Meet your iPhone's new best friend

I love my iPhone. I love plushes. It seems only natural to combine the two, doesn't it? I couldn't ask for a better example of tech toys done right than Ubooly the iPhone Pet. What exactly makes Ubooly so great?

Join me on a magical, mystery tour as we explore all our little friend has to offer!

Plush Name: Ubooly the iPhone Pet
Plush Maker: Ubooly
Retail: US$29.95
Available at: official store

Here is how my Ubooly came packaged when he arrived at my house. Doesn't he look all fuzzy and eager to play? Yeah, I though so, too. But before I take the little guy out of his cardboard confines, let's have a look at the rest of the box.

As you can see, the box does an excellent job of advertising what the Ubooly is all about. Heck, you hardly even need a manual; the box has all the illustrative instructions you'll need. In case you need a little hand-holding (and there is no shame in that), you basically download the free app from the iTunes app store onto your iPhone or iPod Touch, stuff the device into the plush and away you go!

But first, you have to take the little guy out of his box. You'll notice that his face has a cardboard little cover on it. Just take it out by unzipping the opening on the top of his fuzzy, orange head. I love that there is a little sleeping face embroidered on the fabric opening. So even when your device isn't in the toy, he'll still have facial features. How thoughtful!

You'll notice that, when you load the app, the face materializes upside-down. That is because you stuff your iDevice into the plush body with the top going in first. 

Now that Ubooly's iDevice brain is all zipped up and secured, it is time to play! The first step is filling out the rather humorous birth certificate. I love the part about protecting the little guy from "monsters and vacuum cleaners."  Ubooly can tell you stories, play the music on your device, tell jokes and just generally respond to what you say. At first, I was doubtful that he would be able to "hear" me, with the phone surrounded by fluff and fuzz, but Ubooly and I played together just fine.

For those of you who are too "grown-up" for the jokes and imaginative stories, the toy works great as a music-player with character. However, I can see how the majority of Ubooly's features are aimed more towards the younger set. The stories, especially, are fun and I can imagine them being great bedtime tales. All the same, I enjoyed my time with Ubooly and look forward to many more afternoons spent together.

[A big thank-you to Ubooly for providing us with this review sample!]