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Review: WowWee Roborover gets friendly with your furniture

by Richard Lai posted Oct 21st 2009 at 4:36PM

See that glowing face? Yep, it's the super-enthusiastic Roborover from WowWee. We won't lie: we were a bit stoked by the arrival of this yellow explorer at Engadget's doorstep. Too bad it didn't exactly walk all the way from its warehouse, forcing us to go through the painful procedure of cutting up the tapes and untangling the ties of its shipping box. Five minutes later we've got a 4-pound robot on our hands, and we'd say overall the build quality is an eight out of ten (the cuts on the plastic parts could do with a finer finish) which is pretty good for a toy. You'll be pleased to know that those treads are for real and supported by a third mini roller at the back, but the friendly manual does say, "For indoor use only." Think we'll skip that page, thank you. Now kids, you might need your daddy's screwdrivers and some extra cash to feed the Roborover three "C" size batteries, and another three "AAAs" for the chunky IR remote. All ready to go? Skip along to learn how the Roborover explores the "ancient tombs of your parents' closet."

Gallery: Review: WowWee Roborover gets friendly with your furniture

Continue reading Review: WowWee Roborover gets friendly with your furniture

WowWee rolls out Roborover, Joebot robot buddies

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 1st 2009 at 5:29AM

WowWee may have some new competition, but it should come as no surprise that it's not about to rest on its laurels this holiday season, and it's now rolled out a pair of new "robot buddies" that it hopes will wind up at the top of plenty of kids' (and some adults') wish lists. First announced way back at CES in January, both the WowWee Roborover and WowWee Joebot are now available to order for $79.99 or $99.99, respectively, or in one of WowWee's usual "mini" versions for a mere $15 apiece. While those latter options are basically action figures, the two full-fledged versions should keep you occupied for a little longer than your average toy robot, with each able to be controlled remotely or operate autonomously, play various games and, in the case of the Roborover, traverse "rough terrain" and "inclines."

Read - WowWee Roborover
Read - WowWee Joebot

[Via SlashGear]

WowWee Cinemin Swivel available for pre-order in U.S. and Europe

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 29th 2009 at 6:44PM

Pico projector fans, the wait is over. WowWee -- the company with the wackiest name in the business (or at least the most fun to type) has just announced that the Cinemin Swivel is available for pre-order today -- as in right now -- both Stateside and in Europe. The press for this device sounds a little like wishful thinking (enjoy romantic flicks on the bedroom ceiling! foreign cinema in the backyard! YouTube on a subway wall! psychedelic graphics on the dance floor!) but if you've been in the market for a pocket-sized, iPhone-friendly multimedia projector, your choices just expanded by one. Yours for a song -- and $349.99. Gallery below.

Gallery: WowWee Cinemin Swivel available for pre-order in U.S. and Europe

WowWee Cinemin Swivel gets UK launch, pricing info

by Laura June posted Jun 1st 2009 at 6:08PM

We first spotted WowWee's Cinemin Swivel pico projector back at CES, when it was announced along with the Stick and Station models. If you forgot, the little DLP guy boasts 480 x 360 resolution, an adjustable 90-degree hinge (so that you can easily project onto the ceiling), and a three-hour battery life. It's just gotten some official release and pricing information for the UK, anyway, where it's going to make its first appearance this September. The Cinemin Swivel will retail for £349 (about $571). There's no word on release or pricing for the Stick or Station yet, but we'll keep you posted. Until then, check out the gallery of shots we got back at CES.

Gallery: WowWee Cinemin Swivel, Stick, and Station pico PJs hands-on

Engadget's recession antidote: win a WowWee Tribot!

by Laura June posted Apr 30th 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff or companies stop sending things. Today we've got a WowWee Tribot on offer. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Hooray for free stuff! Two more shots of the products after the break.

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) WowWee Tribot. Approximate retail value is $80.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Thursday, April 30th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here.

WowWee's Lightstar flying blade reviewed: a cheap thrill

by Darren Murph posted Jan 18th 2009 at 1:07PM

Looking for something to pass the time, scratch that robotic itch and come in at under a Jackson? Look no further than WowWee's Lightstar, the latest and greatest addition to the outfit's growing FlyTech family. The robot lovers over at RobotsRule were able to get their grimy hands around this here flying blade, and while they weren't expecting much for just $20, they came away delightfully enthralled. Essentially, there's no way to steer the chopper, but you can vary the acceleration and bounce it off of walls in order to keep your brain stimulated and a grin on your face. The real excitement kicked in when all the lights were flipped off and the Pink Floyd was cranked to 11. For a look at what we mean, check out the demonstration vid just past the break -- looks like $20 well spent from here.

Continue reading WowWee's Lightstar flying blade reviewed: a cheap thrill

WowWee Cinemin Swivel, Stick, and Station pico PJs hands-on

by Ross Miller posted Jan 7th 2009 at 1:44AM

WowWee's DLP-fueled Cinemin pico projectors don't really set themselves apart from the other entries in this ever-growing market, but the competitively-priced Swivel, Stick and Station have poised themselves to come out swinging. The Swivel has a 480 x 360 resolution, three-hour battery life, and will retail this Spring for $299. We saw the screen, beaming an iPod nano video at various distances from the screen, and it came through decently despite the bad lighting conditions on the show floor. The Station and pocket-sized Stick both sport 800 x 480 resolution and an SD slot, with supported codecs not yet determined. Those two models are coming this Fall for $399 and $349, respectively.

Gallery: WowWee Cinemin Swivel, Stick, and Station pico PJs hands-on

WowWee mixes it up at CES: Cinemin pico PJ, new Alive Cubs and more

by Darren Murph posted Jan 6th 2009 at 5:27PM

Can you say "diversify?" WowWee can, and it's saying it loudly and proudly here at CES 2009. While the company has surely dabbled in areas outside of straight-up robotics before, it's never taken it upon itself to product a suite of pico projectors nor pets designed solely as sleeping companions. No need to wipe the sand from your eyes -- the same company responsible for Mr. Personality is dish out a Cinemin line of micro PJs (powered by TI's DLP technology) here in the desert. Moving on, we're also informed of the Spyball spy-cam, a remote controller, WiFi-enabled robotic ball that strangely reminds us of American Gladiators. The company's got plenty more in its bag of tricks too, including the Joebot and Roborover robots, FlyTech Lightstar flyer / Hoverpod racer, four new breeds of Alive Cubs and a fresh line of "pajama pals" dubbed Sleeping Cuties. Hop past the break for details on the whole crew.

Gallery: WowWee mixes it up at CES: Cinemin pico PJ, new Alive Cubs and more

New app turns iPhone / iPod touch into Rovio controller

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 14th 2008 at 3:49PM

Rovio owners have been able to control their all-seeing sentry bot from their iPhone (or any other internet-connected device) from day one using WowWee's browser-based interface, but one enterprising individual apparently found that a tad lacking for his taste, so he decided to take things one big step further by building his own full-fledged iPhone / iPod touch app. In addition to giving you a larger view of the Rovio's webcam feed, the app achieves the inevitable by letting you use the iPhone or iPod touch's accelerometer to control the Rovio, which should let you give your Wiimote a rest for a while. Better still, the app is free -- you know where to get.

Vadersapien has little to do with Darth, much to do with a troubled childhood

by Paul Miller posted Oct 31st 2008 at 11:50PM

Our favorite robot-obsessed entity on these fine internets, RobotsRules, has put out a fairly disturbing video entitled "Vadersapien" as a purported followup to last year's "Elmosapien." What at first might be perceived as a harmless way to enjoy halloween with robots and bit of Vadery goodness quickly devolves into the dark exploration of a mind turned sour by the constant companionship of robots. We're positive [insert name of favorite sci-fi novelist] tried to warn us of this day, but there's really no preparing for a product of so much psychological disruption. It's after the break, of course.

Continue reading Vadersapien has little to do with Darth, much to do with a troubled childhood

WowWee FlyTech slams into Disney, out pops hovering Tinker Bell

by Darren Murph posted Oct 15th 2008 at 10:24AM

It's true -- we're suckers for anything that simultaneously satisfies our lust for robotics and brings back childhood memories of passing the day with Disney films. To that end, we couldn't resist the opportunity to swoon over WowWee's latest stroke of brilliance, the $39.99 FlyTech Tinker Bell. Entirely more rad than that soulless Bladestar, this here fairy promises to posses that same spirited sassiness as the Disney character, and the flower wand remote control really caps things off. She can buzz around and delight guests for 4-minutes on an 18-minute charge, and her "crash-resistant materials prevent her from getting into mischief." Oh wait, it's appropriate for Earthlings ages 6 years and up? Huzzah!

WowWee's Mr. Personality reviewed, found to like long walks on the beach

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2008 at 10:36PM

It's beginning to sound like a broken record, but WowWee has hit yet another homer with Mr. Personality. The latest from the firm to jockey for your hard earned dollars includes an LCD face and enough jokes / stories to keep you engrossed for hours. Max and Simon -- this creature's very own Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -- kept critics guessing, and each character was said to be "well developed and play off each other perfectly." Continuing on, reviewers noted that the omnidirectional wheels were "incredible," the remote was "simple and intuitive" and the sensor array was equally impressive. 'Tis a shame -- we bet you were really looking forward to holding onto that $300 of yours...

Robodance enables Wiimote control of your WowWee Rovio

by Darren Murph posted Oct 14th 2008 at 9:22PM

Ah, Robodance -- how would we entertain ourselves without you? Just under a year ago, the software enabled robot lovers everywhere to control their i-SOBOT with an everyday Wiimote. Now, the same ability has been handed down for WowWee's Rovio. You heard right, the latest, baddest robotic sentry on the block can now be dictated with your Nintendo Wii controller, and you can even customize your own button assignments to suit your fancy. Hop on past the break for the demonstration vid.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]

Continue reading Robodance enables Wiimote control of your WowWee Rovio

WowWee's Mr. Personality robot is now ready to charm you out of $300

by Donald Melanson posted Oct 9th 2008 at 1:34PM

WowWee's Mr. Personality bot made its debut way back at CES in January but, like some other WowWee products announced at the show, it's only just now made its way into availability. As you can see above, the bot's a close relative of WowWee's Tri-Bot, with it boasting the notable addition of an LCD screen for a face, which promises to "display his personality with animated and synchronized facial features." The bot also includes an SD card slot than can be used to add additional personalities, plus 64MB of internal memory, a remote control, all the usual sensors and, of course, plenty of fortune and joke-telling features that promise endless hours of fun / annoyance. Just be prepared to shell out for that robot companionship, as Mr. Personality's company will cost you a hefty $300.

[Via Robo Community]

WowWee's Rovio gets reviewed: it's one awesome robotic sentry

by Darren Murph posted Oct 5th 2008 at 5:04PM

WowWee goes out of its way to make one thing very clear about the Rovio: "this is not a toy." That being said, it doesn't make the patrolling sentry any less fantastic, as critics over at Robots-Dreams proclaimed that it was "intuitive and a pleasure to use from the moment you first open the box." From the painless setup process to the unparalleled mobility, reviewers sounded like they were grinning from ear-to-ear during the entire writeup process. It performed its robotic sentry duties with vigor and valor, and the review crew couldn't help but note that this bugger was "positioned to be the hottest robot for the upcoming holiday season, and for a long time to come." In other words, if you've been on the fence about dropping three bills on this thing, all your worries about it potentially sucking just got thrashed.