Gadgetory

hey Bridget just came in free it's another one of those high-tech toys okay Cabbage Patch baby so real interactive baby lifelike just like a real baby we'll see about that how can a high-tech baby compared to a real baby to find out I put it to the test at our CNET labs let's start with those eyes it's the main attraction to the Cabbage Patch Kids baby so real doll priced at nearly $100 the LCD screens animate expressions indicating if the baby is sad laughing surprised or happy glowing eyes mean you'll never lose your baby in the dark to compare my real baby adds more expressions the more you play with her I can expect software updates for the rest of my life no need to decipher baby cries the doll tells you exactly what it wants with cutesy phrases you're in fact she will stop talking asking for diaper changes bottles burps and tickle she'll even do it when she needs medicine with glowing red cheeks my real baby cries out when she needs something but at least she'll give you a break in a smile when she's feeling better the doll finds nourishment in a special pink plastic bottle which must be placed in just the right spot in the mouth for the sensor to activate feeding sounds my real baby is a boss she can hold her own bottle although the experience can be a little messy diaper changes with the doll are simple there's a sensor on the waistband that knows when a diaper is removed and put back on the doll but the doll lacks that realistic diaper charm getting the doll to sleep is simple rocket in your arms or just leave it on a table and walk away slowly until it starts to snore the doll does have an off switch in the back but real baby does not come with an off button or removable batteries for when you need a break if you need some guidance on how to make your doll happy you can open up her smartphone app it connects to the doll via bluetooth an animated version of your doll tells you what the doll needs real baby does not come with an app or Bluetooth or any tooth for that matter but of course when you add technology to toys there's more room for things to go wrong off-camera I accidentally dropped the doll and broke it the eyelids wouldn't open and close anymore if it happens to you the company said it will replace the doll because the toy was designed to withstand three-year-olds from our lab tests we can conclude that we're entering a new era for playtime I'm not sure if stuffing a doll with sensors necessarily makes for a better toy for now I'll be keeping busy with my real baby and maybe in a few years when she asks me for her own robot baby I hope it'll come with removable batteries for CNET I'm Bridget Carey