(Mickey) mousing around with Disney cameras

A new Disney line of digital cameras and camcorders will let kids snap their own pictures when visiting Mickey--or simply edit him into an old photo.

The line, which launched Thursday, includes cameras, camcorders and a keychain picture locket. The products have simple features, Disney character tie-ins and limited capability, which probably makes them better-suited for younger children more than curious 11-year-olds.

The products are immediately available at retailers, according to Disney. The cameras and camcorders come with child-friendly Disney Pix photo/video software for the computer.

The most sophisticated and pricey devices are the Disney Pix Max Digital Camera ($79.99) and the Disney Princess Digital Movie Maker camcorder ($79.99). The Pix Max is the most powerful camera in the line, offering 3 megapixels, a 1.5-inch LCD screen and auto-flash. There is also some limited in-camera editing in the form of picture frames. It runs on two AA batteries.

Its camcorder equivalent, the Disney Princess Digital Movie Maker, has 32MB of memory and a built-in microphone and can take video at 640-by-480-pixel resolution. It also comes with a docking station and the Disney Pix software so kids can add animation, sound effects and music geared toward Disney themes.

The next camera in the line, the Pix Click Digital Camera ($49.99), can hold up to 200 photos, which it takes in VGA resolution (640-by-480 pixels). There is a 1-inch LCD, auto-flash and TV output for photo slide shows.

The Disney Pix Micro camera ($19.99) is 6.5 inches by 2.5 inches by 1 inch, shoots in CIF digital resolution (low) and holds 24 images. This budget option camera has no flash, a status-only LCD display and takes one AAA battery. It is clearly intended for young children.

One peripheral rounds out the collection: a tiny digital keychain locket with a 1.1-inch LCD screen. It holds 50 photos and uses two AA batteries.

Disney has been steadily developing electronics for children, as well as pushing the limits of child-related technology. Most recently, Disney cancelled plans to provide parents with GPS child-tracking in the U.K.

[fear_and_loathing]

As much as I love Disneyland...

(I'm a season passholder)
The rides are now almost secondary to the gift shops and the
merchandising.
Remember when the all they sold in the carts positioned around
the park was popcorn, drinks and ice cream...? Now it's pins
(their big thing right now), all sorts of glowing crap and
timeshare condos!
I like the idea of digi cameras since they're at least usefull in
(and out of) the park, but can we PLEASE lose the glowing
drumsticks that have nothing whatsoever to do with DL, and
those damn glowing light sabre type things. I hate having to
bob and weave my way throught the park because of all the
brats swinging them around.