 | June 1, 2000 |
The kids are all CONNECTED
GADGETS: Wireless device makes bid for youth market
Outside of business, people haven't had much use for PDAs and handheld computers. But could kids be more receptive to the possibilities of convergence? A company called Cybiko certainly thinks so.
At May's E3 Expo, the company showed its eponymous product, a brightly colored handheld device aimed at the youth market. Cybiko calls its $129 machine a "wireless, portable entertainment and communications system," a dry but accurate description for a system whose capabilities are destined to drive teachers out of their minds.
Cybiko-carrying kids will be able to chat, send email messages, and engage in multiplayer games with other Cybiko users in their vicinity, regardless of walls and ceilings. As each unit links up to others within a radius of up to 300 feet, kids will form on-the-fly proximity-based networks. That's similar to what Bluetooth promises, but Cybiko's protocol is proprietary; using the 902-928-MHz frequency band, the protocol offers a 19.2 kbit/sec data rate.
Among the machine's teen-friendly features, an electronic matchmaking service—teens can make their vital statistics available to the network, and also search for others who might suit their tastes. The Cybiko vibrates when a hot prospect comes within range. Similarly, kids can define a list of friends and rig the device to alert them when a buddy comes near.
The device doesn't attach to the Internet directly, but it does plug into a PC to sync up with a PC email program and download games and other programs. The company also announced a plug-in MP3-player/FM radio/voice-recorder accessory, as well as memory expansion modules, both of which plug into the bottom of the unit.
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