February 2006 Archives

My old friend Todd and various other people have put together LED throwies for the Graffiti Research Lab, who promise that they will have a website soon.

"Developed by the Graffiti Research Lab, LED Throwies are an inexpensive way to add color to any ferromagnetic surface in your neighborhood. A Throwie consists of a lithium battery, a 10mm diffused LED and a rare-earth magnet taped together. Throw it up high and in quantity to impress your friends and city officials."

Addendum: Aha. It is on instructables. Well, then.

How could anyone resist an article with a headline like, "Toy makers hawk robotic playmates"? Apparently, at least 75% of the toys at this year's American International Toy Fair will have microchips in them, including:

Amazing Allysen from Playmates Toys Inc., a companion doll to last year's Amazing Amanda, a surprise hit last holiday season. The new doll, aimed at an older girl ages 9 and 10 years old, recognizes and responds to key words and phrases with lifelike facial expressions and real emotions.

I need hardly tell you how gross it's going to be when the first 15-year-old hacks THAT doll.

Cuddle Chimp, from Hasbro, the latest in the company's FurReal Friends collection responds to touch by snuggling into the owner's arms and emits happy sounds.

It's part of a toy line called "Fur Real Friends." According to Amazon, it also makes "realistic baby chimp sounds." I have no comment.

And here's your obligatory dose of hype:

"Children are migrating to consumer electronics faster than toy companies can take them there," said Sean McGowan, a toy analyst at Harris Nesbitt.

addendum from Mike:
The NYT has bested this entry with an article titled, "Mommy, Help Me Download 'Farmer in the Dell' to My MP3 Player" about a digicam + mp3 player for kids age 3 and up. Yeah.

There's a great new technique in use in San Francisco by cafes who wish to discourage undue laptop use. They're not removing the free wifi - at this point, that would be tantamount to removing the free water. No, they're just removing selected outlets.

So you can use that laptop...but not for long.