Use Real Pieces For Board Games On Your iPad With iPawn

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My kids are huge fans of Disney’s interactive Cars toys for iPad, but if you’re after something a little more grownup, then maybe these iPawn game pieces from Jumbo are more your thing. They’re the first iPad accessory that aim to bring board games to life, by providing real pieces that work on your iPad’s touchscreen with a variety of games.

Each iPawn kit is $16, and there are four different kinds that are tailored for different games, with promises of more on the way. There’s iPawn Game of Goose, Snakes and Ladders, Fishing, and my favorite, Air Hockey. Each kit includes the accompanying iPad app for free — you just need to download it from the App Store.

The iPawn pieces are made from a special ABS plastic that absorbs the electric energy in your fingers and transfers it to your iPad’s display — much like many of the styluses available for the iPad, but unlike Disney’s Cars toys, which use a metal base. This means the pieces do nothing while they’re sat on your display, but they become active when you touch them.

I think the pieces may be a little unnecessary for certain board games, but for things like Air Hockey, they appear to make iPad gaming all the more enjoyable.

[via Gizmodo]

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