Mattel at the International Toy Fair
Have no fear, worried parent, Mattel knows what's best for your kid. Riding high after a holiday season with T.M.X. Elmo and Barbie at the top of the most wanted list, Mattel is unveiling an incredible amount of toys at the American International Toy Fair 2007 in New York. Quite a few of those happen to be technology infused, which is only natural as your children attempt to keep up with the lil' Joneses. Notables include the Chat Divas Barbie Doll, which can plug into your iPod, bob to the music and talk on her fake cellphone; Pixel Chix Roomies, a sort of MTV's "The Real World" interactive game for dolls; Hot Wheels Maniacs vehicles with "a hilarious animated driver" stuck in an LCD windshield; Funkeys collectibles which unlock portions of a computer game which allows you earn coins and decorate your "crib" for friends to see; Easy Link Internet Launchpad, which plugs into your PC for internet and provides a safe and simple browsing experience for the kiddies; T.M.X. friends, with Ernie and Cookie Monster versions to keep Elmo company in the asylum; I Can Play Guitar System, a Guitar Hero-ish system designed to teach kids the guitar, not just make them think they can melt faces; and a Digital Arts & Crafts Studio which includes stylus for drawing on the computer. Other creations by Mattel include some Wii-esque one-off games designed to get your kids moving: Play TV MLB Baseball, Play TV Football 2, and the Smart Cycle stationary bike that lets pedal and steer through video games while burning those carbs.
