Hasta La Gadget!

Children are masters at breaking toys. They also have a doctorate in getting themselves hurt. Kyosho’s remote-controlled helicopter mitigates both tendencies with one feature. The entire thing is inside a spherical plastic cage that protects both itself and the people it will inevitably hit. Better a slight bruise than a nasty cut.

If the company’s name didn’t clue you in as to where this toy is from, its bonus feature will. It has an atomizer, so you can put perfume in it and spread the fragrance around. Because that’s what every toy helicopter has been missing all along.

You can order the Space Ball on Kyosho’s online shop [JP] for ¥6,279 (~$79 USD). Perfume not included.

[via UberReview]

Over the years, I’ve seen more than a few remote-controlled toys that use the iPhone or other smartphones as their controller. Several of these little devices have come from a company called DeskPets. DeskPets is back with another cheap remote controlled toy that uses Android or iOS devices as the controller.

The new toy is called the CarBot and it is available in four different colors including red, blue, green, and yellow. Each of the different colors operates on its own infrared code allowing up to four of the cars to be used at one time. The car features a battle mode that lets players challenge each other and even fire virtual rockets at each other to take down their opponents.

The CarBot also has a maze mode that allows players to set up a maze for the toy to navigate precisely. It also has a personality mode with sounds and lights as well as a mute button for noiseless play.

The little CarBot is able to race at up to 2 feet-per-second, and recharges using an integrated USB connector. It takes 40 minutes of charging for about 15 minutes of play. The CarBot can be purchased now at Brookstone, Best Buy, and Toys “R” Us stores for $29.99 (USD).

Desk Pets is a company that makes all sorts of small remote-controlled toys. Some of the first products offered from the company were shaped like little bugs. The last product we talked about from Desk Pets was the TankBot that we reviewed late last year. The company is back with a new toy called the CarBot that is now available.

Desk Pets has announced that the CarBot can be purchased in retail stores, including Brookstone, Best Buy, and Toys “R” Us. The company calls the new toy the world’s first micro-robotic toy car, and the little car is available for $29.99. Like most of the Desk Pets toys we’ve seen, the CarBot is controlled by an app running on Android or iOS devices.

The car has some interesting special features, including a battle mode that allows multiple players to battle using infrared sensors. The car also has a maze mode allowing players to set up a maze that the toy can navigate on its own. CarBot also has a personality mode with sound and lights as well as a mute button to play in silence.

When the car is placed in Drift ‘n’ Race mode, the little toy can reach a speed of 2 feet per second. The car has an internal rechargeable battery and charges via a retractable USB charger built into the product. Forty minutes of charge time gives users 15 minutes of play time. There are four different colors of the car, including red, blue, orange, and green each operating on their own frequency allowing up to four to be played with at one time.

Desk Pets CarBot now available for $29.99 is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Just about a year ago we got to review Orbotix’s Sphero, and while it was an amusing little remote control orb, its controls left a lot to be desired. A couple months ago, the company gave Sphero some new firmware that included the “Vector Drive” feature, which eliminated Sphero’s meandering ways and gave it far more precise steering. Now, the company has improved its Drive app and combined it with the old Sphero and Cam apps. This new version of Drive has a tool that lets users aim the ball with a single finger — a small, but welcome improvement over the old, fidgety two-finger method. Additionally, the app has a new Auto Heading function that keeps Sphero aware of the orientation of its controller to provide a much more intuitive driving experience. After giving it a go ourselves, we can attest that it’s a marked improvement over the prior iterations of Drive. We no longer had to plan out Sphero’s routes, and we could drive feeling confident that the ball would roll as directed. Check out how the refreshed controls work in our video after the break.

Continue reading Sphero gets an improved, multifunction Drive app, we go hands-on

Filed under: Robots

Sphero gets an improved, multifunction Drive app, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If little Johnny thought Build-a-Bear had nothing for his tech-savvy toddler sensibilities, he’d better think again. The plush toy-seller has just launched a new high-tech store concept that it hopes will help re-engage children otherwise distracted with tablets, phones and game consoles. The new additions include a 55-inch interactive digital sign out front, with touchscreen and Kinect functionality, complete with unlockable content via barcodes. Once inside, four Samsung SUR40 smart tables loaded with custom software offer a range of different parts of the teddy-making process, as well as interact with the toys in real-time — like a virtual bubble bath — thanks to a purpose-built tagging system. The sound side of things also gets a lick of paint, with six audio “zones” created, using ultrasonic speakers that can target sound to specific parts of the store and stop all the collective noise from reverberating like something from a bad dream. The first such shop is already open in St Louis, with five more locations to follow: Pleasanton CA, Annapolis MD, Troy MI, Fairfax VA and Indianapolis IN between October and November.

Continue reading Build-a-bear’s new store concept wants you to choose, love, stuff and fluff with high-tech (video)

Filed under: Misc, Alt

Build-a-bear’s new store concept wants you to choose, love, stuff and fluff with high-tech (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 06:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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