Mattel Introduces a New Barbie- With a Video Camera

Video Camera BarbieThe Bionic Woman has nothing on the Barbie Video Girl Doll who comes with a hidden AVI camera inside her necklace. If that isn’t enough, Mattel’s Video Girl Doll Barbie even has her own screen on her back.  Videographers and young film makers can make up to 30 minutes of video using the camera, which looks as if it is easy to use for young kids. Because the camera is well hidden, it may be difficult to spot for any unsuspecting people or dolls in its vicinity.


The Barbie camera runs with two AAA-powered batteries; the NYT tester stated that the dolls didn’t necessarily last as long as expected. After the video is shot, it can be downloaded into either a Mac or a PC with a USB  cord. If the user watches the video directly from the doll, she might be disappointed in the lack of sound coming from the Barbie. The Mattel web-site also touts downloadable online video-editing software for any aspiring film-makers to add music to their movies- everyone knows that someone as special as Barbie deserves a special soundtrack after all. Mac users will be pleased to note that the doll also works with Imovie.


The new Barbie is set to retail for $50, which seems reasonable for a high-tech doll. According to the NYT, little girls seem enthusiastic about the prospects of the camera while little boys seem primarily creeped out. The comments about the new doll after the post in the Times were pretty interesting on their own; one commenter predicted that the release of the new Barbie would probably lead to “the tabloids running Barbie sex tapes”. Another shrewd commenter pointed out how easy it would be for anyone to get ahold of another cheap camera- leading of course to more security concerns and thoughts of Little Sister always around.

As one tech blogger for the Consumerist reflects, the Barbie is a little limited for any actual spying because of the relatively short (30 minutes) time that Barbie can film for. However, the blogger is also hopeful that hackers will soon figure out a way for Barbie’s camera to work a little longer, making her camera quite possibly the most incriminating piece of machinery around the house.