Toy With ThisToy With This

It's no secret that IT folks tend to have a certain youthful weakness for cool toys, so at this year's International Toy Fair, held last week in New York, we kept an eye out for new diversions. A few high-lights:

Radio-controlled BattleBots. For fans of Comedy Central's robotic combat program, these toaster-sized plastic replicas are nearly as cool as commanding your own killer robot. And even if you've never seen the show, who wouldn't enjoy chasing the cat or attacking a co-worker's ankles with their own version of heavyweight champ "Son of Whyachi?" (Approximate price: $30 and up; available now from Tiger Electronics.)

Themed chess sets. These are nothing new; I've owned a Simpsons set for years (you've got to love playing Bart instead of some stupid horse), and who hasn't seen those pewter Civil War arrays from the Franklin Mint?

But the newest innovation in this classic game is to set popular sports rivalries--Lakers vs. Celtics, Redskins vs. Cowboys--in motion on the checkered battlefield. My only question: In the Yankees vs. Red Sox set, does Boston automatically lose, or do we have to go through the farce of moving all the pieces? (Approximate price: $15 and up; available now from various companies.)

The R2-D2 Interactive Astromech Droid. Star Wars fanatics will flip for this 18-inch automated replica of Luke Skywalker's robotic buddy. Artoo uses speech-recognition technology to respond to 40 spoken phrases, and built-in sonar and infrared scanners help him navigate your office, home, or spacecraft.

Even cooler, Artoo's retractable arm can hold a 12-ounce beverage. Next time you're thirsty, send the droid to get you a soda, and you won't miss a moment of that pod race. (Approximate price: $100; available in September from Hasbro).