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Takara Tomy's Rhythmbits do a little dance
Takara Tomy's Walkiebits sure caused quite a stir when they first landed a few years back, and now the firm is cranking out another variation that's sure to be a holiday favorite. The slew of new Rhythmbits arrive in a variety of vivid colors, measure in at just 1.85-inches in length, sport interchangeable shells and bust a plethora of moves when they hear music. These little bundles of fun are set to take Japan by storm later this week for ¥1,575 ($14) apiece.[Via NewLaunches]
Introductory video shows off i-SOBOT's features
We know, you're actively looking for ways to stay calm and patiently await the arrival of your US-bound i-SOBOT, so we're thrilled to pass along an introductory video to tide you over. The clip goes through and lists everything that comes bundled in with the bot itself, and the animated creature also shows off a few moves, phrases and modes. Granted, we hold a special place in our heart for any miniature mech designed to handle full-fledged somersaults and shamelessly rock out with an air guitar, but we're pretty sure you'll enjoy the vid, too. Go on, it's waiting after the break.
Japan's Segnity: the talking TV
If you've ever dreamed of a cute little television which would speak to you (and we're pretty sure you have), you're in luck. Thanks to E-Revolutiona and Takara Tomy, that dream is now a reality. The two companies have gotten together and produced a 2.7-inch, QVGA TV called the Segnity which runs on AAA batteries or USB power, features a 1seg tuner (a a mobile terrestrial digital audio / video / data broadcasting service in Japan), and... talks to you. Apparently, the little display (which comes in black or white) will asking you things like, "Are you leaving already?" when you attempt to switch it off. No word on whether it whispers subliminal messages to you while you sleep, or threatens to kill you if you return it -- but we can certainly hope. Available at the end of September for about ¥10,000 (or $86). Check the video after the break to see the annoying device in action. [Warning: read link not translated][Via Akihabara News]
Takara Tomy's i-SOBOT available for pre-order in US
We knew it wouldn't be long, but we weren't counting on being able to pre-order Takara Tomy's i-SOBOT in America today. Of course, we aren't kvetching or anything, but Amazon is now accepting orders for the creature here in the US of A, and the asking price is at the low end of what we were bracing for. So go on, secure your place in line for $299.99 -- it ought to ship real soon.[Via I4U News, thanks Luigi]
Takara Tomy's i-SOBOT headed stateside?
We're not exactly sure how much we trust i-SOBOT's MySpace page, but if you're a believer, this creature will be headed to America real soon. Interestingly, it purports that the primary reason for making the leap to the US is to "study our culture," which is likely a suave way of suggesting that its totally scoping out our defenses as the clan back home develops a sufficient takeover strategy. Nevertheless, word on the street has this bad boy landing stateside before Christmas for $300 - $350, so there's still a few months left to prepare for the seemingly inevitable invasion.[Via Gearlog]
Takara Tomy's Transformers MP3 player gets photographed
Yeah, we've got a soft spot for all things Transformers, and while Takara Tomy's Transformers MP3 player isn't the most advanced DAP on the block, the fun factor is undeniable. Thankfully, the folks over at PrimeDiary were able to wrangle one of these bad boys up for themselves and snap a few photographs. Needless to say, we're envious, but go on and click through for a couple more shots of the MP3 player fanboys just have to have.
Game of Life updated spectacularly for Wii
We admit that we haven't gotten out the Game of Life board in a few years-- rarely having a big enough group, and also having lost all of the money-- but we don't remember the impaling-a-guy-in-a-barrel round of the game. Or the mushroom-shaped houses, or the pastel hippos. Or the, uh, shooting at flying UFO butts. Is this an accurate model of life in Japan? The title and the trademark spinner are the only indications that this is the Game of Life at all. The other screenshots make it look like one of the weirder minigame collections on the Wii-- one with Mii integration, though, to its credit. Buying this and expecting The Game of Life would be like that time we bought what we thought was a James Bond tape, but turned out to be #1 Licensed to Love and Kill.
Takara Tomy's UMINE projector induces R&R
Takara Tomy's been known to offer up a few oddities, and while the UMINE projector (shown after the jump) may not be the most cockamamie device to escape its labs, it does reek of something sold on a shameless late-night infomercial. Regardless, this portable toilet, er, mood projector reportedly beams images of beach scenes, waterscapes, and various other soothing atmospheres onto your ceiling or wall, which apparently helps you to divert your attention from the demands of reality (or yearn for a vacation). Of course, we've all ideas that this thing doesn't really turn your entire room into a theoretical paradise as the images so perfectly depict, but it might not be a half bad way to zone out for just $84.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Air Guitar Pro makes air guitar slightly less fake
If wildly gesticulating to your Pantera records didn't seem "realistic" enough, toymaker Takara Tomy should be able to help. Like the bastard child of Guitar Hero and those keychains you bought as a kid that make explosion noises, this handheld device works by allowing you to press chord buttons on its fretboard and then strum your fingers across IR sensors in the neck. If you're not sure of your soloing abilities, you can play along to preloaded tracks like Walk This Way or Smoke on the Water. Available on July 25th for around $27.[Thanks, Veronica B.]
Magic 8-Ball says: 'Signs point to disturbing'
Even StarFox's furry-friendly backdrop couldn't hold a candle to Fortune Channel, Capcom and TakaraTomy's latest installment to the puppy-fashion Wantame series. Predicting the future with minigames certainly sounds interesting, but we would rather not have to dress up virtual dogs in provocative outfits during the process. The miniature daschund posing on the right is probably the second most unsettling image of a dolled-up animal that we've ever come across. If you want to see the most unsettling image -- and we're not kidding around here, your eyes may very well hop out of their sockets, scampering away at the mere sight of this one -- step past the post break.
TakaraTomy's Issho Ni Nenne puts baby to sleep, forever
TakaraTomy won't be happy until their robots can raze raise our children. Their latest is the ¥5,229 ($45) Issho Ni Nenne (pictured on the left) manufactured in collaboration with Disney. The plush toy features a digital audio player loaded with womb sounds. That's right, apparently an internal microphone was stuffed into a living womb while music played in the room. Just put baby on a bender of sloshing fluids, heartbeat, and muffled music and he'll be out faster than you can say "pass the Thunderbird." And what happens when baby wakes to find he's been duped by a giant mouse? No worries, a "baby mood switch" will sense the babies cries and generate an audible "curiosity trigger" to make baby forget why he was crying in the first place. Another cocktail of womb music and he's back to sleep. Feed, cuddle, repeat. Magic. [Via Digital World Tokyo]
Takara Tomy's Dacky the Healing Partner robotic dog
They've already laid claim to "the world's smallest robot" title (sort of) so why not go hog wild and snap up "the world's cutest robot" while they're at it, yeah? 'Cause really, how are you going to get much better than Dacky here, with those big expressive puppy dog eyes and six internal sensors for interacting with his doting human companion? Sure, Dacky has nothing on Pleo for actual robotic complexity, but Dacky can also "learn" up to 650 words in Japanese, after starting off with mere barking. He can ask you about your day, wish you a happy birthday and sing along at karaoke. No word on price, or if Takara Tomy will be shipping this one over to the States, but perhaps we just wouldn't be able to handle this much cute -- it's for our own good.Update: Tomy let us know it's actually "Dacky" not "Ducky". Alright, sure thing.
TakaraTomy's Micromachine to terrorize creepy anime dolls
Now this is what we've been waiting for ever since Takara and TOMY joined forces; a robot! Temporarily dubbed Micromachine, this 5.9-inch tall, 0.66-pound programmable robot is a prototype of the mass produced bipedal 'bot due for release in March 2007. For less than ¥40,000 (about $349) you'll get a fully tricked-out model with Bluetooth and camera modules. Details are sketchy at this point and anything could happen between now and product launch anyway. And since this is Tomy and Takara, we mean anything.
More info on TakaraTomy's luxe nano channel audio player
TakaraTomy is forging ahead with production of the nano channel, the merged company's high-end, super-deluxe digital audio player. The flash unit, due out in Japan this July, comes in sizes ranging from a capacious 128MB to an absolutely massive 1GB, and features a groundbreaking 1.2-inch display that can actually be used to display video! Not only that, but you can actually play your music on this gadget for six full hours on a single battery charge. It even comes in red, blue and silver. This marvel of modern technology, not surprisingly, goes for a premium price: ¥9,800 ($82) for the 128MB version. Okay, we're done. Oh, one other thing worth mentioning: TakaraTomy is launching a web site where customers can download animations to play on that 1.2-inch screen. We assume they'll be able to squeeze all of 30 seconds worth of vid onto the 128MB version.
