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Nerf's 'Fortnite' guns will be here March 22nd (updated)
If you thought Hasbro was already milking the Fortnite trend for all it's worth with an official Nerf gun, you haven't seen anything yet. The toy maker has unveiled its full line of Fortnite-themed Nerf guns (including Super Soakers), and while it's not a complete reflection of the battle royale shooter's arsenal, it's likely you'll find something that suits your tastes. People who prefer dart-based havoc can pick up the AR-L assault rifle ($50) or SP-L pistol ($20) for conventional weaponry, but they can also wield $10 MicroShot dart blasters for surprise attacks. If you've ever wanted to shoot foam projectiles from a llama's mouth, now's your chance.
PowerUp Toys is motorizing more paper vehicles
PowerUp Toys, the makers of a smartphone-controlled paper airplane kit, is at Toy Fair 2019 with three new gizmos to occupy your free time. The company has an updated version of its popular plane kit with dual propellers, a new motorization kit that can power other origami vehicles and an accessory that can turn a smartphone into augmented reality goggles.
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.
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.
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.
Sphero's Specdrums rings bring beatmaking to your fingertips
Just a few months after Sphero acquired Specdrums as a part of its shift away from robotics, the funky crowdfunded rings are center stage at its CES booth and getting ready to ship. I gave them a try, and despite a noticeable lack of musical talent I was quickly able to tap something out that vaguely resembled a loop that could play on LoFi Beats To Chill/Study To. The rings are embedded with Bluetooth transmitters as well as optical sensors, which tie a particular color to whatever sound you might like. The accom software -- running on an iPad during our demo -- comes with tons of preloaded sound samples and of course lets you add your own, then works behind the scenes to keep everything synced up. As shown by a much more talented musician, they can no more magic when assigned a wider assortment of sounds, and paired to colors of things around you in the real world. With enough skill, you could create music and play around with sounds anywhere inspiration strikes, not just on their multicolored mat. The rings will start shipping next week, and are already on sale at a price of $65 for one and $99 for a pair.
Honda’s Sound Sitter lulls fussy children with engine noises
Plenty of parents have turned to car rides in order to calm fussy babies and Honda has now developed a gadget based on that concept. But instead of bringing the baby to the car, Honda's Sound Sitter brings the car to the baby. The company tried out the sounds of 37 different car engines, including various Civic models, Accords and Integras, ultimately determining that the sound of the NSX engine was most effective when it came to soothing babies. And when researchers tried it out on newborns -- aged six months to 1.5 years old -- 11 out of 12 seemed to experience comfort while seven showed reduced heart rates.
The first 'Rocket League' Hot Wheels car arrives this month
Want a tangible sign of your devotion to Rocket League, but would rather not drop $180 on an RC car kit or even several dollars on a Pull-Back Racer? Don't worry, you can buy something with your pocket change. Hot Wheels is launching its first Rocket League die-cast car, the Octane, later in December for a very modest $1.09. You can't really set up miniature matches when only the blue will be available at first (orange doesn't show up until 2019), but this should let you race Rocket League-style on Hot Wheels tracks.
Nerf's first ‘Fortnite’-inspired gun is the AR-L Blaster
Last month, Hasbro and Epic Games announced that some Fortnite-themed Nerf guns were on the way. And now we have a model and a release date. The first Nerf gun from the line is the Fortnite AR-L Blaster, and it features rapid-fire motorized blasting and flip-up sights. It also comes with a 10-dart clip and 20 Elite darts.
Hot Wheels' real-life 'Rocket League' RC cars land November 1st
If you've ever wondered what Rocket League would be like in real life, this RC version is as close of an approximation as you'll get to the video game. As teased earlier this year, Hot Wheels and Psyonix have teamed up to build an actual physical version of Rocket League. The set comes with two radio-controlled battle-cars -- Octane and Dominus -- an arena, and a ball, with more cars planned as expansion sets. You won't be able to wreak havoc with your Xbox One, PS4 or any other controller, however, as Hot Wheels has opted to use an Android and iPhone app for input instead.
Mattel's new robot is a pet dinosaur that won't try to eat you
Since dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago, we've never experienced them as living, breathing animals. We can look at their bones in a museum, or we can watch recreations of them in films like this summer's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. But both those options lack that visceral feeling you get from seeing a real creature in a zoo. Though it's unlikely you'll ever see a dinosaur in the flesh, you can still pretend to have one as a pet, thanks to Mattel's new Alpha Training Blue robot. She roars, coos and even responds to your commands like her movie inspiration -- but is far less deadly.
Lego's new toy train is a STEM tool for preschoolers
Twenty years ago Lego introduced Mindstorms as a way to engage kids who were becoming more interested in video games and the internet than plastic building blocks. It was successful enough that the kits became a regular sight in robotics classes and competitions. Now the line is on its fourth generation, and it's been joined by other STEM-friendly Lego kits like Boost and Powered Up to bring tech skills to many different types of kids. Now Lego's educational division goes even younger with Coding Express, a set that will teach 3- and 4-year-olds the basics of programming while they construct a world of trains, picnics and wandering deer.
$3,950 will get you a life-size BB-8 that doesn't move
If you've been wanting a life-sized replica of Star Wars' BB-8, Sideshow Collectibles will soon have you covered. The company just announced its BB-8 Life-Size Figure, a 37-inch tall replica of the adorable droid that appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It's designed to look as similar to the film's version as possible, complete with a paint job that makes it appear as weathered and worn as the one from the big screen.
Nerf’s new laser tag guns hook up to your smartphone
If the only thing missing from your summer is the ability to play laser tag at home without a vest, then Hasbro has got you covered. Today, the company announced its Nerf Laser Ops Pro blaster line, which shoot IR bursts and allow you to keep track of ammo, health and how your team is doing right from the device. Batteries are, of course, not included.
A tiny Xbox One S is the latest American Girl accessory
As in all children's toys, representation in American Girl's line of dolls is key: The last to be introduced was a Latin American girl destined to reach Mars. But maybe owners just want to see theirs kick back, relax, and play a few rounds of Fortnite like they do. American Girl has released a pack of 'gamer' paraphernalia including a headset, chair and an Xbox One S, finally solving the debate of where the brand falls in the system wars.
Hot Wheels' GoPro toy car captures sweet shots of your lil' stunts
How much do you love Hot Wheels? So much that you spend your days wishing you could ride that loop-the-loop yourself? Probably not, but Mattel has your back regardless. It just trotted out a Hot Wheels Zoom In car with a slot designed to accommodate one of GoPro's Hero5 and Session action cameras -- yes, you too can document your plastic track racing with a camera that costs exponentially more than the $1.09 vehicle underneath. If you've ever wanted to combine the thrill of first-person stunts with the fear of trusting an expensive gadget to the whims of physics, your dream machine is here.
The updated Stylophone Gen X-1 synth comes to the US
The little Stylophone toy synth has made the rounds since it was first manufactured in 1968. David Bowie used one on "Space Oddity," Kraftwerk played one on "Pocket Calculator" and They Might Be Giants had one on The Else. An updated version of this cult classic, battery-powered synthesizer — the Stylophone Gen X-1— was announced last year, and is now available in the US for $70.
Hasbro got 5,000 pre-orders to build a massive replica of Jabba's barge
The huge Jabba the Hutt barge replica Hasbro showed off at Toy Fair this year will soon become a real item making its way to backers' homes. That's because the toymaker's first HasLab project, a program that takes a leaf out of Indiegogo's and Kickstarter's books, is a raging success. It has raised over $2.7 million in funds from over 5,500 backers (as of this writing), eclipsing its original 5,000-pre-order goal. And it has the potential to make more: The campaign still welcomes Star Wars fans willing to shell out $500 for a four-foot-long Khetanna with impressively detailed decks until April 3rd.
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.
