Need some irony with your angst-battered diet this morning? Swell, try some of this. Disney and Pixar are set to release their latest animated blockbuster, WALL-E, this summer. The premise of the film finds WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth-Class) cleaning up the Earth's trash after rampant, unchecked consumerism made the planet uninhabitable. So how do they promote the film? You got it, they launch a new line of plastic WALL-E robots developed in partnership with Thinkway Toys which no child could possibly live without. Ultimate WALL-E will list for $190 when launched sometime this summer and feature 10 motors, a remote control, and plenty of sensors to avoid obstacles, respond to touch, and feel the mocking satire of its own existence. The bot will be joined by a $25 iDance WALL-E (think i-Species) and a $40 WowWee FlyTech Tinker Bell when they make their May 29th debut in San Mateo at the Maker Faire.

We wouldn't have believed it, either, but the WowWee Dragonfly is attracting some unusual attention -- owners are reporting their bots are being attacked by hawks. WowWee says 45 people have reported hawk attacks in the past two months, and there's even a few pictures of the birds with their robotic prey out there -- like this one taken by fifth-grader Danny McGorry. We always knew the Dragonfly was fun, but this takes it to another level -- all we need now is a remote squirt gun mounted on the thing and we'll be ready to go. Check the whole article below.

WowWee's CES robot lineup is here, so let's get to it. First up, you've got the Flytech Bladestar, a slightly crazier take on the indoor RC flying gig actually intended for duels with friends. The Bladestart has two spinning wings and stabilizing rotors to keep it steady while aloft, as well as wall and ceiling IR sensors.

Rovio is a "home exploration and telepresence" robot (meaning it doesn't do very much), featuring WiFi, a remotely-controlled directional webcam capable of streaming audio and video, self-docking and recharging, and "NorthStar" AI navigation (which WowWee describes as a micro-GPS like system that makes Rovio aware of its surroundings with "pinpoint accuracy").

If neither of those caught your fancy, we think the ironically anthropomorphized Mr. Personality might meet you in the middle. Featuring an LCD facial readout, downloadable personalities (via USB and SD), Ruxpin-esque story and joke telling and "conversation", as well as the usual IR and audio sensors.

We've definitely witnessed a waterproof display being put to the test, but an all-in-one PC getting a bath is certainly less common. Nevertheless, the folks at Flytech were apparently so sure that its K790 could withstand liquid while Windows hummed along in the background that it set up an overhead shower to demonstrate. Apparently, the lineup can be had with your choice of Intel processors, up to 2GB of RAM, displays ranging from 12.1- to 19-inches in size, a 2.5-inch hard drive, four USB ports, Ethernet, audio in / out and built-in speakers to boot. No word on price, but be sure and check out another look after the break.

[Thanks, Big D]

While the Robosapien, Roboreptile, and basically all of Wowwee's gizmos demand an (understandable) level of respect, the FlyTech Dragonfly (quite literally) takes this "robotic toy" gig to another level. While the FCC got its paws on the fluttering animal not too long ago, it now appears that citizens over at T3 got a chance to give it whirl, and the results are indeed impressive. Relying on "brute flapping-power to remain airborne," this creature reportedly worked "amazingly well," and the rechargeable battery pack will purportedly keep it in flight for "around 15 minutes." Although the bug should draw a crowd at next month's CES, there's no need to wait around to get a sneak peek at what this tombo is capable of, as the kind folks at T3 are delivering a hands-on video (after the break) to make us all green with envy.