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CNET Live: Get annihilated by the Frag Dolls

Around the set of CNET Live, there isn't much estrogen. Well, except for behind the scenes (the ladies rock the control room). This week, we not only get some more women but ones who know how to kick some major gaming tail!

Team captain Rhoulette and her cohort Seppuku of the Frag Dolls are going to be giving strategy tips and tricks to Tom while playing Rainbow Six: Vegas on the Xbox 360. They also are going to show that women can game harder and look better doing it than any guy out there!

Also in this edition, Tom … Read more

Webkinz.com: How much is that doggy in the virtual window?

Throw away those beanie babies; they are old news. There is a new sheriff in munchkin town.

Webkinz.com is a Web site children can join and interact in an online society while adopting a physical representation of the pet. The catch is that a Webkinz stuffed animal must be purchased first, followed by entering the "secret code" found on an attached tag. The cute plush toys have been quite popular, grossing over $45 million last year for Canadian gift company Ganz, the creators of Webkinz. Like its TY Beanie-Baby predecessor, Webkinz also has a high collection value, … Read more

Barbie plays a new tune

The only thing surprising about this product is that it didn't come out sooner. After all, even though Barbie is well into middle age (she turned 48 in March), she remains one of the most popular toys in the world.

So it's fitting that Mattel bring this enduring icon into the digital age the "Barbie Girl MP3" player for another generation of tween consumers that marketers covet so much. Not only will the $60 doll-slash-player hold at least 512MB worth of Hilary Duff's greatest hits, but Techie Diva says it also continues to the Barbie … Read more

$3,000 for a cuddly social-networking toy?

In the '80s, it was the Cabbage Patch doll. In the 1990s, Beanie Babies.

What better toy to rule the millennium age than with a social-networking stuffed animal? A relatively Web-savvy concept by gift company Ganz, these plushies hope to usher in elementary-level children into the Web 2.0 realm.

Webkinz--stuffed animals that also live virtually through avatars that interact with others in their own online world--have become increasingly popular since their introduction in 2005. Like Beanie Babies, certain they're available for a only limited time, then retired. On eBay, the retired Webkinz Cheeky Pet Dog and Cat … Read more

'Laser Scissors' light their own path

The only question we have about this item is why it's carried on sites with names like Stupidiotic and Fashionfunky--both of which imply something pejorative or embarrassing.

We, by contrast, freely admit that we love the idea of these "Laser Scissors," which Gearfuse says ensures a straight cut every time. The scissors project a laser from Point A to Point B, obviating the need for rulers and faint pencil lines.

Lest there be any doubt about the value of such an invention, just ask any parent who has volunteered to help out in their kids' preschool … Read more

Put your face on a doll

The "Never-miss-me-again" doll is so creepy, it makes Teddy Ruxpin seem like a Care Bear.

If you must, Popgadget says that Swiss company Bumbi has these dolls with slots for a photo of any face you like. There is also a recording device that allows the wool doll to carry a message recorded in your voice.

Barbie gets a techy makeover, still dresses fabulously

I haven't checked in with Barbie since I was about 10, but apparently a lot has happened since then. Barbie's sartorial choices notwithstanding (satin halter tops?), the fact is, she's getting kind of geeky.

At the American International Toy Fair going on this week in New York, Mattel introduced a Barbie that connects to an MP3 player and can sing the songs that are playing AND answer the phone. OK, the Chat Divas Barbie Doll doesn't actually sing, she lip syncs and dances to the music. But when the phone rings, you can hold the receiver … Read more