"Toys like spy glasses and laser tag sets have been transformed... because of the addition of technology that records daytime and night vision video, the spy glasses ...could actually perform serious surveillance"
...“'We know that kids are going to play with technology, with iPhones and iPads and Android devices,' said Chuck Scothon, senior vice president for marketing for Mattel’s North America division. 'Our job is to not necessarily avoid that, but if you can’t fix it, feature it.'
"... More than a third of children 8 years old and younger use mobile devices like iPads or smartphones, a recent study from Common Sense Media found, and about a quarter of children ages 5 to 8 multitask with their digital devices most or some of the time.
"While toy makers have tried to modernize their products for years, this is the industry’s most aggressive integration of tech.
"... most toy makers had a disappointing 2011.
..."And the main item retailers could not seem to keep in stock last year was a tablet computer for children, the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer.
"So Mattel’s new Barbie has a lens in her back; children point the doll at an image, and press a button on Barbie’s belt to take a photo. The image then appears on the front of Barbie’s T-shirt. The photos can also be downloaded to a computer.
"'The future of play is trending towards a seamless integration between a physical toy and digital add-ons,' said Laura Phillips, senior vice president for toys and seasonal merchandise at Walmart, in an e-mail. “This innovation is extremely important to keeping kids engaged and keeping toys more relevant.”
"Toys like spy glasses and laser tag sets have been transformed. Now, because of the addition of technology that records daytime and night vision video, the spy glasses made by Jakks Pacific, called Spy Net Multi Vision Goggles, could actually perform serious surveillance. And Hasbro’s Laser Tag of yore, when children ran around and pointed toy guns at one another, has been replaced by children pointing iPhones instead. Players place the iPhone in a gun, and the iPhone display — via an app — shows live video of whatever is ahead overlaid with graphics. When the trigger is pulled, lasers appear."
