Bedtime Gets High-Tech With Digital PJs Inspired by QR-code technology, Juan Murdoch created cotton pajamas printed with a series of dots; when scanned with a smartphone, each dot launches one of 47 narrated bedtime stories,
By Jodi Helmer •
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Entrepreneur: Juan Murdoch pioneered a high-tech approach to the classic bedtime story. Inspired by QR-code technology, he created cotton pajamas printed with a series of colorful dots. When scanned with a smartphone, the dots trigger a free app (available for Android and iPhone) that launches one of 47 bedtime stories--narrated digital tales with colorful photos plus text to allow kids to read along. The Idaho entrepreneur introduced Smart PJs in 2012.
"Aha" moment: During a meeting at the real-estate firm where Murdoch worked as a sales agent, a broker discussed the benefits of using QR codes on "for sale" signs. It was then that Murdoch, a father of six, had the inspiration to use the black-and-white codes to enliven story time. "I was so excited about the idea that I left the meeting and went to my office to Google it and see if it had been done," he recalls. When no results turned up, Murdoch felt certain he was onto something big.
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