Check out this video that celebrates Lego Miniman’s 30th anniversary. From Star Wars to disco to the fall of the Berlin wall, it’s a walk down memory lane that stimulates the geek pleasure centers of the brain.
Enjoy my geek friends. Enjoy. Unless you grew up with those Duplo blocks, in which case your parents are cheap beyond belief. You must be traumatized by all the cool stuff you missed.
The Shocking Pen looks like an ordinary pen but it can emit the real electric shock that can cause interference with electrical devices such as pacemakers. It is powered by an included “AAA” battery. Don’t use this gadget if you or anyone you know suffer from epilepsy or any similar illnesses, and not suitable for pregnant women. The Shocking Pen retails for $10 at WowZzers. [Product Page]
Here is the £14.99 R/C Black Widow Spider that was created by London’s Natural History Museum for the touch of authenticity. Measuring 12 inch long, the “spider” is able to creep in all directions or even spin itself around on a time. You can control it within a 30-foot radius with the remote control. [Play]
If you remember the NES game M.U.S.C.L.E. as one of the worst (and silliest) timewasters in all of history, then these tiny USB wrestlers are just the thing you want exercising suggestively on your desk.
In Japan, these fellows are well-known figures from the Kinnikuman manga. Elsewhere, they would probably be more recognizable if they were made of rubbery pink PVC (or NES-era pixels).
They look like flash drives, yes? No, that would be useful, and we can’t have that. Instead, these guys exist only to hump your actual USB devices into oblivion. Alternatively, if you’re looking for any excuse to put off doing anything productive while sitting at your computer, you can stage tiny, awkwardly-positioned wrestling matches.
There are lots of kids my son’s age in our neighborhood and frequently they end up at my house with Nerf guns blasting each other with foam darts. Nerf wars are lots of fun and kids (or adults) of all ages can partake in the action.
Nerf has introduced a new dart gun for the holiday season that is the ultimate weapon for backyard Nerf wars. The thing is called the N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25. The gun is fully automatic and can shoot three Nerf darts per second from a belt that holds 25 darts.
Power for the big beast comes from six D-cell batteries. The gun can be fired from the hip in a Terminator-like method or it can be fired from an included tripod for a Nerf emplacement. The Nerf Vulcan can turn the tide in any foam dart battle and sells for about $45.
If you’re looking for a bargain holiday robot, you could do a lot worse than the Tomy i-SOBOT. Originally priced at $300 when the 6.5-inch tall robot launched late last year, Hammacher Schlemmer currently have him listed at just $99.95. That gets you 17 points of articulation, 180 pre-programmed movements and voice-control from ten different verbal prompts.
Up to 240 movements can be strung together, including speech, for later repeat. Alternatively the dual-joystick remote allows for direct control. Gyroscopes are used to keep the i-SOBOT upright or, alternatively, at the angles he can manage while dancing.
i-SOBOT is powered by rechargeable NiMH batteries that are good for an hours’ play after a six hour charge; the AA battery-powered remote has an integrated LCD to show the different modes: manual control, special actions, programmed sequences and voice command. Frankly, it’s a steal.
I’m sure many people wanted toy train sets when they were a kid. But one that you can actually ride in? Well, that sort of luxury was reserved for Ricky Schroeder on Silver Spoons. Oh yeah. I made a Silver Spoons reference.
These Hand Crank Locomotives are a serious gift for the kid that gets everything. It’s made from cast aluminum and has cast-iron wheels. The wheels then move right along the track, which is 30-feet in diameter. That’s pretty huge!
And in case you had visions of a weary parent hand cranking the thing off to the side somewhere, don’t worry. The kids can move the train themselves. It’s completely self-powered. The set includes two trains and the track. Pretty cool gift, but it costs $4,100, plus $500 for shipping. And then there’s the space issue. And then there’s the question of what to do with the thing once your kid passes the 100 lbs mark.
Just because we loved WowWee’s Bladestar, doesn’t mean we haven’t room in our hearts for another RC helicopter. Today it’s the turn of the Roboppi ROBO-P, a tiny rechargeable whirlygig with contra-rotating blades and an LED-illuminated body.
Video of the Roboppi helicopter in action after the cut
As with other ‘copters we’ve seen, the Roboppi recharges from the remote. Twenty-five minutes of juice is enough for six minutes of airtime; slightly less impressive than the Bladestar, but then that doesn’t incorporate a mobile disco.
Range is 5m (16.5 feet) and the blades are soft plastic and should hopefully survive at least a few crash-landings. Three versions are available, from importer Japan Trend Shop, in orange pink and blue, and priced at $41.
There are lots of kids my son’s age in our neighborhood and frequently they end up at my house with Nerf guns blasting each other with foam darts. Nerf wars are lots of fun and kids (or adults) of all ages can partake in the action.
