toys

Sometimes, information will stop you and make you reconsider your world view.

"Indianapolis Colts win," did it for me today. So did a Bloomberg Businessweek headline that said: "Lego is For Girls."

I had never considered Lego to be anything other than a precursor to an engineering job. Some people make it, some don't. Most of those people seem to be boys.

But I'd never imagined that Lego would find the need to launch a special line of toys specifically for girls. Yet here we have, debuting in 2012, Brick Barbie. Not, not quite. … Read more

It looks like the LeapPad Explorer could be the hottest tech gift for kids this holiday season.

The tablet for tots is currently out of stock at Wal-Mart, Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Toys "R" Us, and other U.S. retailers, according to product-tracking Web site NowInStock.net.

Even the creator of the tablet, LeapFrog, is out of stock and can only simmer down the masses with this vague declaration on its Web site: "Check back often as shipments are arriving regularly." … Read more

Children need toys. Parents need quiet children. So they buy those children toys.

Yet toys are expensive. And children are fickle. So a site called Toygaroo has decided to offer parents the choice of renting toys.

The site offers various plans, just like Netflix. For example, for $24.99 you get four toys every other month. For $34.99, you get 4 toys every month. And for $52.99 you get eight toys that will delight your children beyond all measure.

WBZ-TV Boston decided to chat with parents who seemed rather delighted with the whole thing.

What seems splendid is … Read more

If you're a fan of Pixar's many wonderful movies--and who isn't?--you've no doubt spent years caught up in the studio's terrific storytelling. But you've probably also been glued to your seat again and again by Pixar's terrific artistry.

Now, you can dig deep into the history of that work. With the new book "The Art of Pixar," Amid Amidi takes us inside the creative process behind Pixar's long list of hit films--"Toy Story," "Finding Nemo," "Monster's Inc.," "Ratatouille," "… Read more

It's not so easy to shop for "tech toys" anymore--not in the age of the iPhone and iPad, where convergence devices fill multiple needs and 99-cent apps substitute for impulse purchases. Still, there are a handful of amusing--and, in some cases, quite useful--ideas for the shopper who's stumped. … Read more

You know what the world needs? More bugs.

It's not enough that they already outnumber us 100 million to one. Toy company Hexbug has decided to make little robot larvae, which could hatch into the hottest stocking stuffer this holiday season.

Now, I know I'm not being completely irrational when I say I find these plastic larvae creepy. I can see how they could be the perfect gift for tech-savvy kids with an interest in robotics.

But come on, bugs? Who likes bugs (other than entomologists and those creepy people who buy dead bugs in frames)?… Read more

Buzz Lightyear is flying into high fashion, and he's taking Woody, the Aliens, and the rest of the Pixar-inspired crew with him, thanks to a new "Toy Story" fashion line from Bossini of Hong Kong.

A set of photos on Bossini's Facebook page show off the new line, which includes dresses, men's shirts, kids' costumes, and accessories.

Obviously, clothes that tap into the "Toy Story" motif are nothing new, as Disney and Pixar merchandise their movies faster than Kim Kardashian seeks out divorce lawyers. But from what I can make of Bossini's captions, it's laying out prices as high as $1,000 per three-eyed-alien tunic. … Read more

We predicted that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 release would cause some trouble, but there's three stories in particular we report today that put a dent in Jeff's argument that video games don't cause violence in real life.

If you're looking for a way to distract your kids while you play said games, though, Toys 'R Us is offering an Android tablet made just for kids that can browse the Web, read e-books aloud, among other time-wasters. It can even play 1080p HD video using a dual-core processor and a build-in Wi-Fi antenna.

Other stories leaked from today's podcast episode include Ashton Kutcher finally taking a step back from Twitter, the strange celebrity photos from the SKYRIM launch party, and the start of super-inflated hard drive prices as a result of the floods in Thailand.… Read more

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots are back, and they're bigger and more kick-ass than ever.

Just in time for the holidays, Hammacher Schlemmer is selling a pair of bumper cars designed to look and act much like the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots we loved as kids. The Bionic Bopper cars feature a steel-cage cockpit where the driver can sit and use two joysticks to maneuver the robot's arms and deliver metal-crushing uppercuts to the opposing robot's head.

The cars measure 74 inches high by 59 inches wide by 62 inches deep. Each is equipped with a display in its midsection to keep tally of the score (one hit equals one point).

Three wheels underneath the 850-pound machines allow you to move forward, backward, left, and right at a breakneck speed of 3 mph, and rubber bumpers along the bottom of the vehicles ensure that the fighters are at "optimal distance for scoring." Also, prepare for some epic battles because the Bionic Boppers' gas engine promises up to five hours of continuous use. … Read more