Kids & 'toys'

My headline should actually be "Kids & electronics." The latter stole the show at the American International Toy Fair in New York, the Los Angeles Times reports. One toy industry publisher said he doesn't even call it a toy fair anymore. On the floor cell phones, digital video cameras, walkie-talkies, edu-game systems, and digital "pets" were the hot new items. "Even the most old-fashioned of toys, such as stuffed animals, are getting electronic makeovers," according to the Times. Such as Mattel's Elmo and Winnie the Pooh plush toys, which - for $39.99 - allow a parent to use computer software and a USB cord to configure them to know their child's name, sing his or her favorite song, and say, "it's time for your nap."