Handhelds for Teens

Maxverse Interactive, a subsidiary of Toymax International Inc.,
debuted two interactive, wireless devices for teens Tuesday at Toy
Fair 2001. These devices are designed to allow users to connect,
share information, communicate, and be entertained, according to
the company.

The device called Wirefly is being touted by the company as the
first true wireless personal assistant marketed for teens. The
palm-sized device has several features, according to the company,
that should specifically appeal to teens.

These applications include
mobile instant messaging, paging, and interactive gaming. The
devices personal information management (PIM) functionality is
tailored towards teenage lifestyle needs. Wirefly has an open slot
for interactive gaming, an MP3 player, an FM tuner, digital camera,
and other accessories.

The second device, dubbed MaxPod, is a multi-platform,
multi-player gaming device. It is being introduced featuring Webbot
Challenge, the first in a series of interactive games from Maxverse.

Players can transition
seamlessly, according to Maxverse, from playing the game on handhelds, PC’s, and the
Internet. Interactive gaming aspects such as a character’s skills or talents are tranferred
from one platform to another.

Maxpod uses proprietary technology from Maxverse to compress data, making play
suitable for most Internet connection speeds. The company provided no pricing or
availability information.