What happens when gadget-crazy, Internet-obsessed, financially secure adults have babies? A new market is born.
U.S. parents spent $2.9 billion in 2006 on baby goods, and $337 million of that was directed at gadgets like monitors, thermometers and the like. Now a smaller, but growing, industry is leveraging the same technologies people rely upon for business and pleasure--such as Web video conferencing, wireless frequencies and digital media players--to aid in the displaying, entertaining and rearing of offspring.
Most people with an e-mail address have received at least one message containing an attached photo of a splotchy, hours-old newborn. But for some parents, that type of digital birth announcement isn't nearly enough to do their child justice. Next come the slide shows, videos, Web sites and blogs devoted to babydom.
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''New parents are the biggest inflection point, except for the teen market, when it comes to entering the blogosphere,'' says Tina Sharkey, chief executive of Babycenter.com. ''These people finally have a story to tell for the first time, news to share that keeps changing. It's a perfect platform for photos, videos and sounds.''
To record those precious memories, parents are investing by the droves in digital cameras and high-definition digital camcorders that cost more than $1,000. But for parents who want easy access to the Web, a tiny, durable and cheap camcorder like Pure Digital's Flip camcorder might serve the purpose--it includes software that automatically publishes video to sites like Google's YouTube. ''Some people like to keep controlled access to their baby, but we live in a culture where parents think they have bragging rights,'' says Sharkey.
There's no better audience for baby bragging than friends and family. That's why many moms and dads are setting family members up with Web cam-enabled computers or stand-alone video phone systems; this way, the interactive Baby Show can be broadcast on demand.
One popular way to accomplish this is with Apple's MacBook laptops, which houses a built-in camera called iSight and operates with the company's iChat software. However, both parties in the video conference need to own a Mac for this to work. Rather than investing in a new computer, products like WorldGate's Ojo video phone accomplish the same task
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