For younger early adopters

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" is the bottom line of this report by the Associated Press on the American International Toy Fair trade expo this week. Toymakers are creating all manner of kid-targeting add-ons for the iPod, "from electronic drumsticks and other musical instruments to chairs and electronic playmates that act as speakers." The "chair" would be Baby Einstein Co.'s "rocking chair that connects to an iPod so parents can sing along while the child rocks." Then there's the SpongeBob SquarePants speaker system that plugs into an iPod from Emerson Radio Corp./Nickelodeon. There's a lot of pressure on the iPod (42 million have been sold), the AP indicates. "The toy industry is looking to the iPod to help reverse a decline in traditional toy sales that dates back to 2003." But we're seeing signs of what it's doing for music industry (see "Tweens' impact on the music world"). You might also want to check out "Mommy, Help Me Download 'Farmer in the Dell' to My MP3 Player," in which the New York Times tells of Fisher-Price's forthcoming digital music player and digital camera for children ages 3 and older, and other marvels for very small techies.