Tag: TOY

Our current energy crisis is spurring some novel ideas for generating electrcity. Design labs around the country are churning out ideas like this cell phone-charging yo-yo, which can generate small amounts of energy to power personal electronics in hopes of taking that small burden off the grid. The cell phone-charging yo-yo is a simple concept: A conductor and a magnet are housed inside the ...

In what can only be seen as a triumph for stuffed animals everywhere, a teddy bear was used as a spying device -- specifically, a teddy bear with a small video camera positioned inside one of its eyes -- and was used to catch a caretaker criminal in Liverpool, England. The plan was put into action by a forensic science graduate (no coincidence there) and her father, who caught his mother's ...

There was a time when the world was more innocent and Lincoln Logs in elementary classrooms were a given, but now that teachers are looking to squash every ounce of fun between 8AM and 3PM (okay, so maybe we just had a rough experience or two), LEGO's taking the back door in. The WeDo robotics kit is marketed toward elementary schools and the younger kids within them, with each package ...

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're guessing the naming scheme here was quite intentional, though we'll be the first to say Bandai's Smart Berry has very, very little in common with RIM's stockpile of handsets. Nevertheless, this "mobile communicator" joins the small crowd of other tween-centric chat handhelds with wireless capabilities that enable four of these things to talk to one another "for email, chat and online games ...

WowWee's Rovio is on the move. Check our video of this Wi-Fi-enabled robotic webcam. It streams audio in addition to video and gives users remote control from any Web-connected gadget, such as a computer or even a cell phone. Whether you want to know what's shaking with the fam when you're away or simply solve the mystery of which dog has been peeing on the carpet, you need look no ...

If you were worried that your child wasn't being trained to be a good economic citizen, then check out this toy to make sure he or she grows up learning the value of plastic. The Children's Touch Screen ATM Bank comes with a card and a PIN for your tyke to manage an account of up to $999.99. The bank accepts bills of all kinds and coins. Some of you probably hope that this little gizmo will ...

Rocket hobbyists: Ever wanted to ride shotgun in the cockpit of your high-flying projectile? Short of miniaturizing yourself to Tom Cruise-like proportions, the only way to book passage on such an adventure is with the $60 Estes Digital Video Rocket. The rocket features a camera that can capture 15 seconds of 640x480 video during flight. Or, if you'd prefer still images, the rocket can snap up ...

If you've been wondering how you're going to turn junior into a Bill Gates-grade computer dork who will make millions of dollars and support you in your old age, we've got the answer. Clickstart, from children's electronics maker Leap Frog, is here to make sure your child never gets used to things like being outside. You can start 'em off real young. This wireless keyboard, console and mouse is ...

It's raining, it's pouring the old man is . . . surfing the Internet? If he's an old Japanese man, then it's entirely possible. Conceived in the research labs at Japan's Keio University, the prototype Pileus Internet Umbrella is, as it sounds, an umbrella that's connected to the Web. The umbrella's shaft houses a tiny projector that beams Internet content to the canopy's underside via its ...