One For The Parents

Today I ran across a site that is not only an invaluable resource for parents but it’s also a good place to get information for your Christmas shopping. Kidazy.com is a website built by a young woman who takes the time to actually go and buy toys your kids might be longing for, she video tapes them as she begins her reviews of them and then writes up an extensive review for each one. Each review is done in amazing detail, just see for yourself in this small excerpt:

The toy itself, specifically the dragon is made of an extremely soft “fur”
sprinkled with glittering plastic strands (think Christmas tinsel)
throughout to give the toy a glittering magical look to it. The nostrils
and back spines are made from purple felt and the wings and horns are
made from a smooth fabric similar to that of the “color your own toy”
type toys. The left foot of the dragon has an embroidered swirl (as seen
in the Shining Stars logo) and a hard plastic silver star which appears
to be glued on but very securely so.

Darth Vader Flashlight

For you Star Wars Fans!

Hallowe’en is just around the corner and if your kids have chosen a Star Wars theme for their costumes this flashlight will fit right in. Made to look like a cute version of Darth Vader, the flashlight has a handle on the back with a button to pop-up his mask and reveal the actual light.

Be warned though, it also plays a series of Star Wars sound effects whenever the flashlight is turned on and there’s no volume controls or other way to turn them off. Kids will probably love it but I’m sure many parents won’t be quite as thrilled after listening to it all evening while out collecting candy.

Surprisingly though with the amount of Star Wars merchandise still on the market the Darth Vader Flashlight appears to be sold out, and no longer available. So once again you collectors will need to hit up eBay or Craigslist to hunt one down. (Or find a parent who’s more than willing to give you theirs.)

[ Darth Vader Flashlight ] VIA [ GeekAlerts ]

Climb@ Tron R.E.X. Wall Climbing Robot

If you ever wanted your own robot that could climb walls and looked like the machine gun wielding evil robot from Robocop you are in luck. Amazon has a small robot that stands 4.5-inches tall and is powered by a pair of AAA batteries, that aren’t included, that meet all the previous criteria.

The little robot has suction cup feet that allow it to climb smooth vertical surfaces and when it reaches the top, it will climb back down. The little bot looks like the Robocop robot with a bit of Cylon DNA mixed in to me and can even operate upside down. About the only smooth surfaces that are vertical around my house are the glass patio doors, so be sure you have some smooth walls before you order yours. The Climb@ Tron only costs $9.50 and is available now.

VIA [ Amazon ]

Plush(ie) Chairs

Just as I predicted in 2004, here is a chair whose seat is made entirely of plush pandas. It is probably disgustingly expensive, in addition to be disgustingly cute. But it is also limited edition, so some enterprising person will either have to go for broke or end up gluing little sister’s entire collection together. It’s your choice.

Made by design group Estudio Campana in Brazil, it is apparently commentary on complex socio-economic ideals. I am torn between dearly wanting one of these and my extreme disgust for people who make art and then write an essay on it.

Hit the jump for more pics.

[ Moss ] VIA [ BoingBoing ]

Transformers Pillows Are Simple But Awesome

While a pillow is as far from a high-tech gizmo as you can get if you happen to make them in the shape of either the Autobot or Decepticon logos you’re pretty much guaranteed that geeks will be lining up to buy one.

And while the pillows aren’t made from Cybertron-mined metals (the makers have opted for softer materials instead) they can still transform according to the ThinkGeek website. “They can turn from decorative plush device into plush throwing weapon in just about two seconds.” So there you go, not only are they comfortable but they’re also multi-function. What other justification could you need?

The Transformers Pillows are available from ThinkGeek for $19.99 each.

[ Transformers Pillows ] VIA [ Uber-Review ]

Goliathon 83 - The heaviest of the Rayguns is deadly impressive

This is no Steampunk mod. Designed by Greg Broadmore and sculpted by Dave Tremont, the GOLIATHON 83 Infinity Beam Projector is one of the awe-inspiring figurines I have ever come across. Weighing 10lbs, the Goliathon 83 is the heaviest of the Rayguns. Its brawny and ribbed handle offers the users the just right support. The Goliathon 83 features tubing, valves, two stage switching circuits, thermionic resonance chambers, inverse aether flux holding cells, and a Krimble radiator. The three glass canisters, which carry residue from missions past, have been colored in yellow, pink and blue. Only 500 handcrafted pieces have been made worldwide, with each made out of metal with some glass parts. We have seen an array of rayguns in the science fictions and now, you have an excellent opportunity to own one of your own. The awesome thing is worth a pick for a mere NZD $1165 (US $818.97).

High-Tech Toys Recharge While You Play

By Andrew Liszewski

Batteries and the fact that they’ll eventually run out is another harsh lesson most kids learn at a young age. (Unless you’re one of those Amish kids.) So a company called Zen Design Group is launching a line of high-tech toys called ‘SEE Toys’ which have a built-in battery that is recharged as the kids play with them. SEE actually stands for safety, ecology and economy since the toys don’t require the batteries to be constantly replaced and do not rely on an external power source except for a sugar-fueled youngster.

Using kids as a power source is not a new idea, in fact I wrote about something called PlayPumps last year where a specially designed playground is used to pump water into a holding tank while kids are playing on it. So I guess the lesson here is that using kids as a source of energy is OK as long as they’re having fun while doing it. I think that’s the point they missed in all those factories during the turn of the century which resulted in a ban on child labor. If those assembly lines had just been ‘fun’ in some way there wouldn’t have been a problem.

The ‘SEE Toys’ should be available next month on the Zen Design Group’s website and will range in price from $19.99 to $29.99.

[ No batteries required for creative LED toys ] VIA [ Wired - Geekdad ]

Mmmmmmmm… Piano In A Can

By Andrew Liszewski

Casio has ruled the low-end electronic keyboard market for many years now but I predict their reign of terror will soon be over once people discover you can actually store a piano in a can. Available from StrapYa the fact that this keyboard can be rolled up is not that unusual. What is odd though is that it rolls up into a can that’s adorned with graphics of a somewhat depressed looking duck. Maybe he’s just sad that the keyboard can’t play chords, sharps or flats and is missing quite a few keys when compared to a full-sized piano.

Still at only about 9$ the Piano In A Can could be fun for a few hours. And for those that are curious I’ve included a video of it in action after the jump.

[ Piano In A Can ] VIA [ Shiny Shiny ]

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