The 2009 Toy Show

The 2009 Toy Show which is put on by the Toy Industry Association just ended in New York City. This year high-tech toys and budget-conscious toys that cost less than $30 were predicted to be the big hits for the 2009 holiday season. Many of the toys are designed for adults, so let's take a grown-up look at some of these high-tech gadgets for 2009.

AquaVista 500 Computerized Fish Tank
This is an ideal gift for anyone who has ever wanted an aquarium of tropical fish but does not want all the up-keep that goes along with it. This fish tank comes complete with an embedded LCD panel that allows you to maintain the temperature, filtration, oxygen levels and lighting within the tank. The sleek unit measures 26" x 26" x 4" and hangs on your wall like a flat screen TV. The cost of this unique high-tech fish tank is $330 making it an ideal gift for high-tech enthusiasts who would like a low maintenance pet.

If you work inside one of those small, boring office cubicles, here are a few toys that are designed to break the monotony. These are described as "toys for cubicle warriors":

USB Laser-Guided Missile Launcher
You can defend your turf within your own little cubicle with this laser-guided missile launcher. You can shoot at targets on your own PC, shooting out foam-tipped missiles or you could even launch a mortar-style attack at neighboring cubicles. Just don't let the boss see you playing when you should be working.

Megatech Mega Missile Launcher
If firing off a salvo of missiles doesn't do the job within your network of cubicles, here is a Megatech toy that ups the level of the game. This tank-type toy carries a full load of 10 foam missiles and you can launch all of them at one time or fire them singly from the rotating turret. Defending the borders of your cubicle was never so much fun.

Airzooka
If you prefer a more stealthy attack that leaves no evidence behind, then Airzooka is just the gadget for your. You can fire balls of air up to 20 feet without leaving a trace of evidence behind. The best part is you will never run out of ammo.

Custom Bobblehead
Be the envy of everyone in your cubicle zone. Now you can upload pictures of yourself to Bobblehead's website and have a hand-crafted statue of yourself to display on your desktop. You can choose from several body types to match your own. This monument to self also makes an ideal place to store your iphone.

Rubik's Cube Goes High Tech
If you are one of those who could never seem to master the Rubik's Cube, this is a high tech version for you. Techno Source has come up with Rubik's TouchCube which will give you hints along the way as you try to solve the puzzle. The cube will be available this fall and expected to fetch $150 each.

With the kids in mind, Crayola has come up with Crayola's 3D Sidewalk Chalk
What is it that provides the 3D effect to classic sidewalk chalk? It's the goofy 3D glasses of course. You can purchase the basic kit for about $8 or the deluxe kit for $50.

Thames and Kosmos has produced about 11 science kits for kids. One of the kits is a hydrogen car. This tiny toy vehicle which is fuel-cell powered, along with the other science kits "helps teach children about wind power, space exploration, genetics and DNA".

You can learn more about all these new toys and high-tech gadgets by visiting this website: 2009 Toy Fair

Source:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/159762/2009_toy_fair_tech_toys_rule_at_nyc_toy_confab.html