Two-Way Wrist Communicators a Big Hit With Parents & Kids

July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Move over Dick Tracy, this year's back-to-school crowd will be accessorizing with a hot new item, the XAct WristLinx(TM) two-way wristwatch communicator. Once the work of an inventive mind, this futuristic gadget is now available at leading retailers across the nation for very down-to-earth prices between $40 and $50, depending on the model.

The XAct WristLinx takes a popular technology, FRS radios -- which stands for Family Radio Service -- currently found in hand-held units and incorporates it into a convenient, playful timepiece with 22 voice-activated channels that have a one- to two-mile radius.

"We see the XAct WristLinx as one of our hottest back to school and holiday items for 2002," comments David Rose, XAct Communications spokesperson. "It's a natural extension for an already popular item and works with existing handheld models, making it an attractive buy for fans of FRS radios."

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the legion of FRS fans is growing. Industry sales of FRS radios increased from just $500,000 in 1997 to over $17 million this year and are expected to continue climbing.

Initial market research found XAct WristLinx a big hit with children, who found dozens of ways to use them, not the least of which is a new millennium version of "two cans and a string."

Parents are equally enamored of this low cost alternative to cell phones. Said one mother, "It's a great way for the kids to interact with one another without piling up expensive minutes. It helps me connect quickly with them when they're out in the neighborhood, and we use it as an intercom system around the house and yard. Turning this technology into a wristwatch that's both fun and useful was a stroke of genius."

XAct WristLinx is the first product to carry the XAct brand name, recently launched by consumer electronics' industry giant U.S. Electronics. It is available nationwide this fall at leading retailers such as WalMart, Toys R Us, JC Penney, and Sports Authority, as well as other distribution channels such as catalogs.

"Our brand name sums up what this product line is all about -- providing XActly what people need through unique, innovative and superbly designed communications devices," declared David Rose, XAct Communications spokesperson.