When I was a kid, the Globe was just a spinning sphere you could look at and see how the world was from a “god’s eye view.” But today, they’ve become part map, part encyclopedia, party hitech experience. And kids seem to love it.

The Smart Globe Deluxe uses a smart pen and speaker to not only give young pupil’s the name of the country it’s pointing to, but will regal said student with details from currency info, local wildlife, import and export data, landmark inventions and more. And what’s cool is, it’s updatable courtesy of the USB port which connects it to a PC and inputs up to the minute (okay, not that fast) updates and information. It has multi language support (with English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese); a quiz mode for testing student geography, world culture, history and current events for three skill levels (ages 5 to 8, 9 to 14, or 15 and up); and a pullout tray with a map of the United States – where kids can find out interactive details about each of the 50 states. And because the SmartPen is wireless, it can also communicate from a small speaker from up to 25 feet away. Accessories include a 25-page book to explore more in depth of countries, animals, dinosaurs, flags, foods, landmarks and inventions. USB cable and update software also included with weekly updates online through 2009.

I can see this becoming a fixture in the classrooms and even in homes where kids love to learn. And if the updates continue, it’s not only a globe, it’s a serious educational investment. And for $200, it’s a steal. I can’t wait until they come out with a model which redraws the border lines over time. Now that would be cool.

Hat Tip – Shiny Shiny