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toys

Even jump rope is getting techno-fied

I really am a young hip mom (references upon request), but I'm still struggling with this souped-up version of a classic childhood accoutrement--the jump rope.

Highlights, the authority on all things tech (insert snark here), is selling the battery-operated Electronic Jump Rope Jam, which features speakers in the handles that play rhythmic beats "and guide you in nine routines."

Now my 6-year-old, who has been jumping rope (or is it jump-roping?) through the past couple months of her life, would probably love to show up her playground friends with the "Jam," which only costs $10.… Read more

Forget the Roomba--get a robot spy

This is one little guy that could be dangerous. At first glance, Bandai's NetTansor looks like a lot of other cute robot toys on the market--but don't be fooled.

It's equipped with a WiFi webcam that can beam transmissions back to its owner's screen, according to Gizmodo, with a power supply that can provide up to "two and a half hours of voyeuristic fun." You can talk to it through email or just let it bop around on its own, because the NetTansor has sensors to keep it from running into walls or inflicting … Read more

A night-vision dart launcher

Ever since seeing "Silence of the Lambs," we just haven't been able to think of night-vision goggles the same way. But this toy may have resurrected its image as something other than a surveillance tool for serial killers.

The Discovery store is selling a pair of the nocturnal lenses that can shoot darts, according to Coolest Gadgets. And they're even the old-fashioned kind with rubber tips that can stick to the foreheads of your targets--lessening the chances of recurring nightmares we might have about more sinister uses.

(Photo: Cool Gadgets)