Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re a big fan of the Skylanders video game and collectible toy franchise, Activision has announced a new game is coming this fall. The new game is called Skylanders SWAP Force. The game will feature 16 new characters that will be on display at the Toy Fair 2013 in New York this month.

The coolest feature of the new game in the franchise is that the player can customize the accompanying action figures. Each of the 16 action figures that go along with the new  game has the ability to be separated into top and bottom halves. Those halves can then be interchanged, creating custom action figures with custom powers and abilities. In addition to the 16 swappable characters, the game will feature 16 new Skylanders, and 16 upgraded versions of classic characters.

SWAP Force will see players starting a new adventure in the mysterious Cloudbreak Islands. These islands are the home of a volcano that erupts every 100 years replenishing the magic in the Skylands. The special characters in the game were once blown apart by the volcano and left with special abilities, including the ability to empty your kids’ piggy banks.

The game is expected to be coming to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii U later this year.

Here’s a proposal that could cure Mega Man fans of their disappointment with how Capcom has treated the beloved platformer in recent years: LEGO toy sets based on Mega Man 2. Then again, knowing how Cuusoo works this could just be another source of disappointment.

The proposal was put forward by Flickr user Alatariel, who made the mock-ups using LEGO Digital Designer. I’m not sure if she wants to have all of the boss stages represented, but so far the only mock-ups are for a Wood Man stage, a Metal Man stage and a Bubble Man stage. She also made designs for Dr. Wily, his castle as well as his infamous teleportation room. The other robot masters are also represented, but as I said she didn’t make mock-ups of their stages.

Jump and shoot to LEGO Cuusoo to vote for Alatariel’s proposal. If she gathers at least 10,000 votes then LEGO will review the feasibility of the concept. Obviously this will inevitably require Capcom’s cooperation and approval, so… yeah. Head to Alatariel’s Flickr page for more pictures. They may be all you’ll ever get.

[via Rockman Corner via GoNintendo]

Since I already have an AR.Drone 2.0, I’m not really sure I need another quadrocopter. But that doesn’t mean I can’t want another quadcopter – especially one that I can fit in the palm of my hand.

This awesome bit of tech is called the Crazyflie, and it’s a complete pocket-sized quadrotor. This little thing weights just 19 grams, and measures about 9cm x 9cm (~3.5″ square.) It can fly up to 7 minutes at a time on a 20 minute charge, and can even lift a miniscule payload of up to about 10 grams. Under its hood (if it had a hood), it sports a microcontroller, accelerometer, gyroscope, and a tiny 2.4GHz receiver for accepting commands from your computer or other wireless device.

It’s incredibly fast, agile and stable as you can see from the video clip below:

Sure, it sounds like a swarm of angry mosquitoes buzzing around, but that’s kind of what I love about it.

The tiny quadrotor is sold in kit form, and is completely open source, so you can create your own custom applications and modifications. Keep in mind that you’ll need soldering skills to assemble it, and its creators clearly state that this thing is not a kids toy. Though it might be one for us grown-ups.

You can pre-order a Crazyflie kit from now through February 18, with an estimated ship date of April 25. Prices start at $149 for the basic kit, and go up to $173 for the 10 DOF version, which has extra sensors fo altitude and heading measurements – though you’ll have to write your own code to take advantage of the added sensors.

I love the classic Kenner Star Wars action figures. I still have many of these originals in my toy collection. That said, I haven’t been impressed by many of the Star Wars action figure lines since. Some are too muscular and look silly, others just seem cheap looking to me. But the new Star Wars Black Series looks ridiculously awesome.

The first wave of this new line of figures will be released in August of 2013 and the image above should be enough to get your attention. Look at the detail on Luke and his X-Wing pilot suit. These figures are 6″ tall and have added articulation, and removable accessories to go with that extra detail.

They aren’t priced super high either. We’re talking $19.99(USD) each. The first wave will include Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Darth Maul, and an Imperial Sandtrooper. I can’t wait to see them come out with Boba Fett in this series. Stay tuned for pre-order details as they emerge.

[via Nerd Approved]

Remember the Drones for Peace? The project that wants to sell drones with cameras for just $250 (USD)? If you think that that’s too much to ask, check out what we have now. This is Lehmann Aviation’s LA100, a drone that’s meant to whisk away a GoPro camera or two. Along with your money.

Whereas the mythical peaceful drones are barely controllable – you point them to a spot via a mobile app and they’ll fly to it on their own – the LA100 is completely autonomous, flying on a broad, pre-set trajectory and then back to it’s master. You don’t get a remote control, an app or even a whistle. What you do get is a 2lb. foam and carbon fiber drone that can soar almost 330ft. up for up to 5 minutes.

The LA100 comes with a mounting kit for GoPro cameras. If you have the GoPro Hero3, you can mount your camera at the bottom or at the top. The older GoPro Heros can only be mounted at the top though. But if you do have an extra Hero3, you can mount two cameras to the LA100 at the same time.

You can order the LA100 from Lehmann Aviation’s website for €990 (~$1,330 USD). Don’t even ask how much Lehmann is charging for the ones that come with remote controls.

[via Uncrate]