Toy Fair, the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, took place at the Javitz Center in New York City from February 15 to February 18, 2009, and featured 1,500 manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from 30 countries. Here's a small sample of what was there.
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.
Toy Fair, the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere, took place at the Javitz Center in New York City from February 15 to February 18, 2009, and featured 1,500 manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from 30 countries. Here's a small sample of what was there.
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Crab meets ladybug in the battle for microrobotic creature supremacy.
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Hexbug's upcoming ant is really fast.
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Custom-made Hexbug robot.
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Another prototype robot from Hexbug.
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Alternative energy stuff was all the rage.
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Several solar-powered toys.
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The boat takes the spotlight.
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This little dude doesn't take handouts.
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With a blast of light, the tram is on the move.
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More alternative action.
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No drops: The CamLeash is designed to keep kids from dropping their gear.
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The popular Facebook game is going to be a board game. This prototype was designed in a week for the show.
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Isn't it grand to have a baby grand?
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Various toy cars were prominently on display.
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The crank charges the NiMH battery in the car.
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The official name of the product is Crank 'n Race.
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This interactive robot from Erector and Meccano goes by the name Spykee Vox. He (there's also a she version) reacts to your voice and plays back tunes from you iPod.
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Spykee Wifi is a spy robot that takes pictures and creates videos.
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Sorry, didn't mean to freak you out.
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Your doodle is the track for the Doodle-Track Car.
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Short track racing.
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Kiz Toys has developed a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for kids. You buy your character (there are several to choose from) on a USB key.
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The map for the KizPlanet Global Playground, which will continuously evolve.
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Highly flexible Neotracks allows kids to easily configure tracks to their liking. Beats wood.
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The land that time forgot. Figurines are always big.
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21st century Sea Monkeys.
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The kit comes with larva that turn into these little guys.
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That dude is made of Legos.
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A company called Ollo had some Lego-type stuff with a little more flair.