toy fair
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Hasbro's Bluetooth lightsaber lets kids train to become a Jedi
Hasbro has a new toy for the future Jedi in your life. The Star Wars Lightsaber Academy is a suped-up version of the standard lightsaber that comes with its own training exercises and activities built in, according to The Verge. The toy connected to a smartphone app via Bluetooth to provide Jedis-in-training with interactive challenges that teach them to fight like their favorite Star Wars characters.
The new Pictionary has you drawing in thin air
It's not easy being a traditional board game manufacturer in these digital days, although some companies have taken pretty bold steps to bridge the gap between table-top and pixel-based play. Now Pictionary is doing the same with Pictionary Air, which takes your competitive sketching off the paper and puts it onto your phone, tablet or TV screen instead.
A 'Stranger Things' version of 'Dungeons and Dragons' arrives April 22nd (updated)
The third season of Stranger Things won't arrive until July, but you might be able to while away some of the time by checking out the Dungeons and Dragons adventure the gang plays in the first episode. Hasbro is releasing a D&D starter kit based on "Hunt for the Thessalhydra" on April 22nd.
Hot Wheels' new TechMods are remote-control cars you build yourself
Hot Wheels has excelled at merging the real and virtual worlds for the past few years, but a lot of that has been focused on the driving experience -- specifically, how to make it more like a video game, with toys like Hot Wheels AI, Mindracers and Augmoto. This year the brand is finally giving budding gear heads some love with its new TechMods set, an app-controlled vehicle that you build yourself and then control with your phone. It's not the same as tinkering under a hood, but it is actually fun to put together.
Lego’s newest playsets are haunted by AR (updated)
As much as we like to shake our metaphorical canes at kids and lament how they're all about Minecraft and Fortnite these days, the truth is that they're still really big into physical play too. Children still love Lego, both the plastic bricks and the worlds they can create with them. However, the company is now going to try to unite all these different aspects -- building, video gaming and storytelling -- with its new AR-based line, Lego Hidden Side. Kids can construct sets and bring them to life using their phones, with a continuing narrative to keep them coming back for more.
3Doodler's mobile app is like a coloring book for 3D printing
3Doodler is finally launching a mobile app, and it'll come with step-by-step instructions you can follow to hone your 3D-printing skills. The company will also roll out a new project every week to give you something fresh to work on after you've already gone through all the tutorials (over 10, the company said) featured at launch. But the best thing the application can offer if you truly can't wield your 3D-printing pen properly even after loads of practice is stencils. You don't even have to print out the stencils: you can literally just draw with a 3Doodler right on your mobile device while following the patterns on the screen -- sort of like a paint by number coloring book.
Speak & Spell is B-A-C-K
If you're a techie of a certain age (cough), you probably have fond memories of the Speak & Spell. The Texas Instruments toy's quirky speech synthesis may be quaint by modern standards, but it sounded like magic at a time when getting any computer to talk was a big deal. You'll be glad to hear it's back, then. Basic Fun is introducing a revived Speak & Spell that includes all the familiar games, that simple segmented display (albeit one based on modern LCDs) and, of course, that signature orange-and-yellow design. However, there is one important change you'll have to consider: the voice.
Daily Roundup: Toy Fair wrap-up, laptop buyer's guide and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Toy Fair has a little something for everyone; here's how it looks on the inside
To say the least, there's always something peculiar to be found at Toy Fair. Put simply, this place is guaranteed fun. It's like being five years young and stepping into a Toys R Us for the first time ever -- except there's much, much more stuff here. Toy Fair 2014, hosted at the Javits Center in New York City, definitely lived up to the hype. There were more toys to see and play with than you can imagine, some of which are available now, while others are due to hit the market later this year. Naturally, we took a stroll through the show floor and found a few neat things: TOMY's new motion-controlled Battroborg Warriors, MOSS has a kit to help make your robot-building dreams come true and a shoulder-strapped Pikachu that shoots foam discs. Oh, and how could we forget Barbie's pooping canine -- yes, folks, that's a thing. Of course, this is only a small taste of everything Toy Fair has to offer, but the photos and videos after the break should sum up what the experience is like.
MOSS kits let you build the robot of your dreams with color-coded cubes
The big story at this year's Toy Fair was definitely STEM. That stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- four areas of study that educational companies and bureaucracies have been pushing more students to get involved with. So it was no surprise that, as we wandered the halls of the Jacob Javits Center, we were bombarded by Tinkertoy-like offerings, science sets and robotics kits. One of the more interesting was certainly MOSS, a collection of electronic blocks from the same company that brought us Cubelets. While the basic design certainly echoes that of its stablemate, MOSS actually seems to share more genetic code with littleBits than anything else. The system consists of a set of cubes with sensors, inputs and outputs, all color-coded for easy assembly. It is possible to assemble the parts in incorrect orders (unlike with Cubelets), which is why the sets are recommended for ages 8 and up.
Motion-controlled Battroborg Warriors deliver armed robot combat
Last year's Battroborgs were a blast, but not without their quirks. Accuracy was not one of the tiny bot's strong points, and moving or turning was an exercise in frustration. This year, TOMY decided to simplify things a bit, while adding armed combat to the mix. The resulting Battroborg Warriors wield swords and scythes, and ditch the dual-fisted controls for a more streamlined system that uses only a single accelerometer-based remote. Obviously, we had to swing by the company's booth at Toy Fair to try our hand in a one-on-one battle against the reigning champion, Senior Brand Manager Tom Zahorsky.
iPad, iPhone toys represented at Toy Fair 2013
Visiting the annual Toy Fair trade show at New York's Javits Center earlier this month was an exercise in sensory overload. Hundreds of vendors, from tiny single-product companies to former garage startups grown massive to legitimate industry giants, staff booths and pitch passersby with their fun, family-friendly offerings. While technological toys make headlines and grab attention, most of the products seen on display don't use anything more technologically advanced than a few AA batteries or some brightly colored surgical tubing. If you can throw it, build it, paint it, read it or stick it to a wall, it's represented at Toy Fair. Most exhibitors were showing products that won't make it to store shelves until this summer if not later, but the buyers and retailers who need to plan ahead for the busy shopping seasons were happy to have an up-front look. Among the toys with Apple tech tie-ins, quite a few used iOS device cameras to deliver augmented-reality content triggered by the design of the physical product. Ravensburger's line of AR-enabled puzzles can quiz you or plant your pictures in the middle of Times Square, and the Popar Toys books and games with AR features allow your eager reader to take pop-up books to the next level with 3D, animated storytelling matched to each page. Here's a quick video demo of Popar's technology in action. Along with AR, the venerable QRCode showed up in a number of toy and game tie-ins. As Megan posted last week, the upcoming America's Funniest Home Videos game will be powered by QRCode scanning, with video clips embedded in the app for data-plan-free playtime. The US$14.99 Codigo Cube also uses QRCodes on a special die, with each code triggering a different trivia category in the corresponding quiz app. Given the level of frustration usually associated with real-world scanning of QRCodes, I don't know how effective this will be in the games market, but we'll see. It's not shipping until late this spring, but the Verzis four-way family game controller looks intriguing. The flat gamepad-style controller set sits underneath your iPad, giving everyone on the table their individual controls. The real question there will be the number (and quality) of apps that end up supporting the controller; several are planned for release with the gamepad set. Pretty much every manufacturer of remote-controlled toy vehicles has a selection of iOS-linked flyers, drivers or none-of-the-aboves. Model helicopter and car maker FunkyPlanet showed several 'copters compatible with its AppRC Fly iPhone controller (you have to add the $19.99 IR dongle yourself), and there are forthcoming Mini Cooper and Porsche models that work with the AppRC Drive app. Chinese OEM Woddon Toys has a whole line of iCon app-controlled models on the way, including the dramatic iConEyes quadcopter: camera equipped, app-piloted and looking like an angry baby Batmobile with rotors. For pure RC cute, however, you would have to search hard to find anything more adorable than the DeskPets line of teensy RC tanks, cars and battling, maze-walking vehicles. DeskPets's TankBot models are $29.95 each, putting them on the less expensive end of the app/RC spectrum. Honorable cuteness mention gets a split decision, with both the Romo iPhone-powered tank robot and the Sphero rolling, swimming robot ghost ball drawing oohs and ahhs from passersby. Romo's going to have some competition with the Robo Me robot coming this spring. (We covered both Romo and Sphero at CES earlier this year.) The iPhone also found itself playing a tactical role as an augmented-reality gunsight in quite a few toys, most of which won't hit stores until later this year. Tech4Kids upcoming TekRecon rubber-band shooters, due in the fall, use the iPhone as the sight while you try to tag your buddies. Metal Compass's Xappr AR gun bypasses the physical ammo altogether and links with more than 10 iPhone apps for virtual battles; it also works with a handful of Android apps as well. Unfortunately, despite an orange frontpiece the Xappr looks a little bit too realistic for comfort. Here's a quick video of the device. Even if actual iOS games weren't overwhelming the show floor, the consequences of those games were clearly in evidence: scores of licensed products from Cut The Rope and Angry Birds. Cases, games, snacks, accessories and more -- check out the gallery for some examples. I lost count of how many Angry Birds tie-ins I saw across the exhibit space. %Gallery-179871% Honorable mention to our pals at ThinkGeek, holding down a comparatively staid and distinguished booth filled with Minecraft and Star Trek gadgets, and to the impressive breadth of Mac and iPhone-themed items at the Thumbs Up! booth. I definitely want a Padintosh iPad cover. There were a few legitimately inventive ideas on the show floor, which we'll get to in detail in subsequent posts. Tiggly Shapes looks like a very promising iPad toy for preschoolers, and the Apptivators line of iPad toppers definitely garnered some attention. Our former Engadget colleague Joanna Stern, now covering the tech beat for ABC News, found some of the higher-profile iOS tie-ins at the show, including the clever Nerf Cyberhoop basketball hoop/app combo (the app does automatic scoring, listening for the audio of a made basket) and the technologically impressive, deeply creepy Barbie Makeover Mirror. This particular product, which I did not get in to see (Mattel's full-floor solo exhibit space at Toy Fair was by appointment only, and fully booked up when I inquired) uses the iPad's front-facing camera in mirror mode, then allows the player to apply virtual eye shadow, blush and lipstick via a Bluetooth-linked palette of plastic makeup. The applied color then tracks her (or his) facial features. We've got until August to get used to this idea. Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. We'll be sharing a few more of our impressions from Toy Fair over the next few days.
Toy Fair 2013: 'America's Funniest Home Videos' board games includes QR cards to enhance game
America's Funniest Home Videos started when Steve Jobs worked on NeXT computers and Bob Saget, the original host, was best known as Danny Tanner on Full House. It's one of those shows that inevitably you find yourself doing a double-take and going, "That's still airing?" It's not just going strong, but the latest game based on the series debuted at Toy Fair 2013. TDC Games is using the show as its first subject in a line of Scan Games, which has a game board bundled with cards bearing QR codes. Scan the card with an iOS or Android device using a free app that you download after purchasing the game, and content related to the game being played will appear on your screen. In the case of the AFV game, the content is a clip of a home movie featured in the series. You guess what will happen in the video, then select the answer on your iOS device to see the rest of the clip play out and determine how many points you receive. It's not just the cards that have the QR code. There are codes embedded in the board as well, and point bonuses are issued when you scan those spaces. It's a neat mesh of technology and a traditional board game, and it's a game that's good for the entire family to play. The app is designed for an iPhone, so you will have to enlarge it on an iPad to take advantage of the screen. This could lead to video degradation on older iPads. This board game / iOS-compatible version of AFV will be available in fall 2013 for US$19.99. Bonus card packs, which can be played on their own or with the game, will be $9.99. Watch the video below to see the game in action.
BlizzPlanet goes to Toy Fair 2012 in New York
Toy Fair 2012 started up on Sunday, Feb. 12, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, where many companies announced awesome new licensed Blizzard products that we're definitely excited about. The event ends tomorrow on Wednesday, Feb. 15. BlizzPlanet has been on the scene to report back on all of the new products coming stamped with the Blizzard seal of approval. MEGA Bloks showed up with new prototypes for the World of Warcraft MEGA Bloks sets coming soon, with cool catapults and orcish scenary. Giant MEGA Blok Thrall was on hand to pose with fans. Insight Editions showed off its Diablo III: Book of Cain, and USAopoly made one of the biggest announcements with World of Warcraft Monopoly and RISK: StarCraft. DC Unlimited continued to show off its figures for the World of Warcraft series, many of which were delayed for a long time for unknown reasons. However, these figures are coming, and they look great. Check out BlizzPlanet for coverage of all of the licensed Blizzard products showing up at the convention.
Mattel's hoverboard keeps McFly planted on terra firma, away from water
There's no need to worry: your eyes aren't deceiving you, and the year most certainly isn't 2015. Still, that isn't stopping Mattel from teasing the iconic hoverboard at the New York Toy Fair. First made famous by Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II, the product became something of Hollywood lore when the movie's director, Robert Zemeckis, insisted the contraption was real. While the claim later proved to be a prank, the desire for a genuine hoverboard has lived on. Now, following in the footsteps of McFly's MAG shoes from Nike, Mattel suggests it'll begin accepting preorders for the hoverboard replica next month. While the toy doesn't actually fly (but rather glides), it's said to emit a whooshing sound so that riders can pretend they're surfing through the air. Should Mattel solicit enough interest, the product will ship by year's end -- otherwise the company will merely scrap the idea and return to churning out Barbies.
Battle Machines hands-on (video)
When Jada invited us up to its private show room at Toy Fair to do "battle" we were a little concerned -- last we checked we'd done nothing to offend the company. Thankfully, it just wanted to challenge us to a duel with its Battle Machines line of RC toys. A couple of years back the company debuted the line with a pair of cars that drive around playing laser tag with each other. Then, last year, things got really interesting Air vs. Land -- an RC chopper and turret that duked it for IR-equipped superiority. This year the company is expanding the line with Battle Quads (laser-wielding ATVs complete with rider) and Battle Heli (essentially one half of the Air vs. Land package, but programmed to perform rotor-powered dog fights). Neither of the new products were quite ready for a test run yet, but we did give the turret and copter combo a try... just for the heck of it. The toys are complete with blaster noises and, when shot down, an internal IC takes over the helicopter and does a little aerial death dance. After about 15 minutes we finally started to get the hang of piloting the aircraft but, by then, the Jada rep had us plummeting from the sky. Both the Battle Heli and the Battle Quads should be hitting shelves in August for $30 and $60, respectively. Check out the video and PR after the break.Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
iCade 8-Bitty hands-on (video)
It's still about two months out, but when the 8-bitty hits shelves it might just become our favorite member of the iCade family. At the moment the Bluetooth gamepad is little more than a hand-made prototype with some AA batteries taped to the underside and a sticker printed on the office InkJet slapped on the front. As a production quality controller, though, it should be the perfect handheld button mashers for those of you with a taste for the retro. The boxy, rectangular 8-bitty may be wireless and the final version will likely sport six buttons -- still, you can't help but be whisked back to your days spent blowing into dusty Contra cartridges and tapping out the Konami code. We gave the early prototype a quick try and the D-pad and red buttons feel just like their '80s inspiration. Unfortunately they're not quite as responsive yet, but we're figuring there's still some kinks to be worked out before it ships this Spring. The 8-bitty should be launching exclusively with ThinkGeek for between $25 and $30. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break.Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Yo-Yo Factory brings Hyper Scanner yo-yo gaming to Toy Fair, we go hands-on
We'll forgive you if you've never heard of Hyper Scanner. The carnival style arcade game is apparently all the rage in Japan, though. Kids line up to battle it for king of the yo-yo hill. Yo-Yo Factory came out to Toy Fair to show off its customizable yo-yo system, designed for the serious aficionado. Everything from the weight, to the bearings, to the colors can be tailored to your taste and to greatly improve the performance for particular tasks. The Hyper Scanner measures how fast the toy spins in RPMs and rates your performance -- not unlike a high striker. Brand manager and member of the development team Ben McPhee demoed how much better his company's products are over a standard yo-yo by ratcheting it up to near 7,000RPM. This Engadget editor was also given a chance to prove his yo-yo mettle, but couldn't break the 3,000 mark. Of course, the game has plenty of blinking lights and loud noises to entice you to play -- including repeatedly shouting "hyper" at you in a thick Japanese accent. Check out the video after the break to see it in action.
Force Flyer accelerometer-controlled RC helicopter, we go gloves-on (video)
Being able to wave your hand through the air and control a physical object -- as if by magic -- is everyone's dream. And if you say it's not yours, then you sir or ma'am are a liar. That's why we had to stop at the Regal Elite booth on the floor at Toy Fair. The company was showing off the Force Flyer, an RC helicopter you pilot with an accelerometer-equipped glove. The patented tech, called Glove Force Technology, adds a level of physical interactivity that's more Wii than RC. A small joystick you hold in your palm controls thrust, while tilting and moving your hand through the air gets the chopper to perform acrobatic maneuvers -- or plummet to the ground if you're an Engadget editor. The Regal Elite staff seemed to have pretty good control of the Force Flyer, which gives us hope that our difficulty in keeping the toy airborne was due more to our lack of familiarity and not with the quality of the device. The glove controller on hand was still a prototype (as is much of what's on the floor at Toy Fair), hence the New Balance logo, but the actual internals are around 80 percent complete according to a rep. The smaller, indoor Force Flyer should be hitting the market in late April for $49.95, followed by a larger outdoor version. Check out the gallery below and video after the break for more.%Gallery-147163%Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
zAPPed board games hands-on
Alright, zAPPed is no GameChanger but, where Hasbro's line of iOS-integrated board games falls short in the pun department, it shines in cleverness. The Game of Life launched just a couple of days ago with a special edition designed to be used with an iPad app, while other classics Battleship and Monopoly are scheduled to follow later in the year. All make your iDevice an integral part of the gaming experience and leverage an ingeniously simple solution to boosting the interactivity. Underneath the game pieces are uniquely arranged capacitive plastic pads that allow the apps to identify what you're holding. Different boats in Battleship have slightly different arrangements of pads underneath that allow the app to tell whether your carrier or destroyer has been sunk.Monopoly uses the same trick to differentiate player debit cards. When it comes time to make a transaction, you swipe the card across the screen of your iPhone and funds are automatically added or subtracted from your account. Monopoly also adds a few more play options, including a mini game for escaping jail. The Game of Life, of course, lets you spin a virtual wheel, but also customize virtual pegs -- adding hair and accessories where once you were stuck with plain pink or blue ones. Game of Life zAPPed Edition is out now for $25, while Monopoly will land in June, followed by Battleship in September. Check out the gallery below and the PR after the break. %Gallery-147154%Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
