Reflections

Toy inventors

From the Automata to the Furby, it is clear that there is so much more to a toy than just being a child's play thing; these objects are usually well thought out and require both engineering and programming skills- Mechanics are still highly important to toys in this digital age because it makes toys 'interactive' on a physical level- because for some reason the ability of objects to move amuses people. While the programming aspect is highly important to the development or 'smartness' of a toy.  Therefore, toys in itself are pieces of technology that not only should one not disregard. The ‘value’ of a toy lies not only in its physical, final product, but as a culmination of the development of the toy and the people working to develop these toys, which many people fail to appreciate. Unfortunately this is the case with many products in our commercialised, capitalist economy- we seldom think beyond the physical product that we buy, and only see the value of an item in regard to how it interacts with our own personal lives.   

Life imitating Art?

Can toys be considered 'art' that imitates life? The Mechanical Animals section explored how interactive or 'smart' toys reflect mimesis. These toys not only conjure up an imaginary realm that the toys, as objects are 'real' to the person who owns them, it is also an imitation of the existing world that we live in. As a snide, ironic take to this however, it can be said that the Furby evokes "anti-mimesis" where life imitates art instead. Because the Furby is so alien and completely different from any life form that we can conceive, and its behavior so erratic, its owners tend to end up 'imitating' it, whether in trying to communicate, speaking in furbish to the toy, or as an annoyed reaction of frustration to this toy which more often than not has completely no regard for its owner - this drives some people quite crazy.

From expensive to commercial

Another trend in the making of toys which can be observed is that many of them seem to evolve from technologies that were once expensive and 'exclusive'. For example, radio technology and microprocessors, where technologies that stemmed from and recieved huge funding during wars for military technological development. They could not successfully be used in toys until the industry found ways to mass produce them at a low cost: case in point: complicated purely mechanical like Karakuri and Automata are not widely available these days (nor were they ever, probably) because of the expertise it takes to create just one object, and this knowledge is only limited to a few people. Later toys like the Playmate's Jill Doll and Sony's AIBO never took to much prominence because, as novel as they were, people were simply not willing to pay that much for what they deemed to be a 'toy'. In contrast, RC cars and the Tamagotchi, while using simpler technology, is pretty affordable, and so is its popularity. The 2013 Furby is a little bit of an exception - in the United States it could be considered a mid-range toy, a single unit could cost from about $40-$60. Outside the the US, however, such as places like Singapore and Australia, Furby prices go up to about SGD/AUD$100++, which is probably why the Furby is not as such a widespread phenomenon outside the US- Furthermore toys in the ~$100 price range would probably appeal more to adults who buy it for themselves, so the demography is also a little different.    

Security and the modified world

Did you know that in the 90's the Furby was banned in the NSA building because it feared that Furby would be used as a 'spying' device? Marketed as being able to 'learn' English (it was really just a time-release program) there were urban myths about the Furby that it records the human voice to learn words. The NSA was paranoid that the Furby might 'leak' NSA secrets while talking to people outside the building.

In 2010, Mattel released a Barbie Doll called 'Barbie Video Girl'. Basically, it was a video camera device setup in the inside of a Barbie Doll, which could take up to 30 minutes of footage at each time. There was a huge controversy surrounding this seemingly innocuous type of novelty, the FBI, as well as Australian Parenting website Today's Mom raised the issue that this doll might possibly be used for child pornography, or activities along that vein.

http://mods-n-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/extract-spy-quality-camera-mini-dvr-from-barbie-video-girl-fashion-doll-394198/

The above stories are just but two examples of how toys can easily be misconstrued for more sinister purposes other than play. However, it would not be fair to say that these concerns are wholly unjustified. To take this situation step further: Do you remember when we explored how there seems to be a trend among computer engineers (and even toy - restorers for that matter) to take apart and reverse engineer the toys we love? And remember how I mentioned kids found ways to 'hack' a Digimon?  

Reverse engineering and hacking the program code for toys mean that these objects are pretty modifiable if one really wants to. In this day and age where most IT resources are readily available and computer programming and engineering no longer limited to a select few people (as opposed to in the 1950s, for example). Almost anyone would be able to take a commercial toy and modify it accordingly...there are many possibilities to what one can do.

Natalie Silvanovich is just one person who has shown that we can reprogram IR sensors to carry out personal commands, while the Furbies of 2012 onward communicate via High Frequency Sound - which recent researches in acoustic communications are looking into to develop more applications for it human life, but it also raises the issue of security breeches and hacking.

Furby Bending

Threat to humanity aside, there are creative applications in toy modification, too. "Circuit Bending" is sort of a experimental, creative movement that modifies the current flow of  low voltage electronic devices such as toys, music players, musical instruments to achieve a modified sound. Electronic components can be moved or added to achieve the desired effect. People have circuit bent Furbies to immensely interesting effects. But this also goes to show that toys can function beyond their intended purpose, and the possibilities of what one can do are almost endless.

 

http://www.today.com/moms/barbie-cam-spurs-call-boycott-1C7399619
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2010-12-08-barbie-video-girl-fbi_N.htm?csp=34news