I truly feel like one of the luckiest moms in the whole world because I actually got to go to the Toy Wishes Toy Fair for work! What a day! From the look on my face in this picture (me and the guitar) you can see that I was having fun.

The room was filled with the best of the best for the holiday season, and I was very impressed. Following are some picks that stood out as exceptional toys, and they all meet my HiTechMommy seal of approval. This means I think they’re innovative, mind-expanding, easy to understand, have longevity and are overall cool.

Although there were about 30 that I loved, these really grabbed my attention and made me want to start my holiday shopping right away.

1.Eye-Clops from JAKKS Pacific, Retails for around $49.99
Ages 6 and up
This ultimate electronic magnifier brings the reality of everyday objects to life at 200 times their size. It easily plugs into the television to broadcast everything you can find up close and personal, for a science lesson or just plain fun.

2.iCoaster, Retails for around $79.99
Ages 6 and up
The iCoaster takes construction toys to another level. This magnetic roller-coaster set offers 10 unique design possibilities. Once assembled, the metal-ball “cars” shuttle through the coaster at exciting speeds using magnetic force. Kids can also create a coaster soundtrack using a Sound FX and Music Studio.

3.Squawkers McCaw the Furreal Friends Parrot,  Retails for around $69.99
Ages 5 and up
AI like we’ve never seen before! Through voice recognition, animatronics and programmable features, this lifelike parrot can repeat words, respond to preprogrammed questions like “Are you hungry?” and learn to respond to new commands. He can even dance.

4.American Idol Talent Challenge, Retails for around $49.99
Ages 8 and up
This interactive karaoke-esque game brings competition from the stage direct to your living room. It’s easy to set up and store, and family and friends alike can enjoy practicing with the idols or singing solo.

5.Pixel Chix Roomies House, Retails for around $29.99
Ages 3 and up
Miniature dollhouse features virtual 3D roommate characters that compete in an interactive game. Pixel Chix Roomies encourages girls to use their imaginations, along with technology that enables gaming and Internet connectivity, for excitement and fun.

6.Fisher-Price Easy Link Internet Launch Pad, Retails for around $29.99
Ages 3 and up
This product offers an innovative way to introduce children to the Internet safely through timeless characters they already love. Kids can plug an Easy Link character smart key into the launch pad to automatically access their favorite kid-friendly Web sites—and only those Web sites.

7.Power Tour Electric Guitar, , Retails for around $69.99
Ages 10 and up
This sleek and super-realistic electric guitar strives to teach your little rocker how to play. Kids can learn to play six different rock classics or connect to an MP3 player to play along with their favorite songs.
 
8.Crayola TaDoodles Washable First Marks, Retails for around $5.99
Ages 18 months and up
Tiny-finger friendly markers designed for toddlers’ first full palm grasp. The cute egg-shaped characters are perfectly balanced so they can tip and tilt, but not topple! Washable and non-toxic, moms can rest easy as their toddler plays.

9.Rubik’s Revolution, Retails for around $19.99
Ages 5 to 105
A new twist on a classic toy favorite. Rubik’s Revolution tests both speed and smarts with six built-in games that feature voice, lights and sound effects. With multiple levels, the interactive cube challenges both your mind and your dexterity.

10.Make Your Own Monster, Retails for around $249
Ages 3 and up
This is a one-of-a-kind gift that you can’t get anywhere else. The Make-My-Own-Monster kit champions children’s creativity, allowing them to finally bring their imaginary friends to life.
 
Over the coming weeks I'll reveal more of what was hot and even give you reviews as I start receiving the products and testing them.
 

Hi.  I'm Cat Schwartz.  I've been reporting on gadgets and technology for 10 years and now I am partnering with eBay as their Gadget and Toy Director! 

To get things started, there are a few things you should know about me. I'm a mom of a 15-month old-son, Jack.  Being a parent is an inspiration to me and often the catalyst to the gadgets and toys I play with.  I live in Los Angeles and travel about 10-15 days out of each month, while also trying to maintain a stay-at-home parenting style.  I also like to go out on the town and check out new music, movies, and anything else that makes me open my mind. 

On this blog I'll be lending my insight on hot tech and toy trends, great ways to look for good deals and an inside look at my journey through life as a gadget junkie.

Let’s take a quick look at what gadgets I have in my purse right at this moment, shall we?  Ah yes!  The flip video!  This little video camera has become one of my favorite gadgets because it allows me to capture the amazing moments that Jack experiences and easily share them with the world.  The camera's small size allows me to throw it into any bag I may be using for the day.  You can record up to an hour of video with an easy-to-use set of buttons, then simply flip out the built in USB connection to dump videos onto your computer.  The resolution is 640x480, which is not that high, but looks good on the net and has YouTube addicts very excited.  That connection also loads software onto your computer so that the camera's content is super easy to work with.  For just over $100 (and even cheaper on eBay), this has become my newest obsession.


Pure Digital Flip Video Camcorder

As far as phones go, I'm sort of embarrassed to tell you what I'm using at the moment.  Well, not embarrassed, but I just feel silly... see, I'm rockin' the Sidekick II.  I know, I know.  It came out like 20 years ago and there are so many cooler Sidekicks out now.  The thing is--I have it all set up with programs I've downloaded and ring tones I like.  Don't worry, I'm getting the new Luxury (or Sidekick LX) version as soon as it comes out because I LOVE this device and depend on it more than anything.  I think the design is wonderful, especially the keyboard, for someone like me who types entire emails while stuck in traffic or in a line somewhere. The newer version is slimmer, has a better digital camera, and will allow you to listen to music and edit documents.  Purrrrrrrrr

Sidekick ii

I'm a lady who likes to be prepared for any situation and who has a deep appreciation for gadgets shaped like Japanese animation characters!  I never know when I'm going to need to grab a file from one computer and take it to the next so I'm always packing a Mimoco USB storage device.  Get one that holds from 1 to 4 gigs of info and keep him safe in his key chain sleeve.  They're so darn cute and extremely practical. 

 

Vimobot Jolibear

Beyond the world of what’s in my bag, a question I'm being asked a lot lately is "What's going to be the TMX Elmo of this holiday season?"  I'm not exactly seeing one particular toy at this point, but the Toy Wishes Toy Fair is just around the corner and I hope to find a nugget or two there.  I will tell you that a very hot trend I'm seeing is toys that connect to the net.  I'm very much into allowing kids to play with the Internet at early ages, fully supervised of course; because I think it's inevitably a part of their education, so why not get to it! Check out my next entry for more news and notes on my fave tech and toy trends. Thanks for stopping by!