Like the little green aliens in Disney’s “Toy Story,” people — often kids — may find themselves obsessed with “the claw.” Claw machines, also known as crane machines, dot arcades, malls, even grocery ...

Claw machines are tricky, as anyone who's tried to grab a cuddly toy at one will know. For some children, the obvious thing is to forget the ineffectual grabbing device, and dive right in. That was ...