Tech toys abound at New York Toy Fair

NEW YORK (AP) — From a preschool toy designed to teach pre-coding skills to a hands-on molecule-building set for older kids that works with an app, technology abounded at this year's Toy Fair.

The annual showcase of upcoming toys held recently in New York included a slew of tech-related products from the titans of the toy industry and tiny startups, all looking to attract increasingly tech-savvy kids.

While the toy doesn't teach an actual coding language, it does try to impart some of the same critical thinking and problem solving skills that coding does.

Created through a partnership with Autodesk Inc., a 3D design software company, kids use an app to design items such as action figures and jewelry.

The app shows them what their finished product will look like and also gives an estimated print time.

Kids solve video game puzzles by both programing the game on a tablet and by physically modifying a Bluetooth-connected controller.

Players place the quad-copter drone on a mat that "sees" it and places a digital version of it within an augmented reality video game played on a smartphone or tablet.

The player flies the physical drone as part of the game and the digital drone on the smartphone or tablet screen mirrors its movements.

The connection allows the little robot dog to follow his owner around, play soccer and do other tricks.

Kids sing into the microphone, while the smartphone app plays the music and the smartphone's camera films them singing and places them into the music video.