Cute tech alert. The Cybiko is a handheld network device designed to allow kids to communicate with each other more, er, effectively. The brightly coloured handheld, which looks like a walkie-talkie with a black-and-white LCD screen and small keyboard, combines basic organizer functions with wireless communication with others units 300 feet away. It has a number of teacher-baiting uses, such as allowing kids to send messages to their friends in class without the hassle of passing folded up bits of paper. Users can also trade messages, play games with one another, and make use of the unit’s matchmaking functions - it will alert you if someone fitting your bill comes into range. Better still, if one Cybiko within range is hooked up to an Internet-connected PC, other Cybikos within range can send and receive regular e-mails from the Internet. Which is pretty cool, if you think about it. In fact, it’s too good for kids! Can your Palm Pilot do this? ‘We want to create a social environment were teens can chat and interact,’ says Cybiko president Donald Wisniewski. ‘We see a huge opportunity with 12-16 year olds.’ That’ll be the same 12-16 year olds currently obsessed by SMS messaging: Cybiko has accurately spotted a strong niche here. The Cybiko connects to PCs, and has an expansion port which the company says will be able to take an optional digital music player that uses the popular MP3 format. Once MP3-equipped, Cybiko kids will be able to send music to others in the area. Can you hear the music industry squealing already? We reckon it’s going to be big, and if anyone wants to send us some we’re more than happy to start the craze going in the UK. Roll up, kiddies young and old! Get your Cybikos here www.cybiko.com