hot wheels

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- BlackBerry becomes a source of shame for users.

- Mental Floss asks: How did the Game Genie work?

- Schools across the country ban Flaming Hot Cheetos.

- Speaking of: 10 things you never knew about Flamin' Hots.

- Newsweek to shut down print edition and go all digital.

- Extra Life: Play games to raise money for local kids.

Bathroom break video: Gold-plated Canon copy machine.

Comic-Con is filled with memorable moments, but nothing could prepare The 404 guys going face to face with The Hoff himself, legendary pop culture icon David Hasselhoff.

Hasselhoff was at Mattel's Comic-Con booth to help promote the Hot Wheels 30th Anniversary Limited Edition K.I.T.T. car, which was being sold exclusively at the show. After getting to sit in Michael Knight's magic ride ourselves, we asked The Hoff a few questions about the timeless "Knight Rider" franchise. Just as expected, we got some eye-opening answers.

But before we got to speak with David, we … Read more

Most remote control cars come with dual stick controllers, but Hot Wheels opens up many more driving options with its iPhone controller app.

Although a little clunky to set up, Hot Wheel's iNitro Speeders gives the option of using an iPhone to control its little remote control cars. The iPhone app includes the standard dual stick controller, but also lets you drive the car with the iPhone's accelerometer, choose a predefined driving pattern, or draw your own pattern. … 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

From Hot Wheels to Legos, this stop-motion video by French Web designer and animator Micael Reynaud provides a wonderful trip down memory lane.

The two-minute clip, titled "The King of Lego Land," is simply brilliant. And I'm ecstatic that Magic 8 Ball made it into the roundup, along with Nintendo games, Transformers, and of course, Legos.

How many of these toys did you play with as a kid? … Read more

Jordan's King Abdullah wants to build a $1.5 billion haven for Trekkers and artist Chris Burden creates a 30-foot-tall dream city filled with racing Matchbox cars. Also, Tokyo paves the way for creepily realistic clone dolls, Apple innovates in headphone design, and Gummi bears make your ears smell.

… Read more

Joining its line of Stealth Rides from last year, Hot Wheels is launching a new line of tiny RC cars, the Nitro Speeders. These toy cars go up to 8.3 mph, which Hot Wheels says is equivalent to 600 mph in the cars' 1/87th scale. That speed will let the cars handle a vertical loop track.

Nitro Speeders will come in three models: a Mustang, a Camaro, and Ken Block's Fiesta rally car. But these models are not designed for authenticity, being approximations of the real cars.

Similar to the Stealth Rides, the Nitro Speeders store and … Read more

Metropolis II is a four-year project by performance artist and sculptor Chris Burden that uses more than 1,100 Matchbox-style toy cars curved around 19 roadways to show the last days of what he calls the "free car"--in other words, the independent ability to simply jump in an automobile and travel.

In advance of a Metropolis II exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art this fall, directors Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman of "Catfish" fame just released this short documentary that shows the 20-foot by 30-foot art installation in action.

More pictures of Metropolis II after the jump.… Read more

Nissan slams the Volt as being a cousin to the leaf blower, a new app keeps an eye out for accidents ahead, and we drive the Mini Cooper S Countryman.

• CNET drives the Mini Cooper S Countryman

• App keeps an eye on accidents about to happen

• New Corvette coming in 2013?

• Nissan Leaf sticks it to Chevy Volt, oh so subtly.

• Tanner Foust pulls off a huge Hot Wheels jump

• CNET's LOLcars gallery!