Can high-tech toys make kids smarter?  

It starts in utero, intensifies when babies are learning to crawl and hits a frenzy about the time they are learning the alphabet: the push to get smarter has created a global industry dedicated to training young brains.
And if you think you're off the hook when your children are out of nappies, think again: a new generation of tech toys for the elderly means that, from cradle to grave, the relentless push to make you smarter never lets up. Tech toys aimed at improving intelligence are designed for the under-10s, and particularly for the ages when children are learning to read, write and count.
It's here that manufacturers are reaping big dollars from anxious parents who are more than ready to part with their hard-earned cash to make sure their children have a winning edge in the brain race.
Toys are no longer purely about fun and entertainment: smart kids are what it's all about.
Wander through the average toy shop and you'll find that shelf space previously occupied by wooden blocks and squeaky toys now houses a wide range of brightly packaged learning gadgets and kiddie electronica.
Do you think that this is the direction thing should be evolving in? What will happen to good old building blocks and dolls? Would you raise your kids this way?