Toys That Won’t Go Away | Furby Is Back! (Insert Expletive Here)
Jake and Furby
As summer fades into the Christmas shopping season, I see an ad for the new Furby and think that I’ve fallen into some sort of strange time warp. Major retailers are starting to release their list of “must have toys” for the 2012 Christmas shopping season and my mind harkens back to the days of Cabbage Patch dolls, Tickle Me Elmo, and more recently the Zhu Zhu pets that my nieces clamored for two Christmases ago. Never did I think we would face another generation of Furbys.
Furby: Rogue Government Operative
The original toy was all the rage during the 1998 Christmas season and later earned its place in infamy by being banned by the National Security Agency because, among it’s chirps and squeaks, it had the ability to record and repeat classified information.
Hasbro has announced that the 2012 version of the toy will not only come in a variety of colors, but it will dance, sing, and speak to other Furbys in “Furbish”–it’s own language that can be translated into English if you use the associated app that comes with it. Yes, Furby comes with its own app that also lets you “flick” virtual food from your iPhone or iPad to your cute little creature. The app works by using inaudible tones to communicate with your Furby or other Furbies in the area.
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Like its predecessor, the new Furby has a personality that adapts and changes based on how you treat it. According to the manufacturer’s web site “as you tickle, feed or play music for your Furby, its personality will change.” The new version also has more ability to move, interact and even has LED-displays for eyes that allow for more expressions.
New Furby: The Most Important Thing Parents Should Know
Parents beware: CNET News reveals that, although the new Furby has been upgraded with more features, the list of features still does not include an on/off switch. So if you, or your child, grow tired of your new little buddy, you’d better be prepared to shut it in a drawer or somewhere else until it falls asleep.
The new Furby retails for about $60 and you can find your own here on Amazon.
Category: Parenting/Family
About the Author (Author Profile)
Wade is the father of a fifteen-year-old, a one-year-old and is expecting another baby very soon. He is the host of the "Fathers Over Forty" podcast. A former long-distance cyclist, weight loss guru and master gardener, Wade is sport-challenged, television-averse and constantly worried that his Man Cave pass might be revoked. When not at his full time job doing assistive technology for people with disabilities, he's reading, cooking, or spending time outdoors with his kids and his beautiful wife, Jenny. Connect with Wade at: http://www.FathersOverForty.com or on Twitter at: @FOFortySubscribe
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HAHAH! Loved this post. I had the EXACT SAME FEELING when I saw my 4 year old running toward them in the store this year. Since we have a 23 and 20 year old, we already made the Furby round thankyouverymuch.
And, DUDE! $70?!? WTH?
/jackie
WAIT.A.MINUTE. You can flick food at it from your phone?!? Well, this changes EVERYTHING.
LOL.
I still have my Furby from ’98 or ’99, but sadly he is dead :( we tried putting in new batteries and he still doesn’t work. We also bought one for my aunt and it used to be fun to watch the two interact with each other.