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Getting technical

By Staff -- Gifts and Dec, 2/8/2006 5:30:00 AM

A super laptop Oregon Scientific,Tualatin,Ore., continue their partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products with the Superman Laptop Advance. The Laptop is recommended for ages 5 and up and will be released along with the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film, Superman Returns, this summer. A newer version will also be introduced for children ages 3 and older and will include eight learning activities with an ALPHA keyboard. The laptop includes a LCD screen with activities in math, logic, memory and spelling with 30 activities in English and 30 activities in Spanish. Kids can wave their hand above the lid to activate the classic Superman song and pop open the lid.An internal antenna within the lid functions with sensor technology, detects a hand’s natural heat and electromagnetic field and activates the lid to spring into action (SRP $59.99).www2.oregonscientific.com.

	Three is a charm The Tamagotchi King announces the launch of TamagotchiTown in the new digitized pet toy, Tamagotchi Connection Version 3, Bandai American, Cypress, Calif. Thenew citycan be visited online only, all of its adorable citizens recently joined together to host an official ribbon cutting ceremony. The toy continues to feature “Gotchi” points and secret codes for shopping, as well as infrared technology that allows owners to “connect” their pets together to play games and trade gifts with one another. Tamagotchi Connection Version 3 includes three new games (for a total of five games), and 20 more characters (for a total of 52). New colors and design styles include Tropical Green Flowers, Jungle Camouflage, Ice Cream, Oceanic Wave, Metallic Silver and Translucent Yellow (SRP of$14.99). www.tamagotchi.com.

Keying in The PC- and Mac-based game, Giggles Computer Funtime For Baby keyboard tapping software from Leveractive,Rochester,N.Y., encourages children to tap, and getting familiar with, the keys on the keyboard. They are rewarded with instant feedback on-screen like dancing animals, sounds, flying and spinning shapes as in the first title, Shapes. Each title (SRP $24.95) includes 14 activities, more than 50 songs in five musical categories—shapes includes a second bonus CD with a limited edition screensaver version of the software. Currently, there are plans to release a total of 10 different titles in the series, including: My Animal Friends, Funny Faces and Around My House, which will be released over the next three years. www.giggles.net.

	It’s a deal Players can get closer to the TV show, Deal or No Deal with hand-held and tabletop versions of the games from itoys,New York. In the game, contestants try to win $1 million by choosing 26 sealed briefcases filled with one penny to $1 million. The four-player, tabletop (SRP $34.99) version of Deal or No Deal and the one-player hand-held game (SRP $14.99), will be available this summer. www.irwintoy.com.

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To be included in the Product Showcase, Playthings must receive a press release with product image of the new and/or upcoming toy. The image must be suitable for the Web and it must be a product shot out-of-box. Be sure to include the product's SRP. What products go into the showcase is at the sole discretion of the editorial staff. Send materials to associate editor Tina Benitez at tina.benitez@reedbusiness.com. We will not accept hard copy; electronic files only.

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