Npower expands line of electronics for kids

Nickelodeon, Viacom, and Imation today announced a new line of electronics for children under Nickelodeon's Npower brand. New additions include web cams, camcorders, digital cameras, digital voice recorder and other electronics themed after Nickelodeon's TV show iCarly. Npower has also expanded their line of SpongeBob Squarepants products, including a digital picture frame and MP3 player dock. For children ages two to four, digital photo viewers and boomboxes were added to the Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! lines.

Targeted at girls ages 9 to 14, the iCarly line of web-cast electronics allow kids to create digital content. The TV program characters create a web show, these products were designed to allow the viewers do the same, and even post their videos on the iCarly website. Software is included with the electronics that allows photos, videos, music, and text to be combined or uploaded onto the internet.

A digital video camera is available, and an accessory package that includes a steady cam mount, on camera lighting and detachable microphone ($80 for camera, $25 for accessory pkg.). Npower's 3-in-1 digital camera can take pictures, be used as a web cam, or video camera ($40). Another standalone web camera is available also ($20). A portable digital photo album features a flip-over cover and holds up to 60 pictures ($25).

For the SpongeBob line, Npower has added a MP3 player dock with eye-ball speakers that can be connected to any player through the headphone output ($40). A MP3 player is available with 1GB capacity and a suggested battery life of seven hours ($25). A rechargeable SpongeBob or Dora the Explorer digital photo viewer are also offered now ($25 each). The other new Dora product is a CD player 'boombox' with AM/FM radio for $40.