Gear Diary » Toys (Any Age) http://www.geardiary.com Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:00:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 La Plata Time Rings are a Low-Tech Puzzle for these High-Tech Timeshttp://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/14/la-plata-time-rings-are-a-low-tech-puzzle-for-these-high-tech-times/ http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/14/la-plata-time-rings-are-a-low-tech-puzzle-for-these-high-tech-times/#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:30:18 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=183642

You can only sling so many angry birds at chortling pigs before your mind goes numb and you want something ... different. Sometimes the simplest things can captivate the imagination; a case in point would be this lovely low-tech and natural puzzle made from a slice of cypress.
The puzzle is made from the wood of Cypress trees, that died naturally and it does keep me wondering about the history of the tree and its surroundings. Unfortunately I didn’t find this object too near to the region of the Patagonian Andes lakes, where it actually comes from. I simply never been there, although it is said to be an incredible area. I came across the ‘Time Rings’ puzzle while switching planes in La Plata, Buenos Aires, almost 1000 miles up north.
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2012/02/14/la-plata-time-rings-are-a-low-tech-puzzle-for-these-high-tech-times/feed/ 0 Dream Cheeky Introduces the iLaunch Thunderhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/dream-cheeky-introduces-the-ilaunch-thunder/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/dream-cheeky-introduces-the-ilaunch-thunder/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:45:42 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=169362

You know, it's kind of funny that I just did a post on Madden NFL a while ago, because one of John Madden's signature lines keeps coming to me as I look at this particular new product:  BOOM! In the never-ending office wars, sometimes you have to blow off a little steam.  One of my favorite memories of my management days was when it was time for performance reviews and deciding who got the highest ratings, and my director brought into the staff meeting a bunch of multi-shot rubber-band guns.  What a great boss!  (Hi, Roger!) Dream Cheeky, the guys who make lots of insane stuff like that, have come up Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/11/16/dream-cheeky-introduces-the-ilaunch-thunder/feed/ 0 iOS-Enabled Gear Review: iHelicopter Remote Controlled Helicopterhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/02/ios-enabled-gear-review-ihelicopter-remote-controlled-helicopter/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/02/ios-enabled-gear-review-ihelicopter-remote-controlled-helicopter/#comments Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:00:25 +0000 Dan Cohen http://www.geardiary.com/?p=159062 A week before Griffin announced their new Help TC iOS remote-controlled helicopter, I saw the iHelicopter being advertised. For $59 I figured I would order one. It came yesterday and… well… it is fun. IMG 5481 1 As the product page explains,
The iHelicopter makes it possible to use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch as a remote control for a RC Helicopter! Plug the transmitter in the audio jack, download the free controller App and you are ready to fly! The gyro in the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch can be used to control the tilt
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/09/02/ios-enabled-gear-review-ihelicopter-remote-controlled-helicopter/feed/ 0 Seeing Greater Things for New FishEyes Smarter Rod and Reel with Underwater Video Camerahttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/seeing-greater-things-for-new-fisheyes-smarter-rod-and-reel-with-underwater-video-camera/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/seeing-greater-things-for-new-fisheyes-smarter-rod-and-reel-with-underwater-video-camera/#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:00:35 +0000 David Goodspeed http://www.geardiary.com/?p=158022 I have to admit that many items I review do not receive much thought after I post their story, but after spending a short time with this new FishEyes Rod and Reel With Underwater Video Camera I realized here was an item with much broader usage. Sure, this is a unique product that every father needs to bring along on a fishing trip with the kids to enhance their experience while you do your best Bill Dance or Jimmy Houston impression, but I began seeing other opportunities for FishEyes. While it really only looks in one direction (down) as I lowered the camera into the water I thought to myself this would be a great device Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/08/25/seeing-greater-things-for-new-fisheyes-smarter-rod-and-reel-with-underwater-video-camera/feed/ 0 Useful Things: The Glow-in-the-Dark Playing Cards Reviewhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/06/useful-things-the-glow-in-the-dark-playing-cards-review/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/06/useful-things-the-glow-in-the-dark-playing-cards-review/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:00:57 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=148743

July is a month for camping trips and summer camps, and I've found an item that you might want to consider packing the next time you send the young ones off -- a set of Glow-in-the-Dark Playing Cards from Useful Things. Think about the uses that your kids will find for a set of playing cards that are both glow-in-the-dark, and waterproof. Imagine your child playing cards with his or her cabin mates well after lights-out, and you'll begin to see the usefulness of such an item; you're providing a means for them to bond with their fellow campers! Or at least a means to make extra snack money, if they are any Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/07/06/useful-things-the-glow-in-the-dark-playing-cards-review/feed/ 0 Review:Swann Flying High with New RC Indoor Helicopter Linehttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/19/reviewswann-flying-high-with-new-rc-indoor-helicopter-line/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/19/reviewswann-flying-high-with-new-rc-indoor-helicopter-line/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 20:00:04 +0000 David Goodspeed http://www.geardiary.com/?p=145560

With Father’s Day right around the corner and fuel prices causing many to think perhaps of a “staycation” this summer, those looking for a different sort of gift should check out Swann and their new line of RC Indoor Helicopters. Many ask themselves, “Aren’t remote control helicopters difficult to fly?” Yes they are, or were. Swann, a company mostly dedicated to security devices, offers a break from the routine with this new line of rechargeable RC Indoor Helicopters. Within minutes of making my tester “flight ready” I was buzzing around the den and terrorizing the cat. Fun is had in 8-minute chunks -- as that is the limit of the onboard Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/05/19/reviewswann-flying-high-with-new-rc-indoor-helicopter-line/feed/ 0 Nanodots Adds Even More Fun to the Cool Magnetic Dots of Funhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/03/03/nanodots-adds-even-more-fun-to-the-cool-magnetic-dots-of-fun/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/03/03/nanodots-adds-even-more-fun-to-the-cool-magnetic-dots-of-fun/#comments Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:15:49 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=134137

Nanodots are fun all by themselves.  I love playing with these.  It's almost relaxing.  It's hard to believe that they have figured out yet another way to make them fun with a new product that makes it more fun to build with Nanodots.  The Nanopad with FeWeave technology is a nice pad to use when you are building with Nanodots that also let's you play a game with your Nanodots.  Available in 16 inch for $19.99 and 26 inch for $29.99.  For more on the Nanopad, head over to the product page on thenanodots.com.  They are expected to show up in specialty stores any day now Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/03/03/nanodots-adds-even-more-fun-to-the-cool-magnetic-dots-of-fun/feed/ 1 Your Favorite Geek May Be a “Geeks of the Week” Trading Cardhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/22/your-favorite-geek-may-be-a-geeks-of-the-week-trading-card/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/22/your-favorite-geek-may-be-a-geeks-of-the-week-trading-card/#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:15:29 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=133173

Oh, this is so totally cool! Think Geek is now offering the first of 52 "Geek of the Week" trading cards! The cards are broken into sets of eight -- I guess because doing sets of seven didn't look symmetrical enough(?), but anyway! Seriously! How can you resist Veronica Belmont dressed as a warrior princess?
In 2010, illustrator Len Peralta set upon a challenge: interview 52 members of the geek-elite, and use that newfound familiarity to create likenesses of them. Each geek would be depicted in iconic representations that best reflected their style and personality. His medium of choice: trading cards, naturally. Each geek is a leader in their respective industries
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/22/your-favorite-geek-may-be-a-geeks-of-the-week-trading-card/feed/ 0 Shapeways Community Member Sets Twisty Puzzle Unofficial World Recordhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/07/shapeways-community-member-sets-twisty-puzzle-unofficial-world-record/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/07/shapeways-community-member-sets-twisty-puzzle-unofficial-world-record/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:30:30 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=130592

We're way beyond the Rubik's cube now, people. Shapeways is an online community and marketplace for personalized products, and every once in a while, they get one that is such a doozy, they like to let people know about it.  Such is the case with a twisty puzzle created by a gent named Oskar van Deventer--he decided that the other Rubik's cube enhancers were a bunch of pikers ("Ha!  5x5x5?  I scorn you!), and so came up with this incredible 17x17x17 model.  Maybe you'll find it amazing; maybe you'll find it absurd; I think it has a certain mathematical beauty to it, whether it's solvable in a finite amount of time or not.  (And I Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/07/shapeways-community-member-sets-twisty-puzzle-unofficial-world-record/feed/ 0 World’s First Quadricopter That Can Be Controlled by iPhone/ iPod/ iPadhttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/06/worlds-first-quadricopter-that-can-be-controlled-by-iphone-ipod-ipad/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/06/worlds-first-quadricopter-that-can-be-controlled-by-iphone-ipod-ipad/#comments Sun, 06 Feb 2011 15:15:55 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=130494

If the malls around you are anything like they are around here, you would probably have seen a gadget just like this, zooming around in the atrium area (or any other central location with a high-enough ceiling).  Little, itty-bitty radio-controlled helicopter.  They look cool, and the first thing my son Joseph (12) said when he saw it was, "Can we get one?"  (Answer:  No!) But this one is a little different.  Instead of some big, bulky, battery-powered thingamajig to steer, this baby steers with an app.  (Yeah, yeah; "there's an app for that;" I know.)  Which I think is quite cool, since one of the things I dislike about radio-controlled anythings is that they all Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/02/06/worlds-first-quadricopter-that-can-be-controlled-by-iphone-ipod-ipad/feed/ 4 Arctic Releases Land Rider 300 RC Racing Car Serieshttp://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/22/arctic-releases-land-rider-300-rc-racing-car-series/ http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/22/arctic-releases-land-rider-300-rc-racing-car-series/#comments Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:00:38 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=128500

Arctic has developed into a company who primarily made cooling solutions for computers to a company who releases high quality products of everything from speakers and keyboards to now hobby items. I have reviewed many items from Arctic and have yet to find something that was not high quality while staying affordable. Their newest line of RC toys.  As you can see in a post here, the first offerings were all service related vehicles.  They are now announcing a new line of Land Riders for those with faster tastes.  Take a look at the full release and product line.  These look awesome!

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/22/arctic-releases-land-rider-300-rc-racing-car-series/feed/ 1 New Product: Arctic Land Rider RC Toyshttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/20/new-product-arctic-land-rider-rc-toys/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/20/new-product-arctic-land-rider-rc-toys/#comments Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:30:23 +0000 Travis Ehrlich http://www.geardiary.com/?p=122526

The Christmas season brings out the kid in most of us.  Luckily I have two little boys to cover my excuse to check out all of the cool toys.  One of my long time favorite toys are remote-controlled vehicles.  My whole life I have been a sucker for cars, trucks, planes, boats, virtually anything that can be controlled with a remote control.  A few Christmas's ago, I was accused of buying a remote control car for my young sons just because I wanted to play with it.  I will admit the boys were a bit young for the toy so they had to have help driving it.  Other than that, I am pleading the

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/20/new-product-arctic-land-rider-rc-toys/feed/ 2 Random Cool Stuff: If You Are 30, These Are the Toys You Grew Up Withhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/03/random-cool-stuff-if-you-are-30-these-are-the-toys-you-grew-up-with/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/03/random-cool-stuff-if-you-are-30-these-are-the-toys-you-grew-up-with/#comments Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:30:08 +0000 Michael Anderson http://www.geardiary.com/?p=120105

Over at Milo.com's Daily Bark, they are featuring a subjective list of the 'best gifts ever'! It is interesting because it is focused on someone who would have been born in 1980, therefore turning 30 this year. The infograph looks back at what the hot gifts would have been for boys and girls over time. Personally I am too old and my kids are too young to have wanted the kid-centric stuff, but the later stuff ... well, who said you ever really had to grow up?!? As I look back over time it is hard for me to peg things by year, but I remember Big Jim and GI Joe action figures Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/12/03/random-cool-stuff-if-you-are-30-these-are-the-toys-you-grew-up-with/feed/ 1 The WowWee Roboscooper Wants Wall-E’s Jobhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/31/the-wowwee-roboscooper-wants-wall-es-job/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/31/the-wowwee-roboscooper-wants-wall-es-job/#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:00:02 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=103776

Show me a person who could watch the Pixar movie Wall-E without getting a little bit misty, and I'll show you a person with a heart of stone. The premise was that Earth, long inhabited by wasteful humans was eventually rendered unusable, and there was a mass exodus to a fleet of spaceships provided for by the Buy N Large corporation, which the company that had sold the products which helped contribute to all of the waste on Earth in the first place. Are you with me? So Buy N Large tells the Earthlings that they will only be on the spaceships for as long as it takes to clean the Earth, a task Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/31/the-wowwee-roboscooper-wants-wall-es-job/feed/ 1 EFO’s Solar Toys are Fun and Educationalhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/27/efos-solar-toys-are-fun-and-educational/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/27/efos-solar-toys-are-fun-and-educational/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:00:21 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=102963

Solar power has been a promise since I was my son's age.  In the future. we were all supposed to have roofs covered in solar cells and not having to use ugly power lines to power our lives.  We were barely able to get to the point of powering calculators.  Fast forward 20 years and while there have been advances, we still don't drive solar cars and we still have to have power lines run to our homes.  Thankfully, there are more things run by solar cells than back when I was 11 and some of them are fun too.  That's where EFO's solar toys come in.

The first 2 EFO sent me are solar powered bugs Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/27/efos-solar-toys-are-fun-and-educational/feed/ 5 Rubik’s Slide Sneak Peek This Weekend!http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/22/rubiks-slide-sneak-peak-this-weekend/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/22/rubiks-slide-sneak-peak-this-weekend/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:30:21 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=102435

It seemed only recently that I was posting about Erno Rubik's birthday, and talking about his well-known inventions. Oh, wait; it was recently! In any event, Rubik's ideas keep on keepin' on.  The latest is the Rubik's Slide, by Techno Source (note: there's audio on the site's home page).  Yet another variation on the famous Cube, the Rubik's Slide will be available this weekend at an MSRP of $17.64 "as part of QVC’s Christmas in July Sale this Saturday, July 24th at 10 a.m. ET and Sunday, July 25th at 12: a.m. ET."
Techno Source’s Rubik’s Slide™, the new addictive electronic puzzle game everyone can play and no one can
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/22/rubiks-slide-sneak-peak-this-weekend/feed/ 5 Nanodots are Addicting Dots of Magnetic Funhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/26/nanodots-are-addicting-dots-of-magnetic-fun/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/26/nanodots-are-addicting-dots-of-magnetic-fun/#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 19:00:14 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=99054

Magnetic spheres must be really becoming popular.  There are at least three brands of them out on the market with Buckyballs, Neocube and Nanodots.  I was received a set of Nanodots to play with.

Nanodots look a lot like ball bearings.  However, each of the 236 balls are very magnetic.  I actually took one dot and had it hold up a piece of paper on the metal side of my cubical; they are that strong.  Because of this, you do need to be very careful when playing with these as you could pinch your skin, and these are definitely not something you want to put in your mouth or have accessible to the very smallest

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/26/nanodots-are-addicting-dots-of-magnetic-fun/feed/ 5 These Solar Power Toys Look Like Great Funhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/22/these-solar-power-toys-look-like-great-fun/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/22/these-solar-power-toys-look-like-great-fun/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:00:39 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=98493

I always loved science toys when I was a kid.  For me, the best part of going to the Boy Scout Jamboree in 1985 was the trip to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.  Back then, the closest I could get to a solar powered device was a soalr powered calculator or a radiometer.  At least one of those was carried by the gift shop.  Back then, it was very expensive to buy a cell that could power a motor with just sunlight.  Not today.

EFO Gadget shop has three new and interesting solar powered toys. The first are two mock insects we either Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/22/these-solar-power-toys-look-like-great-fun/feed/ 2 Fun with magnetism: Nanodotshttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/08/fun-with-magnetism-nanodots/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/08/fun-with-magnetism-nanodots/#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:00:43 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=96491

Back when I was my son's age, I was a science nut.  I loved learning all about our universe, electronics, magnetism and the world we live in.  My favorite catalog from then was Edmund Scientifics.  They had and still have science products and lots of toys similar to what Nano Magnetics Inc are announcing today in the form of Nanodots.

Nanodots are little tiny magnetic spheres that you can build things out of.  It's also been suggested when you stock them all together in a big ball that you can use them as a stress ball.  They will not come apart unless you purposefully Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/06/08/fun-with-magnetism-nanodots/feed/ 1 Buckyball Recall Noticehttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/28/buckyball-recall-notice/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/28/buckyball-recall-notice/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 17:24:09 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=95097

Normally I like to be light and jokey for the news items, but recalls because of danger--particularly with toys--can be scary business.  So rather than make jokes about Saturday Night Live or something, I'm just going to give it to y'all straight: Toy (or "sundries," as they say) maker Maxfield and Oberton has issued a recall notice for their popular Buckyballs magnetic toy.  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has found that the toy is a swallowing hazard for children; two kids have swallowed the magnets, but not been injured.  Still, the notice has been issued. Full information below.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 27, 2010 Release #10-251 Firm's Recall Hotline: (888) 847-8716
Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/05/28/buckyball-recall-notice/feed/ 1 Zibits Minature Robots Will Keep You Entertainedhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/13/zibots-minature-robots-will-keep-you-entertained/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/13/zibots-minature-robots-will-keep-you-entertained/#comments Sun, 14 Feb 2010 05:01:47 +0000 Judie Stanford http://www.geardiary.com/?p=74908

Just what's needed to brighten up a dreary cubicle and provide entertainment when your warden supervisor isn't looking --  Zibits, a new series of miniature remote controlled robots that are about 2" tall, move in "several directions including  a full 360º rotation", and that are equipped with "robotic lights and sounds". Zibits will show up at Toys 'R Us in mid-March for less than $10. Zibits Miniature Robots Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/13/zibots-minature-robots-will-keep-you-entertained/feed/ 8 Help Choose the Next Pleo, Plus Get Free Shipping Through Februaryhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/08/help-choose-the-next-pleo-plus-get-free-shipping-through-february/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/08/help-choose-the-next-pleo-plus-get-free-shipping-through-february/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:10:57 +0000 Jason Reese http://www.geardiary.com/?p=74429

You remember that lovable robotic baby dinosaur, Pleo, don't you?  Well now you can help choose the next Pleo and take advantage of a great deal this month.   Pleoworld is holding a poll to select one of five color patterns for a new Pleo that will come out this year. Go vote for your favorite Pleo color now, and you will be automatically entered for a free raffle to win your very own one-of-a-kind custom made Pleo designed by Jerry Finney.   So what are you waiting for?  Be the coolest kid on the block -- or the coolest parent on the block -- with your very own Pleo.

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/08/help-choose-the-next-pleo-plus-get-free-shipping-through-february/feed/ 2 Relive Your Childhood with Big Trakhttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/04/relive-your-childhood-with-big-trak/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/04/relive-your-childhood-with-big-trak/#comments Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:23:42 +0000 Douglas Moran http://www.geardiary.com/?p=73850

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

Ah, those innocent days of yore!  Reagan was President, U2 and REM were just getting started, people had big hair (and mullets!), and they still played music on MTV.  Yes, yes, yes:  it was The 80s.

And if you were a kid in the 80s, think of the toys you played with.  Rubik's cube and Rubik's snake!  The first Game Boys.  Yamaha synthesizers ("Anybody can be a musician!").  And . . . the Big Trak!  The programmable six-wheel tank, with a front-mounted "photon" cannon!  The kind of thing Andy would have Buzz Lightyear fight in Toy Story 1.5.  And now it can be yours again, just by surfing on over to Find Me a Gift and placing your order for $67.  Maybe you can't relive the past, but you can try, eh?

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/04/relive-your-childhood-with-big-trak/feed/ 10 Android Robot Army begins to take shapehttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/03/android-robot-army-begins-to-take-shape/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/03/android-robot-army-begins-to-take-shape/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:45:58 +0000 Francis Scardino http://www.geardiary.com/?p=73765

Image courtesy of Dyzplastic

I'm a die-hard Android fan since the launch of mobile OS, and even had a hand in converting a few of my friends over to it.  But apparently not as hard-core as some who will be filling their desk space with new Android Robot collectibles. If you want to show your Android spirit, then your chance is now. Dyzplastic's face is posted all over mobile news sites for announcing the release of their Series 01 Android collectibles. The small vinyl figurines are 3" tall and have rotating arms and head, and come in a variety of variations. The first series has 12 different models with talk of some special edition robots will also be released in limited quantity. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/02/03/android-robot-army-begins-to-take-shape/feed/ 5 Parrot AR Drone Airfoil Demo’d At CEShttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/01/06/parrot-airfoil-demod-at-ces/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/01/06/parrot-airfoil-demod-at-ces/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:15:39 +0000 Carly Z http://www.geardiary.com/?p=68188

Click here to view the embedded video.

The iPhone does almost everything, right?  Dang right it does!  It even controls flight!  Check out this video of the Parrot G Drone that Judie, Dan and Larry filmed with their iPhone!  An app on the iPhone actually is actually being used to control the Drone.  Using augmented reality the device feeds live video to the iPhone. The app running on the iPhone is not only used to control the craft but it also adds landscape, enemies and more. The first of a new genre of games- The Augmented Reality Video Game-  The Parrot G Drone received Best of Innovations honors from CES. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/01/06/parrot-airfoil-demod-at-ces/feed/ 2 Review and Giveaway: MyDeskFriend Pingohttp://www.geardiary.com/2010/01/05/review-and-giveaway-mydeskfriend-pingo/ http://www.geardiary.com/2010/01/05/review-and-giveaway-mydeskfriend-pingo/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:35:54 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=67972

I have a confession to make.  I like penguins.  Part of this is I am a Linux user and Tux, the Linux mascot, is a penguin.  The other part is they are so darn cute.  That's why I decided to take a look when Arimaz offered to send a sample of MyDeskFriend AKA Pingo. Part Tamagotchi, part Facebook app, part Tux Droid and all cute.  That about sums up this tiny robot that fits in your hand.  MyDeskFriend comes with a little USB docking station, Pingo the Penguin and a little rubber visor that Pingo wears. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2010/01/05/review-and-giveaway-mydeskfriend-pingo/feed/ 16 Deal Alert: Best Buy Slashes Price on Rubik’s TouchCubehttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/15/deal-alert-best-buy-slashes-price-on-rubiks-touchcube/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/15/deal-alert-best-buy-slashes-price-on-rubiks-touchcube/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:15:00 +0000 LarryGreenberg http://www.geardiary.com/?p=64963 image001

The Rubik’s TouchCube by Techno Source, is a highly sought after gift for the holiday season.  Starting today, Best Buy is doing a little gift giving themselves, offering consumers the TouchCube at an incredibly discounted price of $49.99! (Originally $149.99) This great price is available to shoppers online, as well as in the retail locations through the remainder of the holiday season.
Rubik's Cube, the number one best-selling game ever, has reached new heights—it has gone “touch” with the introduction of Rubik’s TouchCube™, the first completely electronic solvable Cube. The TouchCube features touch sensor technology on all six sides, a motion-detecting accelerometer, and colored lights in every square.
Check the Best Buy web Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/15/deal-alert-best-buy-slashes-price-on-rubiks-touchcube/feed/ 6 Are You Ready for Holocube’s 3D Projection?http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/09/are-you-ready-for-holocubes-3d-projection/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/09/are-you-ready-for-holocubes-3d-projection/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:31:03 +0000 Jason Reese http://www.geardiary.com/?p=63701

Click here to view the embedded video.

Have you been patiently waiting since the original Star Wars movie release to be able to use real holographic technology?  Well, friends, the wait is over.  Holocube is putting it's 3D projection technology to work for unique product displays and marketing -- although we suspect a few folks outside of George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch will soon be scouring the earth eBay to make their weekend Jedi-knight fantasies come alive.

Holocube is a fully integrated 3D projection platform. It combines the most advanced modern projection techniques in a contemporary sleek housing.  This enables product focused as well as contextual 3D projections.

[HoloCube]

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/09/are-you-ready-for-holocubes-3d-projection/feed/ 2 Another Robotic Penguin Wants To Invade Your Desktophttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/08/another-robotic-penguin-wants-to-invade-your-desktop/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/08/another-robotic-penguin-wants-to-invade-your-desktop/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:45:21 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=63257

Click here to view the embedded video.

My Tuxdroid keeps me company every Wednesday night as I do the Tech Show, and now Tuxdroid has a brand new buddycalled My Desk Friend.  His real name is Pingo, and he will read your mail to you, update you on your friends' Facebook status, dance around your desktop, as well as read RSS feeds.  Pingo is much smaller than Tuxdroid.  Little Pingo can fit in the palm of your hand, and Pingo has 2 wheels, a Microphone, a speaker, 2 multicolored eyes and sensors to prevent him from rolling off the table. The only problem I have with Pingo is that he only works with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Mac OS X (10.5 or 10.6).  There is no Linux Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/12/08/another-robotic-penguin-wants-to-invade-your-desktop/feed/ 1 Think Geek has the H1N1 That You Want!http://www.geardiary.com/2009/11/06/think-geek-has-the-h1n1-that-you-want/ http://www.geardiary.com/2009/11/06/think-geek-has-the-h1n1-that-you-want/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:56:10 +0000 Joel McLaughlin http://www.geardiary.com/?p=57866 think_geek_swine_flu_microbe_plush

We've been spending most of the fall fighting the dreaded H1N1.  People are lathering up with hand sanitizer, and the smell of Lysol is in the air whenever another person in the office is reported as out with Swine Flu.  Well, Think Geek has the H1N1 that you don't want to go away.  It's the plush version of the H1N1 Virus, and it's only $7.99 from Think Geek.  Doesn't this plush version look cute?

Continue reading on Gear Diary ...]]> http://www.geardiary.com/2009/11/06/think-geek-has-the-h1n1-that-you-want/feed/ 0