And Introducing... the iPotty!

No, this is not make-believe. CTA Digital introduced the new iPotty — to keep toilet-training tots occupied in the loo — at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January.

This new contraption, with its built-in case for an iPad, will go on sale in March for $39.99 (iPad definitely not included). It doesn't come with any apps of its own — the idea is parents can download already existing potty-training apps (there are many) to help motivate their little ones as they sit. It does come with a clear protective cover for the touchscreen (which is probably not a bad idea).

Will iPotty-using toddlers become addicted to iPad stimulation and need it to go to the bathroom? Jacoba Urist explores this question and other potential pluses and minuses of the new gizmo in "iPotty: Brilliant, or Worst Idea Ever?" at TODAY Moms (January 16). She quotes one pediatrician saying that with toddlers, the hardest part of opening an iPad or similar device is "turning it off." And a mom who's concerned that "the last sacred place — the toilet — has finally succumbed to the noise of the information age."