop. However, if the standard bluetooth software settings in the laptop have been altered please see below:

Normally if the laptop has built in Bluetooth and it is configured to be able to connect to new devices, there should not be any issues. However, if using this option please check the following:

  1. You need to ensure that 'allow Bluetooth devices to find this computer' is selected in the Bluetooth settings menu.
  2. Select 'Add a device'
  3. Activate the blobo by shaking or squeezing it and you should see BALL which is blobo, and then select 'pair without a code'
  4. You should then get a notification 'this device is now ready to use'.
  5. Then run the blobo software.

So in this case please ensure the the built in technology is configured correctly.

If using the BT dongle, it is best to do the following:

  1. turn off the internal Bluetooth. This should not normally be required but if you are having a problem with initial set up, this is a good thing to do.
  2. Insert the dongle and wait for the driver software to automatically load (this only happens the 1st time you use the dongle). There is no need to do anything else. If there is NO notification, please ensure that the dongle is inserted correctly into a USB port/socket. NB It is possible to insert a USB device into a data port rather than a USB port!
  3. Then run the blobo software.

All the dongles and blobos were checked as a pair to make sure they would link up together, before we shipped them out. If Bluetooth is running on a laptop correctly then you should not see any warning when you run the blobo software, just the search and connect screen."

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