Now I have to declare right from the start of this post that personally I never got the whole 'Hello Kitty' thing. However, I do have to add that I am 28, male, and not Japanese, putting me firmly outside of the core Kitty demographic.

There is one thing I subconsciously knew when I started this blog though: It was only a matter of time before the Hello Kitty Phone for Skype turned up, and here she is!

For those who have been living in a sealed underground bunker for the past 30 years, a quick explanation.  Hello Kitty has been around since 1976, and has become a worldwide phenomenon.

Wikipedia not only furnishes me with the basic Kitty facts, such as that she appears on over 22,000 separate products and that the figure is owned by Japanese company Sanrio, but also provides what amounts to a startlingly complete CV for Ms. (Mrs?) Kitty:

• Name: Kitty White
• Birthday: November 1, 1974
• Blood type: A (Negative)
• Place of birth: Suburban London
• Height: That of five apples
• Weight: That of three shiny apples
• Good at: Baking cookies, International Studies, Making pancakes for friends, Origami, bows
• Favorite food: Apple pie made by Mama (A.K.A. mum or Mary)
• Hobbies: Traveling, music, reading, eating yummy cookies her sister Mimmy bakes, and best of all making new friends.
• Favorite word: "Friendship", "best"
• Collects: Small cute things like sweets, stars, goldfish, etc.
• Best school subjects: English, French, history, music, visual arts.
• Description: A bright and kind-hearted kitten. Very close to her twin sister Mimmy.

Whilst I don't have exact details on spec for the phone yet, we do know it is manufactured under licence from Perfectel and is looking to be a feature rich, hi tech phone aimed primarily at time-poor executives wanting to make a splash in the boardroom. Hey, only kidding - but awww - she is cute!

Hopefully more details to follow on this very soon, both on features and release dates. In the meantime however, Kitty-lovers, look out for this one and keep Skyping, "because Hello Kitty says you can never have too many friends"!

For more details on Hello Kitty, check out her own website (be prepared for wacky circus music if in the office) and community site. Also worth checking out the dead keen Brazilian Hello Kitty merchandise spotters here, the full set of Hello Kitty computer goodies available courtesy of Engadget, and the fantastic Hello Kitty Darth Vader costume at Boing Boing. Last but not least, join the Hello Kitty group over at Flickr to ensure that no corner of your life is free from the endearing feline features of Ms. White.