// Pocket Picks //

Hello Kitty gadgets are a staple for any consumer tech blog: from laptops to vibrators, it’s always fun to report on the latest piece of tech to feature Sanrio’s infamous cartoon cat. And of course, they’re always only available in Japan. However, get set for that to change. UK firm Comment Retail Services has signed a deal with Sanrio to become the exclusive licence-holder in the UK and Ireland for Hello Kitty branded mobile phones, MP3 players and selected other gadgets. The company says it plans to launch some handsets later this year, as well as “accessories and content”. It could be an interesting challenge to make them fly off the shelves here, mind. There are fairly strict laws against promoting mobile handsets to the teenage girls who - in the UK at least - are the most likely target audience for Hello Kitty phones. This might put operators off from subsidising these handsets. But we’ll have to wait and see how Comment approaches the challenge to find out for sure.