HitClips Micro Player

$4.99, Smart Toy

Teaches: music

CTR Review

Of all the gadgets we tested this summer, the kids liked these the most. They're matchbox-sized digital music players that can play single song samplers (often not the full song) through a single ear phone. One song chip is included. To play a song, you slide the postage stamp-sized chip into a slot, and press a button. That's it. The sound quality is lousy, and songs are short, but the kids don't care. The device is powered by a single button battery that can be replaced. Individual song chips are $3.99 to $4.99, and the player is $7.99. Other accessories include the HitClips Rockin' Micro Boombox ($10) with higher quality speakers, and a HitClips Alarm Clock ($14.99) that can hold up to six music chips which play when the alarm goes off. Finally, the Yahoo! HitClips Downloader ($20) lets you download music from the Internet, storing songs on a "SmartMedia" clip that can be used over and over again.