Prego and StoryCorps Launch Family Dinner Recorder

Prego, the pasta sauce brand owned by Campbell Soup Company, has partnered with the nonprofit organization StoryCorps to launch a limited-edition recording device aimed at capturing family dinner conversations. The Connection Keeper, a compact puck-shaped gadget resembling the lid of a Prego sauce jar, went on sale April 27 in a run of fewer than 100 units, each bundled for $20 with pasta sauce, spaghetti essentials, and a deck of conversation prompt cards.

The device is designed to encourage screen-free mealtimes by placing it at the center of the dinner table. Users press a button on top to start and stop recording with its two built-in microphones, which capture CD-quality audio. It stores up to eight hours of conversations on a 16GB microSD card and charges via USB-C, but features no screen, internet connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth, or artificial intelligence. Recordings must be manually transferred to a computer using the same cable, after which they can be uploaded to an encrypted StoryCorps portal. Files become accessible and shareable starting May 4, remaining private by default unless users opt to contribute them to StoryCorps' public archive, where they join a...