Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re a fan of Doctor Who, be prepared to be greatly impressed by the latest geek toy from Think Geek. ThinkGeek has a new Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote that looks like the Mark VII Sonic Screwdriver used by one of the many Whos. The device is a universal remote control that allows you to control your home theater components using gestures.

The device promises to be able to learn the control codes for just about any regular remote control. Once it knows those control codes, you can set up your own custom gesture movements to control your components. The device supports up to 13 gestures and has three memory banks allowing the storage of up to 39 different remote control codes. The default gestures include things like rotating the remote clockwise and counterclockwise for adjusting volume.

Each of the gestures triggers a classic sound effect, and the tip illuminates with green light. If you don’t want to hear the sound effects, there is a quiet mode and a lock code is available to keep your kids from changing the channel. The remote supports four different modes, including practice mode, control mode, quiet control mode, and the FX mode. The device runs on a pair of AAA batteries and is set to ship in early September for $99.95.

Sonic Screwdriver remote is just what the Doctor ordered is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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The petition for an official LEGO Portal set is going strong, but it still hasn’t quite garnered enough votes to qualify for consideration from the powers that be. Maybe they should add this to the set to get more support: a life-sized LEGO Portal gun.

The replica was made by YouTuber ferlessleedr, who works at the LEGO store in Minneapolis. He planned it over the course of a year and about three weeks to build. The gun is made of about 2,000 bricks and has a Mindstorms controller inside that handles the moving prongs and the  lights inside the gun. It’s not powerful enough to shoot actual portals though.

Imagine if he worked at a meat shop. Or a Swiss army knife store. or at Brando.

[via Geekologie via Neatorama]

All work and no play makes Jack (and Jill) a dull boy (girl applies here if you are talking about a girl, of course), so what kind of educational tools do modern kids get to enjoy? When I was a wee lad, I still remember how expensive a notebook was, and it only came with a CGA display, where the only kind of games that I played was Gorilla Basic and Nibbles. Fast forward to today, and you get plenty of kids who scream and kick up a fuss if either one of their parental unit fails to give them their iPad within minutes of their request.

Having said that, modern day parents are also way more accommodating, but sometimes, it can be said that they are spoilt for choice as there are just too many items to choose from in the market. How about us making life a little bit easier on your side by recommending the iTikes? A more detailed explanation on what iTikes is all about can be found in the extended post.

Toy company Little Tikes have come up with a plethora of iPhone-friendly toys which are able to hook up to your iOS-powered device. The iTikes range of toys will come with a keyboard, map, microscope and an art canvas, where all of them can function as stand-alone toys by their own right. However, when you decide to throw in an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch while running a free iTikes app, your little one (and perhaps, you too) might just find it irresistible to play – while the toys themselves also gain extra functionality.

Take for example, the iTikes Keyboard, when it works without an iOS device, is just a standard issue keyboard for little ones, making noise while playing along to built-in songs and record musical masterpieces. When it “teams up” with an iOS device, you can then fire up learning games which teach little musicians the ability to read notes, hear pitch, sight read music or watch visualizations.

If you are one who actually plans extremely far ahead of time, then you will be pleased to know that the iTikes range will go on sale in time for Christmas, where the map will cost £60, while the microscope will be going for £75 a pop. As for the art canvas, it is cheaper at £40 with the keyboard retails for £50. Each toy will also be accompanied by a matching white and lime green plastic case.

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[ iTikes offers a new way for your kids to learn and play copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Most girls have this particular dream of growing up as a princess, and they do wait for their prince to come – whether he is riding on a horse, or comes in the form of a frog that needs a kiss. However, how many of them are willing to be a mermaid and lose the use of their legs instead? After all, my memory does not recall whether there are instances of a male mermaid prince in any fairy tales at all. With the Swimmable Mermaid Tail, your little girl is able to fool herself into thinking that she is a mermaid. Monika Naumann’s creation is made out of a material known as ‘mono fin’, which is supposedly a sturdy and durable swim fabric. These are custom made pieces, so you are able to choose from a wide range of colors that range from orange to bright pink.

They will be textured and will come as luminescent, just as though we are talking about an actual sea maiden. Obviously, mermaids have yet to be proved scientifically, but I guess one’s imagination can go a little bit further. Retailing for approximately $250, it might be rather expensive to some, but at what price will happniess come? I wonder just how fast one is able to swim through the water wearing one of these compared to just using legs.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Son-X Octavia might be a common sight in playgrounds soon, Furby returns this year, potential Furby craze to ensue?,

Somewhere, mankind lost its way. The latest proof being that instead of relying on good old buckets and other moulds for building sandcastles, kids are now given tools like this plastic sand and water funnel which makes them painstakingly build up a sand structure layer by layer. More »