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Toy Fair 2011: Hot stuff from the show floor (photos)

Straight from Toy Fair, the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, here's a look at some of the hot new toys for 2011.

David Carnoy
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
David Carnoy
Scott Stein
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Ken and Barbie together again

After Ken's Twitter campaign to win back Barbie, the two are a couple again. Who knew they ever had a falling out?
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Tosy AFO

Tosy, a Vietnamese toy company, was showing off a flying disc called the AFO.
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Tosy AFO

You pull a string to launch the AFO, which can go as high as about 30 feet in the air.
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Tonner figurine

Tonner had its usual assortment of freaky figurines on display, including this one from "Alice in Wonderland."
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Angry Birds goes analog

Believe it or not, Mattel has made Angry Birds into a sort of a board game.
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Angry Birds, the board game

You launch your plastic bird(s) to try to take down the pigs' ramparts.
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Angry Birds plush

Yes, now you can get Angry Birds plush toys. The merchandising of the franchise is in full swing.
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Chicco Red Bullet training bike

Later this year, Chicco will begin selling a new training-wheel-less training bike for tots: Red Bullet.
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Bubber

In your hands, Bubber feels like a dry foam version of Play Doh. It costs about $13 for a small bucket. Very cool stuff.
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Eco Biker Wind Power Generator kit

A little bicycle rider generates energy via its front propeller, which turns when there's wind. This and an adjacent salt-water-fueled toy car could give kids dreams of clean energy futures.
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Fantasma

Fantasma makes toys with a ghoulish slant. Thus, the booth-babe spider who got some flowers for Valentine's Day.
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Fantasma Web Runner

The Fantasma Web Runner remote control spider sticks to ceilings and walls.
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Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn iCan Play

In July, Fisher-Price is coming out with its special toddler-friendly iPhone case, the Laugh and Learn iCan Play ($14.99). It comes with three games (Where's Puppy's Nose, Let's Count Animals!, and Animal Sounds) that respond to tilts and shakes, which should keep your kid occupied for hours--or until you get an important call.
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Fisher-Price Kid-Tough See Yourself Camera

This 1.2-megapixel, drop-resistant digital camera has a rotating lens so kids can take pictures of themselves. It's due out in July for $69.99 list.
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Hexbug Spider

The $29.99 Hexbug Spider is the latest Hexbug micro robotic creature to hit the market.
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Glow in the dark Hexbugs

Yes, you can now get Hexbug Nanos that glow in the dark.
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Mattel Fijit Friends

Mattel's Fijit Friends was one of the hot new toys at the show. Geared toward 'tween girls, Fijit Friends is an interactive robotic toy that talks, dances, and laughs (or shall we say, giggles). Here you're seeing the presenter dance a little jig with her Friends, which are made out of a soft, pliable material.

They're due out this fall for $49.99 along with a Fijit Friends iPad app.

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Fijit Friend

A Fijit Friend up close and personal.
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Mattel Nitro Speeders

Mattel unveiled its compact remote control cars called Stealth Rides at last year's show. This year, the company has gone smaller and faster with the tiny RC Nitro Speeders.

They're due to hit stores this fall at $21.50 for a single vehicle.

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Mattel Nitro Speeders

The Nitro Speeder package.
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Regurgitating Rico Launcher

This character from "The Penguins of Madagascar" shoots popcorn balls out of its mouth.

Just pull his legs back and he's ready to start spewing. Rico's due out this fall for $27.99.

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Razor chalk scooter

Three chalk sticks attached to the rear brakes make driveway-tagging easy.
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Razor Spark Scooter

Casting showers of sparks across the ground, Razor's Spark Scooter might annoy the neighbors just a bit.
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Rock Star Mickey

Last year, Mattel had Dancing Mickey. Now it's got Rock Star Mickey doing his best Chuck Berry impression.

Rock Star Mickey hits stores in September for $49.99.

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Splishy Dashers

There were plenty of toys designed to go in water at the show, including Splishy Dashers.
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Scott Stein uses the Force

Scott Stein gives his brain powers a test with the Star Wars Force Trainer.
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Uncle Milton Ant Farm and Ant Farm Revolution

Two generations of Uncle Milton ant farms, side by side: the one on the left is your good, old-fashioned farm from times gone by. Ant Farm Revolution is cylindrical, uses neon-colored gel, and has a top lens that projects ant shadows on the ceiling.
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Ohio Arts Air Pick

The Air Pick from Ohio Arts packs air-guitar sound effects into a little plastic disc. You're one step closer to an invisible band.
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Tetris Link

Tetris, the board game: a multiplayer Connect 4-style challenge.
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Tetris Link

The box for Tetris Link.
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Hot Wheels Video Racer

We've always wanted a driver's-eye view from a Hot Wheels car, haven't you? Later this year you'll be able to get a Hot Wheels Video Racer that has an embedded camera that captures video that you can later view on your computer or TV. You get 12 minutes of built-in memory, as well as a built-in LCD screen on the Video Racer's chassis. A USB cable is included for transferring your videos to your PC.

The Video Racer is due out this fall for $59.99 a car.

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Rockboard Scooter

Pedal-rocking instead of using a motor or old-fashioned pushing, the Rockboard seems just awkward enough to be fun.
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Moov build-your-own vehicles

This year's Moov build-your-own vehicle kits, along with a rugged backyard Jeep for the tots.
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Barbie Hair-tastic

The newest Barbie accessory? Hair extensions that you can print custom patterns on using an inkjet printer. We kid you not.
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MadPax backpacks

For Dress Your Kid Like a Koopa Day, try MadPax puffy backpacks.
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Little Mommy My Very Real Baby Doll

The Little Mommy My Very Real Baby Doll features interactive light and motion technology that Mattel says brings "nurturing" to the next level. The doll asks for juice and responds to objects, like a Teddy bear, when you place them in her hands. And when you "feed" her a juice pop, her mouth turns green.

This very real doll is due to hit stores this fall for $74.99.

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Her mouth turns green when she eats her ice pop!
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Giant Microbes

An adorable collection of plushie infectious diseases and other micro-organisms.
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Ping-pong robot chills out

We wish we had seen this table tennis robot win some matches, but it stayed perfectly still.
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Nano-magnet chess

To take your Nanodot magnet collection to the next level, might we suggest this iron-weave magnetic chess mat for a make-your-own board game? Just keep it away from your phones/pacemakers/babies.
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Penbo

Posing with a waddling, egg-birthing Penbo robot.
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Retro robots

Rereleases of classic 1960s robots should be coming soon to a toy store near you.
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Mr. Machine

This is what kids in the late '60s played with. Thanks to a distributor, your kids might, too.
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Infinite Cubes

V-Cube makes Rubik-style cubes up to 7x7x7, but the company claims it has the ability to make cubes with an "unlimited number of layers."
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Phone Frenzy

Buffalo Games' cell-phone-based party game requires players to call up friends on speakerphone in order to win and simultaneously alienate their loved ones.

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