Cell Phone Doubles As Toy Car Remote ControlCell Phone Doubles As Toy Car Remote Control

Motorola Inc. may have the perfect handset for toy-car enthusiasts.

The Schaumberg, Ill., company on Friday unveiled an iDen handset with a built-in remote control for a toy car built by Nikko Co. Ltd. The mobile phone uses wireless technology from Freescale Semiconductor to communicate with the 1/16-scale Wireless Wheels toy.

Using the Motorola iDen, a person can view simulations of the car's movement via animation on the phone's screen, hear the engine start and the tires squeal, and feel the phone vibrate in his hand "like the steer wheel of a race car," Motorola said in a statement released at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. In addition, the push-to-talk button serves as a "turbo boost" for rapid acceleration.

"It's the fusion of mobile technology and toys," Peter Aloumanis, a general manager in Motorola's U.S. Markets Division, said in a statement. "Motorola is exploring new applications for short-range wireless communication technologies -- and is having fun while doing it."

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