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Where to buy Sphero's BB-8 'Star Wars' toy in the UK
The Force Awakens is still a few months away, but already Star Wars fans have fallen in love with one of the film's supporting characters: BB-8. The rolling droid is a spiritual successor to R2-D2 and now, thanks to Sphero, you can buy your own miniaturised version. It connects to iOS and Android devices and, using the companion app, you can switch it between three different behavioural modes: Driving, Holographic Messaging and Patrol. But where can you buy this little curiosity on "Force Friday?" We've got you covered.
Sphero's BB-8 is the 'Star Wars' toy everyone will want
Back when Disney released the first trailer to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, one of the characters that caught most people's eye was BB-8. And for good reason: it's an adorable rolling droid. Now, Disney is bringing it to everyone through Sphero, the company known for its connected robotic toys. Meet BB-8 by Sphero, a toy version of the ball-shaped personality you'll see in the next Star Wars episode, which opens in theaters December 18th. Although this droid comes on a smaller scale than the prop introduced at the Star Wars Celebration a few months ago, it is as close to the real thing as you're going to get. Best of all, it is arguably one of the best (and cutest) Star Wars toys to date -- and that's saying a lot.
Impoverished 'Star Wars' company to hold merchandise telethon
Things are clearly tough over at Disney headquarters. Having only grossed $2 billion from Avengers: Age of Ultron and Inside Out, the company needs your help to stay afloat. It has something called Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens coming out this December, and to help raise funds it's planning an 18-hour marketing marathon to push products related to the little-known movie. This September 3rd, the company will unveil merchandise in "the world's first-ever global live toy unboxing event," which will apparently play out like a "New Year's Eve style celebration" across 12 countries.
The Mega Yarn Yoshi Amiibo is coming to take over the world
If you thought that 8-bit Mario Amiibo from E3 was huge, you ain't seen nothing yet: Mega Yarn Yoshi is coming to take the "biggest Amiibo" crown. The beautiful toy you see above is an officially licensed, super-sized version of the popular Yarn Yoshi Amiibo. It's a fully-functional NFC figurine, so you'll be able to use its foot to interact with various Wii U titles. It'll activate the "Double Yoshi" feature in Yoshi's Woolly World, create an AI fighter in Super Smash Bros. or get a sweet Mii costume in Mario Kart 8. Priced at $39.99 and scheduled for release this November 15th, it's likely to sell very quickly. You'll want to keep a close eye on pre-orders as this green giant is going to cost a bomb on eBay once stocks run out.
Vortex lets kids program their own robot buddy
Sphero, the ball-shaped robot, inspired a new generation of toys that aren't only fun, but can also be used as educational tools for kids. Vortex, pictured above, is one of these. Created by DFRobot, a company that's been selling open-source hardware since 2008, Vortex is being revealed today via Kickstarter, with the goal being to raise $50,000 through crowdfunding. Vortex, which is small enough to fit on the palm of your hand, is described as a smart and responsive device that's meant to inspire incredible fun and creativity -- and that it does. It's not nearly as fast as the Sphero 2.0 or Ollie, but Vortex wants to shine in other specific areas, namely its multiplayer and Arduino features.
Lego is developing eco-friendly plastic bricks
Lego's iconic plastic bricks aren't very kind to the planet since they're made from oil-based ABS plastic, but the toy maker is planning to mend its ways. It's paying $150 million to build a sustainable materials center that will develop oil-free plastic, whether it's made from recycled plastics or an organic material. It's still early going, but the plan is to completely ditch ABS by 2030. This won't have as much of an environmental impact as getting gas-powered cars off the roads. However, Lego makes a whopping 60 billion bricks a year, and estimates that it'd cut three quarters of its carbon dioxide emissions with the switch -- this would still represent a noticeable improvement. [Image credit: Steve Ruark/AP Images for LEGO]
Disney's Playmation toys let kids feel like an Avenger
The rise of smartphones and tablets has forced entertainment firms, such as Disney, to design themed toys that can come to life and build a story around them. That's the case for Playmation, a platform of smart toys that combines Disney's popular movie franchises with sensors and kids' imagination. The first set, scheduled to launch in October, will be based on none other than Marvel's Avengers, while Star Wars and Frozen are expected to arrive in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The Starter Pack we tried features an Iron Man glove, which lets young ones hear and feel what it's like to have the superhero's powers -- like his signature repulsor blast. There are also two figures included (Captain America, Iron Skull), as well as a pair of base stations that communicate with Tony Stark's wearable via IR, and can be used for interactive missions.
Nintendo leaks an 8-bit Mario Amiibo ahead of E3
It should come as no surprise, given Nintendo's propensity for creating Mario games, that the company can't stop making Amiibo based on its most-famous character. Since the NFC toy line was introduced last November, we've already seen five: Super Smash Bros. Mario, Mario Party Mario, Gold Mario, Silver Mario and Dr. Mario. Thanks to an email from Nintendo Spain (first spotted by Nintendo Inquirer), it appears there's going to be a sixth: 8-bit Mario. The newsletter included an image of the retro-styled figurine along with a shot of an unannounced Animal Crossing collection that'll feature at least four characters from the series.
Nerf's higher-powered foam guns are meant for older fans
Nerf guns can be fun if you're a grown-up -- just ask the legions of people who modded the Maverick revolver. They're not really intended for an older audience, however, which is why Hasbro just unveiled a range of Nerf blasters meant for high schoolers (and adults) who take their plastic weapons seriously. The highlight is the Rival line you see above, which shoots foam balls at nearly 70MPH -- they won't sting like paintball rounds, but you're definitely going to feel the blow. You can get the $50 Zeus MXV-1200 if you insist on fast motorized reloads, or the $25 Apollo XV-700 if you're content with lever action.
Dozens of Blizzard's biggest game characters are getting figurines
You're typically lucky if you get even a few figurines based on your favorite games. That's certainly true with Blizzard -- despite its deep game universes, you seldom get more than a handful of characters. Thankfully, that relative drought is about to end soon. The National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA) is launching a collectible line based around Blizzard's multi-franchise online battle arena, Heroes of the Storm, and it's planning figurines for all 34 playable characters. If you want to have a Diablo III demon hunter or StarCraft II's Tychus on your desk, you can.
Your kids can drive this electric, Android-equipped 'sports car'
Don't look now, but your kids may end up owning a better car than you do. Henes recently unveiled the Broon F8 series, a child-sized electric "supercar" that has features you probably wish you had in your own ride. Never mind the independent suspension, differential steering and adjustable driving modes -- this vehicle has its own 7-inch Android tablet that serves as both the dashboard and infotainment control deck (yes, there's a sound system). Junior doesn't even have to drive at all, since there's a Bluetooth-based remote control that lets you take the virtual wheel in a pinch.
Kids can now program toys that talk to just about anything
There's no shortage of smart toys, but they tend only to talk to each other. What if your kid wants the freedom to use them with just about anything? That's where Dynepic's upcoming DynePod might help. It may look like a simple 25-pixel block of LEDs, but it's really the centerpiece of an "internet of toys" that lets it both respond to simple programming and dish out input of its own, whether it's talking to another DynePod or something else entirely. You can tell it to light up when there's movement, or buzz if another device is nearby; built-in motion sensors let it serve as a controller. Parents can even use it to set alarms, and at least the initial kits will come with a mounting clip and a bracelet. Yes, you can turn this into Junior's first smartwatch. The long-term plan is to have an open platform that has toys of all kinds speaking to each other.
Toys that let you send voice messages to your kids are coming to the UK
Anyone that has kids, or regularly interacts with kids, knows that getting them to talk on the phone is a nightmare at the best of times. Brooklyn-based studio Toymail knows this, so it's bringing "The Mailmen" to the UK to make things a little easier for friends and family to interact with the little people in their lives. You see, The Mailmen are small battery-powered toys that allow anyone with the free companion app to send voice messages to kids. You record a message, it gets sent to one of five animal-themed characters (including Rochester, Buck, Milksop, Fairfax and Snort) your child owns and they can immediately send one back.
Poochi the robot dog can talk with your 3DS (and play rock-paper-scissors)
You can count on Japan to perpetually push the idea of robot pets -- and some of us are okay with that. Poochi is the latest effort from Sega Toys, and it can interact with with a downloadable app / mini-game on Nintendo's 3DS. This particular robot pet series has been on sale in Japan (and the US) for several years, but this is a notable evolution: the blue and pink pet substitutes communicate with 3DSes wirelessly, translating yips and barks into, well, Japanese. It sings (the way a cartoon robot dog should), and can even play rock-paper-scissors with you if you're feeling particularly lonely. Courtesy of the 3DS connection, there's several more mini-games and even a Nintendogs-ish interaction screen -- which is kind of confusing when the dog's right in front of you in real life. Poochi has sensors on its back, nose and tail, and there's handy color indicators on its face to indicate how it's feeling. The robot (and companion app) launches today, priced at 6,000 yen -- around $58. We've added the (surprisingly intense) TV ad after the break. We're still waiting on an alpha-male version.
Real FX lets you race against robot toy cars, no mobile app required
Sure, Anki Drive put robotic toy cars on the map, but it's not ideal -- not everyone can justify giving their kids iOS devices just to steer plastic vehicles. You won't have that issue if Wow Labs gets its Real FX kit on to store shelves. The system blends conventional RC handsets with smart, optically guided cars; all you do to play against artificial intelligence is switch a racer's handset to "pace car." You don't have to settle for fixed course designs, either, since you can build them piece-by-piece.
Bend it like robo-Beckham with the U14 Free Kick toy
Axpro is a Taiwanese company that makes flash drives, so it's surprising to see it building app-connected toys like U14 Free Kick - a game that's a weird hybrid between Frujit Ninja, Subbuteo and Robot Football. Making Fruit Ninja-style swipes on the iOS app determines the power and direction of a free-kick made by a robotic footballer, in the hope of getting it up and over a defending wall. It's been designed for groups of soccerball fanatics who want to show off their ball-curving prowess without doing the real thing, and seems ideal for late night pub competitions. Unfortunately, it won't become commercially available until Axpro finds a distributor, so we might have to clip our nails and dust off that Subbuteo box after all.
Curio is an interactive animatronic toy you can program and play with (hands-on)
It's always nice to have a little buddy around that's trained to do what you want it to. Some of us get dogs or other furry creatures, but a start-up called Curio is hoping there's a good chunk of folks who would like to have a robotic companion, too. You see, Curio is a cute little bot platform filled with a pair of motors that move its mouth and head, and has a small LCD screen that serves as its face. The toy clips to any smartphone or tablet running the associated app, which in turn allows users to set its facial expression, determine its movements and even tell it what to say. While the app will come with a bunch of pre-set actions, expressions and sounds, its makers are also working up a programming portion of the app, so tinkerers can create their own custom Curio mods. This programming interface is a series of parallel timelines that allow you to chronologically lay out different facial expressions, movements and audio simply by dragging and dropping them where you like. And Curio's built to be physically customized, too. Company founder Mike Kneupfel thinks that his bots can take advantage of the 3D printing craze by letting folks make their own tails, ears, and other accessories that clip onto Curio. He tells us that he aims to put a bunch of accessory blueprints on MakerBot's Thingiverse to make it easy for folks to print stuff out, but he's hoping that users will get creative and design their own as well.
Play-i's Bo and Yana robots teach kids programming concepts through stories (video)
There are efforts to promote coding to kids, but they're typically aimed at an older demographic -- few young children are ready to sit at a keyboard and start writing. Play-i hopes to foster that interest at an earlier age with its upcoming programmable robots. Both the three-wheeled Bo (right) and its stationary cousin Yana (left) teach coding concepts through the context of stories, which are easier to grasp for kids. Owners can tell Bo to give a flower to a friend, for example, or get Yana to make helicopter sounds when it's shaken. Play-i's Bluetooth-based remote control app (currently iOS-only) simplifies arm, eye, gesture and wheel commands, reducing them to icon-based sequences; effectively, kids learn about if-then code without mastering a programming language. The company is running a crowdfunding campaign to help with its planned summer 2014 launch. Interested parents can pledge $49 for Yana, and $149 for Bo; prices should climb to a respective $69 and $199 when the robots reach the market. Tinkerers can also spend $499 to get a developer combo that includes both machines as well as early access to an API. If you're interested in giving your kids a head start in the tech world -- or just want particularly clever toys for yourself -- you'll want to check out Play-i at the source link.
Mars Explorer Barbie: yeah, Ken's over the moon for this one
Technologically inclined Barbie's aren't exactly new, but a Mars Explorer Barbie? Yeah, that's worth mentioning. In cooperation with NASA, the "Career of the Year Mars Explorer Barbie" is being "launched"... presumably right into Ken's ever-loving heart. We're told that she's ready to "add her signature pink splash to the red planet," and should be hitting Earthly shelves now for $12.99. The best part? Curiosity won't have to sing a birthday song alone ever again.
Witness Furby Boom shower, lay an egg, go to the bathroom (video)
Last year, Hasbro reinvented 1998's hottest stuffed holiday sensation for the early 21st century. Furby got a full-on reboot, bringing improved locomotion, wireless communication, a tablet app and some vaguely creepy glowing eyes to the robotic pet. The toy company opted not to wait another decade and a half for an update, offering up Furby Boom for the world to see today. On the surface, the update looks a fair amount like last year's model -- same moving beak, glowing eyes (with more emotional options) and twitching pointy ears. This time out, however, the company's offering "six fashion forward patterns" on its fur, including waves and zigzags, with more coming later in the year. Things have been souped up a bit inside, including more on-board storage. The real upgrades, however, are mostly on the software side of things. The new Furby Boom app, which is coming to iOS and Android, ups the ante for Furby activities. Owners can use it to name their Furby -- a name the toy its Furby friends will learn. It also requires some standard pet maintenance, featuring meters for health, hunger, cleanliness and, yes, bathroom breaks. If your Furby gets low on any of the above, you'll have to help it out. We'll save the graphic description for the video after the break, because really, why read about a Furby taking a dump, when you can watch it in glorious 720p?%Gallery-194298%
