Feature: Hot-selling tech toys

November 22, 2005

From the iPod to the Xbox, Robosapien V2 Robot and Amazing Amanda Interactive Baby Doll, there are a number of tech toys that are expected to be hot sellers this year.

Various search engines have been reporting in early search figures for popular items including such search services as comparative-shopping engine Smarter.com, which came out with a "Holiday Hot List" Tuesday.

"Year-after-year, consumer electronics products dominate holiday wish lists and all indications show that consumer electronics retailers are in for another strong holiday season," said Talmadge O'Neill, co-founder of Smarter.com.

Smarter's tech list includes:

-- Microsoft Xbox 360, which has been getting positive reaction from users since its release midnight on Monday for its movie-quality, high-definition graphics.

-- Apple iPod Nano in black. This 4GB, 1,000-song model starts at $199 and is characterized by its pencil-thin body.

-- Sony CyberShot DSC-T7 Digital Camera. The thinnest of the Cyber-shot series yet, the DSC-T7 from Sony features 5.1 megapixel image capture, a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with 3X optical zoom and 5 area multi-point auto focus, all in a 5/8 of an inch thick camera body.

-- Motorola RAZRV3 Cellular Phone. Motorola has had strong sales with the Motorola RAZR. The RAZR boast features such as Bluetooth, MP3 ringtones and a built-in camera. It is known for its pencil-thin clean lines.

-- Robosapien V2 Robot. The Robosapien Robot is a full-function fast-moving robot with features that include real, multi-speed fast dynamic walking, running and turning; fast, full-functioning arms with two types of grippers; 67 pre-programmed functions including pick-up, throw, kick, sweep, dance, rap, and half a dozen kung-fu moves.

-- Panasonic TH-42PD50U 42" Plasma Television. This TV is the latest addition to Panasonic's Viera consumer plasma television lineup and is a direct replacement of the 5th generation TH-42PD25U EDTV plasma -- which Smarter.com says was the best-selling plasma TV in America last year.

-- Amazing Amanda Interactive Baby Doll. Amazing Amanda has voice recognition, sensory technology and articulated animatronics. She comes with a variety of accessories to which she reacts in an intelligent manner -- recognizing what each item is.

-- Sony DCR-DVD403 DVD Handycam Camcorder. Features high-resolution imaging with a 3.3 megapixel advanced HAD CCD imager. Takes digital video, but also detailed digital still photographs. Handycam records Dolby Digital 5.1 Channel surround sound with the built-in microphone. Other features include built-in flash and Super NightShot Infrared System to help record in low-light situations.

Search engine Lycos also released Tuesday its sixth annual list of the most popular toys and video games this holiday season, topping which were such items as PlayStation, iPod, Xbox, NeoPets and Sims.

Dean Tsouvalas, writer of The Lycos 50 top search list, said, "For the fifth consecutive year, the PlayStation gaming platforms remain more popular than all other gaming platforms, edging out Xbox, and generating three times as many searches as the Nintendo gaming systems. But this year, it's all about portable. Portable and mobile gaming systems like The PSP PlayStation Portable, and the handheld Nintendo DS, are far more popular than their table-top counterparts."

Lycos said that making its first-ever appearance on this year's top 50 searches list is Apple's iPod. Searches for iPod are up 2,300 percent over this time last year, with the iPod Mini and iPod Nano generating the bulk of the searches, according to the search engine.

Tsouvalas added that as for video games, this marks the first year that Star Wars' themed games failed to make the top 10 list. Also missing from this year's top 10 video games list are any sports-themed games. But for the first time ever, a massive multi-player game comes in as the No. 1 searched video game, with the overwhelming popularity of RuneScape.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International