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What if your photo books could talk back? Not with another app or QR code maze, but with a small, tactile device that lets you record and play stories, songs, and memories at the press of a button. The Dead Pixels Society sits down with Geoffrey Stern, the founder of Voice Gift and the longtime audio mind behind Build‑A‑Bear’s wildly successful “sounds,” to unpack how voice transforms printed images into living experiences—and why that shift boosts both emotion and sales.
Stern explains the psychology behind audio as a memory trigger and the practical reasons customers finish purchases when they add their own voice: ownership deepens, abandonment drops, and the keepsake becomes personal. He discusses VoiceGift Play, a $59 handheld recorder that ties numbered audio tracks to photo pages, framed prints, wedding albums, travel books, and recipe collections—no apps, Wi‑Fi, or screens required. With 10 hours of storage, USB‑C backup, and standard MP3 files, it’s simple to share recordings across multiple copies or import music like a wedding playlist to soundtrack an album. There’s also a kids’ version with pictograms and stickers that turns storytime into an interactive, confidence‑building ritual, and accessibility use cases ranging from braille overlays to guided routines for dementia care.
Along the way, we talk about the shift from digital overload to analog delight, the “don’t add steps” man
Photo Imaging CONNECT
The Photo Imaging CONNECT conference, March 1-2, 2026, at the RIO Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, N
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Hosted and produced by Gary Pageau
Announcer: Erin Manning
