A small tribute--better late than never.

Whoever thought geeks could be sexy?, a photo by alington on Flickr.

As you may know, I'm one of those Apple fans the media warns about. I've been using an Apple product since the 1980s, and a Mac since 1984.

(I was just a kid when I was converted--so I really never had a chance.)

Steve Jobs changed the way the world looks at technology. We will miss him.

Coney Island and Pillow Talk Poppy Parker.

Sweet Talkin' Ken, the Ultimate Boyfriend for Every Occasion.

Nope, I'm not kidding. That's how he's advertised. Isn't it a relief? For $19.99 suggested retail, you can own the perfect boyfriend, too. This is how Mattel opens his promotional flyer:

For nearly five decades, Ken has been Barbie's perfect arm-candy. (...) Now girls of all ages can have the ultimate boyfriend for every occasion with Sweet Talkin' Ken™.

Apparently, he can record up to five seconds of sound in your voice when you press the heart on his shirt. He graciously plays it back to you in his "Ken" voice, a high pitched voice, or the original recorded voice.

Ladies, your dating problems are officially over. We and our daughters can rest assured for the remainder of our lives. I think he'd make the perfect addition to Spy Barbie--er, I mean, Barbie Video Girl™.

If you just can't wait for this doll, he is due to arrive in stores and dealers early January, according to his promotional flyer. Or, for phones with App capability, you might try Talking Carl. He's a huge hit around my house, and is available in the App Store and for Android users, also.