ToyTalk renames to PullString, repositions as authoring tool for bots

ToyTalk, the startup that mashed together Barbie and the Internet of Things and let your kids chat away with Thomas the Tank Engine for hours on end, is cashing out on the bot craze with a slight realignment of philosophy -- and a new name. "When working with children," the company's CEO Oren Jacob said, "you are beholden to some pretty strict laws, and ToyTalk as a company had to work diligently to ensure we toe the line." To do that, the company developed a whole toolset to enable writers to create narratives for children's toys. The toolset was called PullString, named after the string you can pull on some dolls to make them talk. The name is undoubtedly a nod to the Andy cowboy doll from Toy Story -- Jacob did head up Pixar's technical team as its CTO, after all.