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Barbie’s latest career: computer engineer

Hard-working Barbie is adding two more careers to her long resume — news anchor and computer engineer.
Image: Mattel's newly-introduced News Barbie and Computer Engineer Barbie are shown in front of a display of career-doll Barbies at the Toy Fair in New York
For the first time, the public voted on Barbie’s latest venture. The winners? News Anchor Barbie and Computer Engineer Barbie.JEFF ZELEVANSKY / Reuters
/ Source: Reuters

Hard-working Barbie is adding two more careers to her long resume — news anchor and computer engineer.

The two new ventures for the world's most popular fashion doll were chosen for the first time by the public, who cast more than 500,000 votes to select Barbie's 125th and 126th careers, toymaker Mattel said on Friday.

The popular vote went to Computer Engineer Barbie, who will be launched in the fall of 2010 looking "geek chic" in a binary code-patterned T-shirt, pink-framed glasses, a pink laptop and a Bluetooth earpiece.

Girls, however, threw their votes behind News Anchor Barbie, who will also go on sale in late 2010 wearing a pink suit and carrying a news folder, camera and microphone.

Computer Engineer Barbie was designed with the help of the Society of Women Engineers, who hope she will inspire young women to enter the profession.

"As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can design products that have an important and positive impact on people's everyday lives," said Nora Lin, president of the Society of Women Engineers.

The Barbie doll was created in 1959. Her previous jobs have included astronaut, U.S. president, ballerina, princess, paratrooper and McDonald's cashier.