Kids Get Buzzed for Christmas

New Electronics Let Them Plug In and Rock Out

By Alison Marek & Julie L. Jones

June 2007

What
kid doesn't want to be grown up ... yesterday? These new electronics
let them call friends, form a rock band, groove to tunes ... and still
play like little kids.



Here's what's electrifying this holiday season:

Laser Dance Matrix by APPLIED SCIENCES



We've
all seen the “Dance Dance Revolution” craze and the myriad
of plastic floor pad knockoffs. Now, Applied Sciences, a company with
real scientists, is introducing a laser-triggered "pad" that works with
no moving parts (except feet), and only floor to dance on. The player
dances between laser beams to any type of DDR game:
“Stepmania,” “In the Groove” and “Dance
Dance Revolution” itself. A. Smyth (a real scientist) said the
reaction to the prototype — from retailers, schools, kids,
college students and old fogies — has been overwhelming: "We
totally underestimated the response." The first human to test the
completed prototype, Smyth explained that the coolest thing about
playing it was "the fact that the floor had become the controller. For
most people, though, the coolest things are the
lasers."  5/25/2007 (Age: 5 and up)



Optimus Prime Voice-Changer Helmet by HASBRO INC.



Little
prattlers can sound as tough as a Transformer robot with this new
voice-changing helmet. They'll look pretty intimidating, too. It's
based on a Transformer character from the Dreamworks Pictures/Paramount
Pictures movie debuting in July. Launch date: June
2007. 2/9/2007 (MSRP: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket]





Zoundz by ZIZZLE



Zoundz,
a 2007 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner, creates a fusion
of self-composed music and a light show. Users can create their own
riffs and fine tune creations with the mode switch, enabling adjustment
of tempo, volume and echo. Each interactive “hot spot” lights up when a
pawn is placed, and grooves to the music’s tempo. Color indicates music
type, with red indicating sharper tones and blue reflecting softer
sounds. “Zounds lends itself to a diverse audience….And as a speaker
for any iPod, it has numerous traits that transcend toys,” Marc
Rosenberg, chief marketing officer for Zizzle, told TDmonthly.” Launch date: September 2006. 11/14/2006 (MSRP: $49.99; Age: 5 and up) [Add to my Inquiry Basket]



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