optimus prime

Hasbro accuses Asus of stealing Transformer Prime name

Hasbro is accusing Asus of hijacking one of its trademarks with the release of the Transformer Prime tablet.

The toymaker claimed in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court last week that the electronics maker is creating confusion by blending the "Transformers" and Optimus Prime names. Hasbro said in a statement that Asus is counting on consumers associating the new tablet with children's toys to sell the Transformer Prime.

"Hasbro continues to aggressively protect its brands and products and the specific actions we are taking today against Asus underscores yet again Hasbro's willingness to … Read more

Optimus Prime: Hero, guardian, lousy car parker

Optimus Prime is maybe the most famous Transformer of all. Nearly every rendition and interpretation of the Autobots has him in charge. He's wise, loyal, heroic, and, apparently, a crappy car parker.

Indeed, the truck that occasionally portrays Optmius in Michael Bay's insane Transformers films is in NYC this week to promote the latest at Toy Fair 2011 (which we're all over), and a Twitter user with the awesome handle @terrordrome tweeted a photo of him outside (though the tweet is now missing). And later he noticed something: a parking ticket, as BoingBoing pointed out.

We're … Read more

Transformers crash land on Android OS

Glu Mobile has released a port of its Transformers G1: Awakening iPhone game to the Android Market this week. Awakening is a turn-based strategy game starring 23 of our favorite robots in disguise from the 1980s cartoon, including Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, and Starscream. The story loosely follows the animated plot with players taking control of the heroic Autobots as they wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons shortly after crash landing on Earth.

After the initial download and installation, the game prompts you to download an additional 7MB of data to either the SD card … Read more

Will giant Optimus Prime battle giant Gundam?

Robot one-upmanship is happening at an alarming pace in East Asia as the Chinese have unveiled a giant Optimus Prime in Beijing, no doubt to counter giant robots recently built by the Japanese. Is a clash of the robo-titans imminent?

The Transformers icon stands nearly 40 feet tall and weighs 6 tons. Fittingly, the head Autobot was fashioned out of recycled car parts such as engines and tires. It took five truckloads of parts to put Prime together.

The colossus dwarfs puny humans at the new Green Dream Park, located northwest of Beijing's "Bird's Nest" National … Read more

Speakerphone thinks it's a Transformer

The most interesting thing about Yamaha's new speakerphone isn't its VoIP technology, which Engadget notes is actually trailing the competition. Nor is it the 1.25-pound size, though that's certainly preferably to the spaceship-sized models that still dominate so many conferece rooms. And its USB connection? What doesn't have a USB connection these days?

No, what we like most about the PJP-25UR is its Transformer impersonation. In its compact form, the unit appears to be an innocuous triangular box, maybe a USB hub. But look! It has two arm-like microphones that swing out to reveal its … Read more

Optimus Prime stereo hits the road

Now that the Transformers movie debut has long past, you might have expected some welcome relief from the torrent of product merchandizing that led up to the release. Not so fast, Sparky.

The "Optimus Prime Convoy" iPod stereo dock has only just begun to ship in Japan for the not-so-cheap price of $150, according to SlashGear. For that kind of money, though, we thought it only fair that the entire system transform; apparently only the truck cab becomes robotized. We're no Transformer experts (thank goodness), but that seems to be cheating a bit. Maybe it's an … Read more

You, too, can eat Optimus Prime

Here's one way to transform a special occasion into something even more special. And, quite possibly, get a stomachache in the process.

Nashville's French Confection cake shop created this impressive Optimus Prime cake, using Rice Krispies treats, brownies, and cake to make the edible robot.

The Autobot-themed cake was special-ordered by Morgan Valentine for her husband's 30th birthday party. You're a lucky man, Mr. Valentine.

The bakery's repertoire is pretty impressive. Other nerd-worthy cakes (see below) include The Simpsons, a delicious six-pack of Coke, and Yoda.

[[Via Boing Boing.]]

Optimus Prime's car insurance bill

In our steadfast effort to cover all things technologically urgent and culturally important, e.g. the Transformers movie, here is the latest development.

On Monday, McSweeney's, the Web publishing arm of San Francisco author and famous eccentric Dave Eggers, published "A Letter to Optimus Prime from his Geico Auto Insurance Agent," penned by John Frank Weaver. It details the particulars of 27 claims made during the month of June and the parameters of coverage and "reasonable use" for a truck and trailer.

You have to read the original for the riotously strained legalese and in-depth … Read more

Transformers laptop doesn't transform

As colleagues Will Greenwald and Neha Tiwari have noted, the new Transformers movie will mean big bucks in the toy and games market. But not everyone can get away with wearing an "Optimus Prime Voice Changer Helmet" to work, let alone past most conscious security guards.

So Haier is making it possible for so-called mature adults to show their allegience to bot culture with a laptop. Granted, it's basically a G70 notebook with a decal, as Engadget notes, though it does have a 17-inch screen, 2GB of memory and a 120GB hard drive. It also looks kind … Read more

'Transformers' provoke unexpected variety of rapture

The new Transformers movie has inspired a surprising degree of lyricism and detailed cinematic analysis for what is, in most respects, a kids' movie about giant robots. Blogospheric commentators used the language of formal cinematic criticism or just let fly with off-the-chain gushing normally seen in 12-year-old boys. In particular, scroll down for the entry from a self-styled "film theologian" who offers his exegesis on parallels between the movie and the scriptural Book of Kings.

Everyone seems to agree that the CGI sets a new record in coolness, the action sequences are numerous and fast-moving, and the new … Read more