Back-to-School Savior?

Electronic News, Sept 3, 2001

FROM ALL REPORTS, COMPUTER AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS MAKers are probably feeling even worse about the whole back-to-school thing than all of those kids who frolicked with their friends all summer long (see story, page 1). But there's a chance that toy maker Hasbro Inc. of Pawtucket, R.I., is turning on the light at the end of the tunnel with a gadget that's got all the makings of a revenue-juicing, full-on toy mania.

The story begins here: "While examining meteorites, scientists awaken aggressive alien DNA. The DNA infiltrates the scientists' nano-bots (microscopic cybernetic organisms) and POX is born." The basic idea-and since we're all adults here we don't pretend to truly understand - is that within each POX handheld electronic gadget is a creature grown from the DNA of aliens that does battle with the creatures inside any of the POX games nearby. What electronics are being utilized to make all this happen? Try as we might, we couldn't by press time get any information on possible RE ICs, boards, displays, microcontrollers, flash or other nonvolatile memory and assorted other components that may be needed to make it all work off a couple of batteries.