Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXV: The SMS walkie-talkie roundup

We know, the holiday season is officially kaput, but if you still owe that niece or nephew a gift and you feel like teaching them tech-savvy and brand loyalty, you might want to consider one of these KIRF walkie-talkies / organizers that let you send text messages in addition to voice calls in the same vein as that Slide Click we saw back in the day. Trust us, typing on a small keyboard or numpad is one of the best skills they can have when they grow up -- it's a lot more practical than the Morse code we learned back in our day. The lone exception here is the feature-less RAZR knockoff that does voice-only -- hey, it's only fitting that the one phone here that doesn't knock off a smartphone have less features.

[Thanks, James]

Read - Discovery Exclusive Pink Slide and Text Messengers (Sidekick)
Read - iChat SMS Text Messenger/Chat Talkies (Blackberry)
Read - iText SMS Text Messenger (iPhone)
Read - Discovery Exclusive Flip Phone Walkie-Talkies (RAZR)

[Fade2blac @ Dec 30th 2008 3:25AM]

Looks more like the controls of a microwave to me.

[marty.com.au @ Dec 30th 2008 3:25AM]

is that the iphone nano everyone is talking about?

[Ian @ Dec 30th 2008 3:25AM]

I think you mean: "... let you send text messenges."

[bill cant fart @ Dec 30th 2008 7:48AM]

...No he got it right. "Messanges" is not a real word.

[Alexei @ Dec 30th 2008 3:25AM]

Ashens should include these in his video reviews of POS's and crapgadgets.

[AlDeezy @ Dec 30th 2008 6:28AM]

Indeed he should, i saw this"the one pictured" at walmart the other day, maybe I should buy it and send it to him.

[allislost @ Dec 30th 2008 3:28AM]

did someone say "Pie"?

[roflercopterer @ Dec 30th 2008 3:38AM]

anyone remember the cybiko?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cybiko

[Ellianth @ Dec 30th 2008 3:56AM]

I still have mine in my 'old technology drawer.' *glances over at his blue cybiko classic*

[soviet chick @ Dec 30th 2008 4:33AM]

Cybiko was for the rich kids... So I ended up walking out of Best Buy with a Shark MX. What a terrible device!

[Lia @ Dec 30th 2008 3:54PM]

I still have my Cybiko Xtreme. Ahhh, good times. It won't turn on, now, though. :(

[AJR @ Dec 30th 2008 3:40AM]

They're hideous. I mean like gross and disgusting man.

[FILA @ Dec 30th 2008 4:04AM]

ah man first i want to say I WANT THIS, lol
second: Cybiko, yes man, I wanted one of those so bad when they came out, then again I was like 11 or so, middle school.
third: I like pie to! Banana cream is the best!! I love fuckin bananas anyway

[FILA @ Dec 30th 2008 4:07AM]

Oh and theres nothin like sendin a text to someone whos sittin right beside you now is there.

Kid next to you: hey man what you payin attention to this shit?
You: Shh, hold on, Im sending a text.
Kid next to you: Ok, cool
You: Did you get it yet?
Kid next to you: Shh, Im texting

...whatever, you get my point

[G @ Dec 30th 2008 4:51AM]

Cheating in an exam maybe?

[lanosian @ Dec 30th 2008 4:55AM]

They can't practice typing on a keypad with this one.
The letter mapping is a mess!

[brazen1445 @ Dec 30th 2008 9:59AM]

My kid got one of these from grandma this Christmas.
To send a message you:
1. press power repeatedly until "text" is displayed
2. press enter
3. type message with the buttons between the buttons
4. enter second device into receiving mode (yeah seriously)
5. press "send" to goto into sending mode
6. press "ICQ" if you want it unencrypted
7. Enjoy the fun of being a grownup and being able to figure this junk out because a stinking kid would never be able to get it.

[Parent @ Dec 30th 2008 4:48PM]

Re-read Brazen1445. That's just the tip of the uselessness iceburg.

[Dave @ Dec 30th 2008 10:59PM]

It's funny my nieces just showed up with a pair of these devices.. They offer very rudimentary texting over infrared.

[Tim @ Dec 30th 2008 11:40AM]

i saw the picture before i read the headline and the first thing that came to my mind was "iCalc"

[james @ Dec 30th 2008 2:08PM]

on the razr ripoff product description it lists "no cell phone bill" twice.

[ProfessorKaos @ Jan 2nd 2009 9:22PM]

Looks more like an iPhone than Razor ripoff

[Peter @ Mar 22nd 2009 12:08AM]

OMG i saw this at clairs when i went to my sister at the block.