Toy -- Engadget

toy posts

Planet's smallest model train set revealed to macro lenses, microscopes (video)

by Darren Murph posted Oct 26th 2009 at 8:21AM

New Jersey's own David Smith is enjoying his 15 minutes right about now, as the world is finally talking about his model train set. You see, this model train set isn't just any model train set. No -- it's probably the world's smallest, most ridiculous and most awesome all at once (all at once). The so-called James River Branch community has been in the works for months on end, and the $11 working locomotive is 35,200 times smaller than a real one. Of course, the moving trains are really just attached to the top of a rotating tube, but you can certainly pretend you never heard that spoiler if you'd like. Check the video after the break -- the kid in you will thank us.

Continue reading Planet's smallest model train set revealed to macro lenses, microscopes (video)

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]

Robonica Roboni-i rolling robot takes aim at WowWee, holiday shoppers

by Donald Melanson posted Sep 28th 2009 at 3:13PM

Upstart toymaker Robonica has been making promises about its Robini-i programmable robot for a little while now, but it looks like it's now not only managed to get the bot out the door, but land it on the cover of the new Hammacher Schlemmer holiday catalog as well. Headed up by a former Hasbro exec, the company is clearly taking aim at the likes of WowWee, but hopes to one-up them by also letting its robot with a "serious attitude" become an avatar in an MMO of sorts when it's not tormenting your pets. What's more, the Robini-i can also apparently interact with other bots both online and in person, and the more adventuresome folks out there can also take advantage of some basic programming capabilities provided by the included software (Windows only, for the time being). Slightly less entry-level, however, is the $299.95 that Hammacher Schlemmer is charging for the kit, although it appears that could drop to $250 as it rolls out to other retailers.

Read - Hammacher Schlemmer
Read - Xconomy, "Robonica President, an Ex-Hasbro Exec, Hopes to Put Boston Back on Toy Industry Map with Rolling Robots"

[Via IEEE Spectrum, thanks Ken R.]

Mattel's Mindflex: now stressing brain muscles for $80

by Darren Murph posted Sep 18th 2009 at 8:10AM

It's taken nine whole months for this mental-stresser to go from CES show-stopper to household mainstay, but at long last, the only Mattel product we could ever recommend (with a straight face) to those with an age larger than 12 is finally shipping. In short, the Mindflex forces your brain -- as in, that hunk of meat between your ears -- to keep a ball suspended in the air, and if you're thinking Matrix, you're thinking correctly. Sort of. Hit the read link to get your own for $79.99, and make sure you do so before these things sell out and break the $1,000 mark on eBay. It's almost the holidays, don'tcha know?

Nabaztag can't make RFID cool, has to file for bankruptcy

by Darren Murph posted Aug 11th 2009 at 2:27AM

We always knew that any company courageous enough to take a technology designed to help mega-corps monitor their inventory levels and make it mainstream would face an uphill battle, but we never envisioned Nabaztag caving entirely to the pressure. If a snippet in a recent issue of Les Echos (a French financial paper) is to be believed, the creator of the rabbit-inspired Violet RFID Mirror has filed for bankruptcy, giving any company interested in keeping the brand alive until September 4th to toss out a cash infusion. Not like we're looking at you, Mr. VC, but we're definitely hoping to not be sobbing about this in just under a month. Tick, tock.

[Voa Loic Le Meur]

Rubik's TouchCube to make debut this weekend... on QVC

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 9:44AM

It's not every day that QVC gets first dibs on hot new gadgets (though it's occurring far more frequently than we're proud to admit), but we're hearing that the teleshopping channel will be the place to go if you want to be among the first to own a Rubik's TouchCube. Believe it or not, the swipe-controlled retro toy will be available to buy for the first time on the Christmas in July segment this weekend. Look - if you've been wondering what QVC looks like in full, unadulterated HD, but have up until now failed to secure a good excuse to check it out, this is your chance, and yes, you're welcome. The full statement from the company is after the break.

Continue reading Rubik's TouchCube to make debut this weekend... on QVC

Robot Doraemon travels back in time to shame Japanese children to success

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 20th 2009 at 11:21AM

If you're one of those nerds, you're probably quite stoked at the prospect of a real, honest-to-goodness Doraemon in your living room. And even if not, surely we can all agree that this guy is pretty damn cute, right? This ear-less, time travelin' cat features motion, light, heat, and sound sensors that let it react to its environment with a whole slew of facial features and vocal mannerisms that mean nothing to us, seeing as how it's communicating in Japanese. This guy is available from Bandai, starting September 3rd -- in the meantime, check out a few pics snapped at the Tokyo Toy Show below.

Gallery: Robot Doraemon travels back in time to shame Japanese children to success

[Via Tokyo Mango]

LED Illuminated Message Board makes ordinary messages psychedelic

by Darren Murph posted Jul 20th 2009 at 2:28AM

Kids these days, they've got it made -- wouldn't you agree? While our tot-hood was filled with low-end luxuries like Etch A Sketch and Lite-Brite, our offspring are expanding their minds with things like the LED Illuminated Message Board. Much like a traditional dry erase board, those with the appropriate pens can simply draw up whatever they please on the white display, but flip a switch and the whole thing goes psychoactive. Talk about getting the message across. Slap one on your own refrigerator right now for around 20 bones.

[Via ChipChick]

HANNSpree debuts line of plush TVs for tasteless tots

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jul 17th 2009 at 7:33AM

We all know how much children hate television, so sometimes it's necessary to be a little sneaky, especially when looking to give them their minimum daily requirement of the "Fair & Balanced" -- that's why we're lucky that HANNSpree is on the case. The company, known for it's particularly uglified and just plain bizarre display devices is debuting a line of plush animals (including an elephant, giraffe, panda, and polar bear) with televisions embedded in their sides -- just the thing for concerned parents who need to trick their kids into watching. With any luck, Junior will soon be rattling off the nine principles with the ease that you once let the names of the four Monkees roll off the tongue. Pretty sweet, right? It's time for you to get back to The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care -- but not before eyeballing that gallery below.

Gallery: HANNSpree debuts line of plush toy TVs for tasteless tots

Soundblock: a marginally heinous dock connector iPod speaker

by Darren Murph posted Jul 8th 2009 at 11:06AM

It's hard to guess why one would consider this device over that Lego-inspired alternative we peeked last Spring, but those obsessed with Elecom or born with an innate fear of stackable blocks can certainly opt for the Soundblock. Designed specifically for the fourth generation iPod nano, first generation iPod touch and any other iPod that ships sans an integrated speaker, this here speaker clicks into the dock connector and can be ordered in one of ten different colors. The pain? ¥4,000 ($42), which seems about a Jackson and a half too steep for our tastes.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

Ultimate Buzz Lightyear robot to the rescue, on video

by Paul Miller posted Jun 26th 2009 at 9:42AM

Step aside, Wall-E: Buzz Lightyear, courtesy of Thinkway Toys, has arrived to claim his rightful place at the top of the robot-based-on-Disney-character heap. Maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but Buzz's facial animation, sexy moves and trademark catch-phrases have all been wrapped up into a nice little bow here to rake in the cash when Toy Story and Toy Story 2 hit theaters this October as a 3D glasses double feature. Buzz responds to a few voice commands, can play a laser tag with the included remote, has a "Puppeteering Programming" mode to pose him for your own animations, and can even suffer an identity crisis when you tell him that he's just a toy. He'll be available this fall for $130-ish, check out a video after the break.

Gallery: Ultimate Buzz Lightyear robot to the rescue

Continue reading Ultimate Buzz Lightyear robot to the rescue, on video

Mattel's Mindflex coming October 1st for $99.99

by Darren Murph posted May 24th 2009 at 12:57AM

It's not often that a Mattel toy targets the 18 - 128 demographic, but we'll be frank -- the Mindflex has us all sorts of intrigued. Originally introduced at this year's CES, said game is a brain-powered fun-fest that relies on intense mental activity to control the height of a ball suspended in a column of air. Early on, we heard that it would land sometime during this year for $80, but it seems as if only one of those factoids will prove true. Indeed, Amazon has it listed to ship on October 1st, which gives proactive parents plenty of time to stock up for the holidays. Unfortunately, the price seems to have inched up by a Jackson, as it's currently up for pre-order at $99.99. Rest assured, however, that said price is far less than what you'll pay on eBay if you're empty-handed come December 20th.

[Via I4U News]

Video: RB2000 featured in new, improved Robo Catcher

by Darren Murph posted May 22nd 2009 at 8:33AM

Ah, a childhood favorite revisited. Years back, our hearts were taken by the one and only Robo Catcher, and now it seems the famed toy snatching game has seen a revamping that features JR Robotics' RB2000 as the main grabber. The entire unit has also been freshened up in the design department, and the addition of a joystick control system brings it up to speed with all of its "just a claw game" rivals. Hop on past the break for a look at what you're missing out on here in the states.

Continue reading Video: RB2000 featured in new, improved Robo Catcher

Snoozy the Sloth is a breathing, napping toy after our own hearts

by Laura June posted May 20th 2009 at 12:45PM

You know what would have been awesome to have as a toy when we were growing up? Not a baby to swaddle and feed, or a Barbie doll to dress up and imagine careers for, or a fake pet to worry about neglecting. No, we'd have preferred Snoozy the Sloth, who merely breathes and take naps with you when you cuddle him. The sloth's epic simplicity -- a plush toy with Arduino guts and a 2 DC motor diaphragm to pump the air in his "lungs" -- makes him a perfect companion for our downtime. Created by Justin Blinder for a toy-making class at Parsons The New School for Design, Snoozy is merely a prototype, but we really hope the toy industry is watching: they could learn a lot, in our sleepy, sleepy opinion. There's a video of him napping after the break (and hit the read link for a shorter one of his innards). Yawn.

[Via Gizmodo, thanks, Jesse]

Continue reading Snoozy the Sloth is a breathing, napping toy after our own hearts