Tag: MATTEL

When we got our hands on the new Barbie Video Girl a few months ago, we sort of knew that the camera-equipped doll could give rise to a whole new era of kiddie voyeurism. Little did we know, though, that it could spawn a whole new era of homemade kiddie porn, as well. Yet that's exactly what the FBI is worried about, according to a new memo (PDF) that describes the toy as a "possible child ...

There's a load of great tech news happening out there every day, and, unfortunately, we just can't cover it all. Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey through the wild, wild Web. Vimeo user Eclectic Method takes the Girl Talk approach to mixing up the visuals and music from classic 8-bit games like 'Tetris,' 'Duck Hunt' and 'Super Mario Bros.' ...

First, Barbie went nerd, and, now, with the release of Barbie Video Girl, she's suddenly gone all Peeping Tom on us. The new doll, at first glance, looks like any other disproportionate, run-of-the-mill Barbie. A closer look at her, um, cleavage, however, would reveal a camera embedded discreetly within her necklace. And, on her back, is a color LCD screen. That's right, girls of all ages can now ...

We're suckers here for 'Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots,' and, really, who isn't? Before we were plunking down hundreds of quarters on 'Street Fighter II' or 'Mortal Kombat,' we were making little plastic bots launch haymakers at each other, trying to literally knock their blocks off. But kids these days aren't content to play with plastic figures and board games anymore, so 'Rock'Em Sock'Em' must update ...

A toy that reads your brain waves to manipulate a foam ball sounds fun -- until said toy begins manipulating other things, too. Like your body's pain receptors. Doesn't sound too thrilling to us, but a few geeks apparently thought it'd be a great idea. According to GeekoSystem, some folks at Harcos Laboratories took Mattel's Mindflex and hacked it to deliver a painful electric shock to the ...

Barbie, you've come a long way. After 50-plus years of conversely inspiring and depressing millions of young girls (and even some boys) with her unnaturally svelte figure and to-die-for looks, the dream doll has undergone yet another incarnation. Mattel has just unveiled Geek Chic Barbie, possibly the closest interpretation of a computer nerd that the designers could offer. The new figurine sports ...

'Puppy Tweets,' according to CNN, is a new device from Mattel that dog owners can attach to their pup's collar, and use to follow Rover's every move... on Twitter. The plastic tag, which comes equipped with a sound and motion sensor, also comes with pre-recorded tweets. Depending on your dog's movements and behavior, it'll post one of the tweets to your dog's Twitter account (unless you're the ...

Mattel was on hand showing off a pile of new toys at CES to be released in the fall. Easily the most intriguing is the Mind Flex, the perfect toy for someone who loves puzzles but hates themselves. With the Mind Flex, you guide a foam ball through a completely customizable obstacle course, using your mind to levitate it along the way. We got a little hands-on time with it and put it through its ...

It was a long and exciting first day at CES, with the Palm Pre proving to be the biggest announcement made at the show. It certainly made us do a double (and triple) take, but there's plenty more to report and lots of surprises still to come. Grippity Keyboard Reinvents Typing - There's a very strong chance you're sitting in front of a keyboard right now as you read this, and while the ...

Come on folks, say it in unison with us: "Finally!" At long last, a company with a little clout has stood up and questioned the necessity of those ridiculous hard plastic containers that hold minuscule flash cards and the like (along with plastic twist-ties), and better still, it's already doing something about it. Beginning today, consumers who are tired of borrowing the fire department's Jaws ...

Kids say the darndest things sometimes -- real or plastic. Just take Fisher-Price's twenty-dollar Cuddle & Coo doll, for instance. As seen in the linked video, one Texas mother's Cuddle & Coo doll clearly says, "Islam is the light!" in a creepy uplifting voice, no less. Now, as Colin Powell reminded us last Sunday, there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a follower of Islam (or any ...

Tired of waiting for scientists to crack the secrets of levitation in order to purchase a bona fide hoverboard? Look, life's short -- why not take matters into your own hands? A genuine wooden Mattel hoverboard used by Michael J. Fox (or Marty McFly, as we prefer to call him) in 'Back to the Future II' and 'III' is up for auction, though the barrier to entry is rather substantial. Of course, ...

We've previously posted about the 'Barbie Girls' virtual world being slapped together by Mattel as a 'Second Life'-esque haven for teens and tweens. Now, the site has entered beta mode and something surprising has happened: The service has racked up three million registered users in 60 days and is still growing. The service is signing up roughly 50,000 new users a day, a growth rate that far ...

Barbie is an aging relic from a bygone era. Even little girls want cell phones and iPods these days. When they do want a doll, they often go for Bratz, those characters with gargantuan heads and trendy (read skimpy) clothing. Mattel is feeling the pressure, and making a major push to revitalize its Barbie brand with Barbie Girls, a mix of virtual and real Barbie-related ...