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High Tech Toys Keep Kids Up To Date

Friday, October 19, 2007 3:56:46 PM
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With all of the technology available for kids, where do you draw the line? How young is too young for a kid to have technology.

Kurt the Cyberguy sat down with Dr. Phil who offered some advice.

"I think children need to be on computers as early as possible because that is the technology that they have. There are a lot of very kid-friendly computers out there right now that have very limited access and they have big icons and big buttons where they can start working on them, and I think that's fine," Dr. Phil said.

With that advice in mind, Kurt looked at some of the latest high tech items.

First, there is ClickStart, My First Computer, a tool from LeapFrog, which just launched this summer. You just plug it into the TV. ClickStart is a learning PC for a 3-year-old and up. It introduces the young ones to the world of computers minus all the dangers. It essentially teaches the basics of navigation with a wireless keyboard and even a mouse that converts from leftie to rightie.

Parents are now shelling out more for pricey laptops for younger kids. The latest are colorful, like one from Vaio. One has a Intel Core 2 Duo processor that now gives you the most performance while using less energy than a nightlight.

"When we talk about technology with kids, it's great in that we are in biggest information explosion in the history of civilization," Dr. Phil said.

There is even technology in toys with wiggling tails and ears. The MIO PUP from Tiger Electronics calls itself the future of friendship for girls 6 and up with emoto-tronic eyes to simulate emotion.

New tech toys also tap into TV shows like the hit Cartoon Network show "Ben 10," Bandai's role-play toy Omnitrix. it actually mimics the action kids see on the popular TV series with flashing lights and a fun LCD game.

Tech toys also empower kids with tech protection that wraps around the wrist of a child. The OnGuard Safety Alert watch emits a 110 decibel emergency alarm when a child activates it, as well as tellling time.

"I truly believe that being computer illiterate today was like being illiterate for us when we were growing up. If you couldn't read, you were crippled. If you are not computer literate now, you are crippled in this day and time," Dr. Phil said.

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