Your Technology

By Anita Hamilton

MOUSING AROUND ON THE PC

If you wanted to get kids excited about computers, you could take the time and trouble to design first-rate software that really turned them on. Or you could make computer mice shaped like cartoon characters. That's what Delta Millennium has done. Their mice are available in Mickey Mouse, Lion King, Little Mermaid and other Disney motifs for $40 each.

A PIG WITH PERFECT TIMING

Looking for an interactive toy that knows when to shut up? Real Live Babe ($40), from Equity Marketing, is a plush pig that cracks wise, sings songs and makes chewing noises while it eats--all in synch with the time of day. Babe asks for pancakes in the morning, plays games in the afternoon and sings lullabies at night. With more than 100 recorded phrases and songs, this porker should amuse kids without driving parents totally insane. Best feature? Babe falls asleep at 9 p.m. and never wakes up before 6 a.m.

THE BIKE PATH'S EASY RIDERS

What's the latest in bipedal transportation? How about relatively affordable ($500 or less) "comfort bikes" with cushy seats, fat tires and--get this--automatic gears. At the Interbike show in Las Vegas this week, Shimano will demonstrate its new Auto-D electronic-shifting system on bikes from Bianci, Schwinn, GT and others. The digital derailleur always starts off in the lowest gear and automatically shifts when a rider pedals faster or slower. It even has a parking-mode feature that locks the wheels until you enter a secret code to release them.

--By Anita Hamilton