Pixlplay™: Turn your smartphone into a fun camera!
Created by Pixl Toys
Pixlplay works with the majority of all standard size smartphones, both Apple and Android. It's easy to use, fun and includes a wrist strap, 2 activity sheets + a sticker sheet and an iOS app that gets kids active and creative.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
ON-TIME SHIPPING :) Your Pixlplay Camera’s are coming!!!
almost 9 years ago
– Fri, Jun 23, 2017 at 10:43:38 PM
Hello all you amazing Pixlplay Backers, Wow, what a ride this has been. As of this moment, almost $65,000 has been raised across Kickstarter and Indiegogo from over 1,365 incredible backers.
The first shipment of Pixlpay camera’s arrived by ocean container late last week, a few days after my wife and I welcomed our baby to the world. Baby Leo arrived a bit early and baby Pixlplay is arriving to you ON-TIME.
Need-less-to-say, things have been extremely busy and I’m a bit sleep-deprived. Thankfully, I lined up a fulfillment company who was standing by ready to receive and ship the product. I made a quick visit to the warehouse earlier this week and here’s a few photos of Pixlplay being received and put away...
Pixlplay in the container, palletized & put away!!
Receiving the sticker sheets & shipping out!
And now, Pixlplay is officially shipping to all 95% of people who filled out their survey. In the US, they are shipping via UPS Surepost - the last mile is delivered by USPS. International backers will receive it through USPS. You will receive a note with tracking information soon. Here is a video of your orders going out...
I can not wait to hear how you and the little ones in your life enjoy Pixlplay. I would LOVE if you would share any photos of your experience. Please tag @pixltoys and #pixlplay or email photos to hello‘at’pixltoys.com to be featured.
My technical leads, Nick and Kieran are working HARD to finish the iOS app. The App will be live in the Apple App store in the coming days and I will update you here. Remember that Pixlplay also works great with the native camera app in your standard size Apple or Android smartphone.
Thanks for being you and for bringing this project to life. This isn’t the end, it’s just the beginning. JP
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED – FINAL HOURS TO UPATE SHIPPING
almost 9 years ago
– Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 08:10:45 PM
My Dear Pixlplay Backaers… these are exciting times!!
The container full of Pixlplay cameras has officially cleared customs in Oakland – home of the NBA champions, GO Warriors!!! The container will next go to our warehouse a few miles south and we will begin shipping to YOU later in the month!
The shipment route as provided by my freight forwarder, Flexport (they are amazing)
Today, June 15th is the last day to input or change your shipping address in backerkit. If you've already filled out your survey, you don't need to do anything. Retailers - also - do not need to do anything. For those who haven’t or need to update your address, you can fill out your survey through one of the following two ways: 1. Search for the backer survey email from Backerkit on May 16th; or 2. Go to http://pixlplay.backerkit.com/ and make sure you are logged in with the email used on Kickstarter. Click "Your response" in your reward tier. Please remember that after today, June 15th Pacific time, the survey will be closed and you will not be able to submit or alter your shipping address.
The eagle has landed in more than one way. On Friday, June 9th my wife and I welcomed our baby boy Leo into the world. So, we’ve got the arrival of the Pixlplay camera and the arrival of our first baby. Need-less-to-say, I'm operating on very little sleep but could not be happier.
Founder, JP with baby Leo at 5 days old
In the same week, one of our dear family friends, Pat passed away. This is all a reminder of just how precious every day is.
Soon, you will be getting your Pixlplay cameras. My hope is that you and the children in your life use Pixlplay in a way that brings you together. The activities and iOS App are designed for you to play with your kids and grandkids together.
It’s a true blessing to be on this journey and I can not thank you enough. Please take a moment to give thanks to the loved ones in your life and my thoughts are with Pat and her family.
So much love to you and your family, JP
PRODUCTION IS COMPLETE + PIXLPLAY IS "ON THE WATER"!
almost 9 years ago
– Wed, May 31, 2017 at 10:19:01 PM
Hellloooo Everyone!
I’m excited to connect and send a quick update. After getting all the parts ready for assembly, the production line turned on and the manufacturing is now complete! The goods were officially loaded onto a container and have set sail across the Pacific Ocean where they will land in my hometown, Oakland, Ca. We’re on pace to get these shipped out on time in late June and I am SO excited to get you your Pixlplay cameras!!! Here are some pics from the last few weeks....
The Production Line in full swing! Note the image where we test the camera shutter button with an iPhone.
Each Pixlplay camera includes: 2x activity sheets + 1 x sticker sheet + instruction manual + quick start guide + a "hello note with optional foam bumpers for your phone!!!
That's it for now! Thank you all again so much - without you, I wouldn't be on this journey. Have a great week!
JP
ps. I continue to meet incredible people in the Kickstarter community. Today, I'd like to highlight KoalaSafe, a fellow HAX company that helps parents manage screen time at home through a simple WiFi network for your kids. They are a few years ahead of me and just got placed into 250 Target stores!! Congrats! Check out the video here or grab the product at your local Target or at target.com for just $99. Cheers!
Surveys are Coming and Other Updates!
almost 9 years ago
– Tue, May 16, 2017 at 07:16:59 PM
Hello Pixlplay backers!
I hope this finds each of you doing amazing. Things have been incredibly busy and there is so much to update you on. I’m excited to share updates with you on manufacturing, testing, news/events, delivery and surveys for color selection & shipping confirmation. We're on track to ship in late June, see below!
Manufacturing Update.
In our last manufacturing update (exclusive to backers), you saw that we completed the ‘tooling’ process. As estimated, it took around a month and ~100 samples (“first shots off the tool”) to refine, tweak and perfect the injection molding process. I’m pleased to say that we approved the final production sample and we are officially in production on 5,000 pieces! This is SO exciting for me and here are some picks of the preparation for the production line.
Testing Passed
I decided to put the Pixlplay camera through the most rigorous safety testing including the North American and European toy testing standards. I’m excited to share that we passed all tests (21 pages in all). Not only does this mean that you will receive a toy with the highest standards (e.g. mechanical & physical workmanship, drop tests, and no toxic materials), but we are ready to ship this to retailers around the world who require these tests. But, we didn’t stop there. We have chosen to use recycled cardboard and soy ink. Plus, you know those annoying twisty ties and screws that make opening toys impossible? Well, you’ll be happy to know we didn’t include them. ;)
We are on track to ship the week of June 26th. I know you are anxious to receive the Pixlplay camera as soon as possible and we are doing everything to ensure we ship out a good quality product and activities that delight you. In order to offer Pixlplay at an affordable price, one key element is shipping the product by ocean container. This all takes time. The good news is that we have the container scheduled and everything is on track to ship out to you within the month we promised. My goal is for US customers to have it before the 4th of July holiday which happens to be when my baby is due (yikes!). International will ship at the same time and may have longer transit.
App Development
App development is going well. Visually, it's really looking great. Below is an example screen of one of the Photobook Adventure backgrounds. We still have a lot to do and will be releasing a beta to a select group of parents.
Survey For Color Selection & Shipping
LAST AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, We are sending out our survey TODAY for you to choose your color and provide your shipping information. You should have received an email from BackerKit that states “Response Needed -- Get your reward for Pixlplay™: Turn your smartphone into a fun camera! ". It should be pretty self-explanatory. Below, you will find Q&A about this survey. IT IS IMPORTANT TO RESPOND TO YOUR SURVEY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE since we need this information for fulfilling your rewards.
Thank you again for your support! Best, JP
ps. We’re finishing up our Indiegogo InDemand soon and now taking pre-orders on our website: https://pixltoys.com/
Backerkit Surveys
- WHAT IS BACKERKIT? BackerKit is a service that helps us collect and organize all of our backer information. These guys are great and you can trust emails from them.
- HOW DO I FILL OUT THE BACKERKIT SURVEY? Just click the link in the email invite and follow the on-screen instructions from there. You will not need to create a login or password to fill out your survey - just follow the personalized link, and you’re good to go! If you want to go back to review or edit your responses, just click on the link in your survey email again, or enter your email address into the BackerKit project page to recover your survey link.
- I CAN'T FIND MY SURVEY EMAIL. The personalized survey link was emailed to the address that you provided for your Kickstarter profile. To determine what email address that is, simply login to Kickstarter and check under "Account" which can be found inside the "Settings" menu. Also check your spam folder, and if you still can't find the email, just send us a message here in kickstarter or via the 'support' button on pixltoys.com.
- CAN I ADD ITEMS OR CHANGE MY PLEDGE LEVEL IN BACKERKIT? Yes! We are allowing people to select the reward options to receive one, (1) or two (2) Pixlplay camera’s at the Kickstarter discount. If you don’t want to receive a pixlplay camera and just want to donate your contribution, now is the time to change your reward to zero (0). Simply update your reward, (fill out your color selection) and you'll be brought to an add-on screen. From here, you can add items to your reward (like color sticker sheet). If you add items whose cost exceeds your available credit you'll be prompted to enter a credit card to pay the additional cost.
- REMIND ME WHAT THE COLOR STICKER ADD-ON IS? First, remember that the Pixlplay camera DOES include a sticker sheet (image below). It’s pretty simple with stars, hearts, dials and aperture. We know that many people wanted other colors. Because we are only producing Blue and Orange, we created stickers that are designed to allow you to customize your camera with any of the six color options. Check the out in the add-on page.
- WHAT DO I DO IF I HAVE A CREDIT? If you change your reward level (down) and you are left with a credit balance, that will be treated as a donation. We can not offer refunds. You helped fund the initial production run and we are forever grateful.
- WHAT SHOULD I ENTER AS MY SHIPPING ADDRESS IF I MIGHT MOVE? You should enter the shipping address that you expect to have begining June 20th, 2017. If you have no idea what that address will be, then don't enter an address in the survey at this time. We will let everyone know when we are close to shipping, and at that time you can enter your current address or modify the address that you entered previously.
- CAN I CHANGE MY SURVEY ANSWERS LATER? Yes, you can update or modify your survey answers anytime before we begin shipping. Simply click on the same personalized email link and it will take you to BackerKit where you can modify your responses. We will be sure to let you know when we are close to shipping, and when we will "lock down" the survey (estimated June 20, 2017). One thing to note is that you must fill out the entire survey before we can ship your reward.
Still have a question? Send us a message via Kickstarter or click the Support button on pixltoys.com.
Exclusive Manufacturing Update
almost 9 years ago
– Tue, May 16, 2017 at 09:46:19 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
