The Gift of Gizmos
The latest toys for wired girls and boys (and grown-ups, too)
KIDS' STUFF
'tween phone. Want a link to your 8-to-12-year-old 'tween, but afraid she'd burn countless minutes arguing the fate of America's Next Top Model 's most recent castoff? The Firefly cellphone ($100) restricts calls to an address book of 20 or fewer numbers and only works with prepaid plans that cost $25 per 100 minutes. Only you can decide if you want your child going high tech at that young an age--and if you're willing to spend a half-hour punching tiny buttons to program its numbers. David LaGesse
Buzzing around the house. The RadioShack Spin Blade RC Indoor Helicopter ($60) is a blast for entertaining the kids and teasing the cat. The radio controls take practice, particularly navigating forward and backward, and the craft moves rather slowly. That's not all bad because its fragile plastic and Styrofoam parts can't take a pounding. The onboard battery is good for only about seven minutes of flight and takes a half-hour to recharge. Don't try it outdoors, where a breeze can send it crashing--and keep in mind that cats can leap. David LaGesse
ODDS & ENDS
NO GREASY KID STUFF. A necessary evil with bikes: the nasty stains from those metal chains. The iXi bike ($1,000) has a greaseless belt made of ultramodern materials that drives the four-speed hub. The iXi's all-aluminum frame breaks into two pieces for easy transport, and the pedals and handlebars fold away for storage in a tight space. It's unclear if the one size, while adjustable, truly fits all--our rides found that it feels different from other bikes at first. Whether the iXi's look is fetching or odd depends on taste. David LaGesse
DELIVER US. Men won't ask for directions but love gadgets--a double win for the budget-priced Garmin StreetPilot i3 ($430). The baseball-size device attaches to a dashboard with a suction cup, pulling coordinates from GPS satellites and speaking directions to nudge the wayward. Detailed maps must first be loaded from an included disk via a PC, and the screen isn't touch sensitive--you use a wheel and buttons to navigate menus instead. The StreetPilot runs on AA batteries or plugs into the car's power port with an included adapter. The maps also pinpoint ATM s, gas stations, and restaurants, making it easier to track down the Big Boy double-decker burger we crave when traveling. David LaGesse
stocking stuffer. By now, gripping a mouse is a reflex for most of us. Why not put that modern adaptation to use in the kitchen? The Zyliss multi-mouse 3-way opener ($7) offers a comfortable grip for opening bottles, and a magnet holds it to the fridge for convenient storage. Kenneth Terrell
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