6 Great New Finds For Kids

Six great new finds for kids include (clockwise from top left)Did iDunphy's Naugahyde Indoor Skateboards, Boon's Faucet protector/deflector and bubble bath dispenser, the Mod Rocker by Iglooplay, faux leather Teddy Bear Bookends, DIY lamps and The Fresco, the new award winning modern tech highchair from Bloom.

To purchase, simply click on the image below

See more of my If it's hip, it's here. list at ThisNext.

Cuckoo for Cuckoo Clocks: Many Modern Versions Of The Traditional

What is a Cuckoo Clock?
A cuckoo clock is a clock, typically pendulum driven, that strikes the hours using small bellows and pipes that imitate the call of the Common Cuckoo in addition to striking a wire gong. The mechanism to produce the cuckoo call was installed in almost every kind of cuckoo clock since the middle of the eighteenth century and has remained almost without variation until the present.

This Christmas' Must Have Toy: Pleo

Wouldn't you like to be the coolest parent (or grandparent or Aunt or Uncle) this holiday season?

Then get on board with what will be the hottest purchase this holiday. It's Pleo, the adorable, computerized, 'smart' toy brought to you by the same creator of Furby. At $349.00 the price may actually go up if demand is like that for hot toys in the past. It isn't avialable until October in the US, but you can pre-order now.

You may laugh at my thinking about Christmas gifts in June, but I can assure you this one will be a nightmare to attempt to find once it's hit the market.

Read on and learn why it's an unusual, inventive, adorable toy.



Pleo, a one week-old dinosaur, is a robotic marvel and the newest member of your family! Pleo interacts with you – moving organically, expressing emotion, autonomously exploring and responding to the world around him. Each Pleo has a unique personality that develops based on Pleo’s life experiences with you.




On Pleoworld.com owners connect, find training tips and download new enhancements to Pleo. Pleo’s sophisticated sensory system has devices that enable him to hear, to see, to sense touch, and to detect objects: a color camera, sound sensors, two infrared sensors, 14 motors, over 100 gears, eight touch sensors, and an orientation sensor.




Every Pleo is unique. Yes, each one begins life as a newly-hatched baby Camarasaurus*, but that's where predictability ends and individuality begins. Pleo doesn't just do what he's told. He develops his own personality, moods, and habits—all shaped by the time he spends with you. In creating this Life Form, we merely set the wheels in motion. Making the magic is up to you and Pleo.



*What is a Camarasaurus?
Camarasaurus was a late-Jurassic North American herbivore, 60 feet long in adulthood, and just Pleo's size as a newborn.



What comes in the box:
Every Pleo life form Includes
Companion guide
Training leaf
Authenticity ID Card
NiMH replaceable, rechargeable battery pack
AC charger



Measurements
Pleo: 20.7" L x 6.0" W x 7.5" H. (3.5 lbs.)
Shipping Box: 24.0” x 10.0” x 8.0: (5.0lbs)








How Do They Do It?




Significant Processing Power
32-bit Microprocessors – central and image processing
8-bit Subprocessors – motor control

Highly Articulated Movement
14 Motors
Over 100 custom-designed gears

Complex Sensory Network
Camera-based vision system – light detection and navigation
Microphones – binaural hearing
Skin sensors – head, chin, shoulders, back, feet
Foot switches – surface detection
Force-feedback sensors – one per joint
Orientation tilt sensor – body position
Infrared mouth sensor – object detection

Multiple Data Ports
Mini USB™ port – online downloads
SD™ card slot – Pleo add-ons
Infrared transceiver – Pleo-to-Pleo communications

High-Quality Sound
2 Speakers – mouth and back

Power Source
Rechargeable and replaceable NiMH battery pack

To see him moving, click here.


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Not intended for children under the age of 8.

PLEO’s NiMH battery recharges in four hours, which provides approx. one hour of operation.

Pleo will be available in the United States in October 2007.

Available for purchase and pre-order now ($349.00 USD), click here.