Fake news by Andy Borowitz

LONG BEACH, Calif. — A new combatant entered the so-called tablet war today, and it’s already getting a big thumbs up from gadget aficionados: the Etch A Sketch 2.

The E2, as it’s called, looks very similar to its predecessor, but in the words of the company spokesman who unveiled it at the TED conference in Long Beach, “This is not your father’s Etch A Sketch.”

Like the traditional Etch A Sketch, the E2 has many familiar features — red case, vertical and horizontal knob controls — but it is also tricked out with some decidedly 21st century features, like Wi-Fi and a camera.

“The Etch A Sketch 2 is more than just another tablet,” said Tracy Klugian, spokesman for Ohio Art, the manufacturer of the E2. “It is going to totally change the way you think about completely unnecessary devices.”

While the Etch A Sketch 2 clearly wowed the lion’s share of attendees at TED, it was not without its detractors, like Zach Besserman, 5: “If I’m in the middle of drawing a doggy or a tree, why would I need to use a phone? That’s just dumb.”

Besserman also said he preferred his original Etch A Sketch “because you didn’t have to charge it every 15 minutes.”

Jessica Steemons, 4, said she was impressed by the Etch A Sketch 2, but was reluctant to pull the trigger on it: “I’ve heard that the Etch A Sketch 3 is going to be amazing.”

Award-winning humorist, television personality and film actor Andy Borowitz is author of the book “The Republican Playbook.”

© 2011 CREATORS SYNDICATE

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