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Air Hogs' Supernova packs motion controls in a kid-friendly drone
Toy drones have been cheap and plentiful over the past few years, but it's really hard for new products to stand out from the pack when they need to keep the price down and can't throw in premium features like a 4K camera. But that hasn't stopped Spin Master from trying new things with its Air Hogs line: At this week's Toy Fair, the company is debuting its first motion-controlled model, the Supernova. It's not quite DJI's Mavic Air, but it's still got some sweet moves to show off in a more kid-friendly form factor.
The best toys and coding kits for kids
This is the first year that Engadget has included a toy section in its holiday gift guide, and it's already one of the biggest (and in our opinion, best) sections. Here you'll find both coding kits from Lego and others intended to teach little one basic programming skills, as well as toys that just happen to be electronic in nature. And yes, the re-released Tamagotchi pets made the list -- you know, for the nostalgic millennial on your list.
The Etch A Sketch gets an LCD makeover but retains its magic
We've all labored over an Etch A Sketch at some point in our lives, painstakingly turning the two knobs to create a single-line black drawing on the gray screen. It's a classic toy that hasn't changed much over its sixty years of existence, because it hasn't needed to. Regardless, Spin Master's decided to mix things up a bit, replacing the aluminum powder mechanism with a black LCD screen. Now, you can use a handheld stylus to create drawings in rainbow colors. But at least you still erase it the same way.
Spin Master's BB-8 is still cute and you can get one this year
The cute spherical BB-8 was one of the many highlights of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Spin Master's near life-size replica of him was one of our favorite things about last year's Toy Fair. Unfortunately, 2016 came and went without seeing the adorable robotic companion on the silver screen -- or this particular toy on store shelves. That looks to change later this year with the announced release of the $230 Hero Droid BB-8, just in time for the bot's appearance in the next episode of the Star Wars saga.
Explore the skies with this new USS Enterprise drone
At this year's Toy Fair Spin Master showed off its latest drone creation: a USS Enterprise quadcopter. It may not travel at warp speed, but it'll still arrive right on time for Star Trek's 50th anniversary this fall.
Spin Master's life-size BB-8 is too cute and too real
We all fell in love with Sphero's tiny BB-8 droid when it launched last year. But, after you finally saw The Force Awakens, maybe you found yourself wishing for something a bit... bigger? Spin Master has answered that desire at this year's Toy Fair with the introduction of a life-size BB-8 droid. It might not be controlled with an app, but it makes up for it with voice control.
Disney is selling a Millennium Falcon drone starting tomorrow
Star Wars merchandise is big business. So big, in fact, that the films' stewards are streaming an unboxing marathon for all of the Force Awakens toys coming out on "Force Friday" tomorrow. We weren't going to pay much interest, but two items in particular have grabbed our attention: a remote-controlled Millennium Falcon and X-Wing starfighter. With minimal assembly, you'll be able to launch and fly both of these legendary spacecraft in your living room, pestering family members or reliving the final battle from Return of the Jedi. The Millennium Falcon is basically a quadcopter drone -- it has four tiny propellors built into the body, and is built from a "high density foam" to ensure it can take the odd knock and TIE fighter attack. Both the X-Wing fighter and Millennium Falcon are being manufactured by Air Hogs, a company with plenty of experience in remote controlled vehicles -- when we hear anything concrete around pricing and stockists, we'll be sure to let you know.
