Review » You probably won’t catch me wearing these glasses at the Transformers 3-D movie

The third Transformers film, Dark Side of the Moon, is coming out this week, and it is no surprise that it is in 3-D. Hasbro is all ready for the release with all kinds of toys, and this is one of them, specially made 3-D glasses.

As my headline states, there is no way that I will be wearing in the theater, even though the multiplex charges a price of “renting” them. My son, pictured here, is another story. By the way, these glasses only work on RealD equipped 3-D movies, but the toy does come with red and blue type, as well as a 3-D poster.

You should be able to get this 3D mask for about $9.99 at the Toys R Us site. I couldn’t find it on the Hasbro site, but it is available in Optimus Prime form. Check out the jump for more Transformers action.

For example, Hasbro also has another version of Bumblebee with the Mechtech Leader Class Bumblebee. It looks very similar to the Battle Ops Bumblebee that we reported on a while ago. I have to admit that the sounds are less cooler, and it is just as hard to fold it up into a Camaro. It costs about $44.99 and is available at the Hasbro site.

In addition to the large figure, I recently got to try out some more Transformer toys in both small and medium size. Once again, I wish the Transformers back in the day looked this cool. Check out the Hasbro Toy Shop site and see what you can find if you are a fan.

Review » Solitaire Chess

If you’re a chess whizz kid who absolutely hates to lose, then you might find yourself preserving your unbeaten track record among your peers – but that’s because no one wants to play with you because you’re such a sore loser. Or it could be you’re just too good, and not a gracious winner at all.

Well, guess you will just have to play with yourself then, and since chess is a 2-player game, what other option do you have? Enter Solitaire Chess, which offers a strategic twist on a timeless classic. This is the perfect tool for you to sharpen your chess game – or perhaps, perfect it if you’re nearly there already. You have five dozen challenges to choose from, ranging from beginner to expert to keep your noggin’ occupied this summer.

The $19.99 Solitaire Chess will stretch your critical thinking muscles to the maximum, ensuring that even during the off season, you can still get your practice “shots” in.

Review » Spy Net Night Vision Infrared Stealth Binoculars

 

While I was covering the Plug and Play video games from Jakks Pacific, I also had a chance to try out this SpyNet Night Vision Infrared Stealth Binoculars.

This particular device is essentially night vision for kids. It definitely uses real night vision technology to see up to fifty feet in complete darkness.

I tried it out for myself, and I asked my daughter to try it out with me. I must admit that looking through the Spynet Night Vision caused her eyes to glow in a freaky way. It reminded me of the freaky ending to the movie Quarantine.

For some reason, this device allows you to see night vision in different colors. So if the traditional green isn’t for you, then you might want to try purple. It also lights on the front to make it look like your eyes are glowing red. Yeah, that ought to please the kids.

If you are interested in this type of technology for you or your kids, you should be able to purchase it off the Wal-Mart site for about $40. By the way, the site itself says that it takes about 5 AA batteries, but it really only takes 4 AA batteries, actually.

Review » Ten Person Water Totter

If you happen to be part of a really, really large family, and each time during the holiday season your uncles, aunts, siblings, nephews and nieces will congregate at your home due to this activity being a family tradition, why not offer something different to keep the little ones entertained this time around with the Ten Person Water Totter instead of letting them sit through yet another round of watching your wedding video while you adults sit down and talk elsewhere?

The Ten Person Water Totter needs no explanation really – this waterborne “toy”, so to speak, will be able to rock up to 10 people simultaneously, where five folks are meant to be positioned on either side, with all individuals grasping one of 20 built-in handles while using their respective body weight to rock the structure which stands 10′ above the water’s surface, splashing opponents in the process.

This is one resilient puppy thanks to the commercial-grade, 1,000 denier polyester fabric used which is sandwiched between two layers of 28 oz. PVC. Those who have some sort of military knowledge will be pleased to know that it goes through a similar same construction process for the material as with the inflatable boats used by the U.S. Navy Seals.

All seams are hot-air sealed, and the PVC has been specially treated to block damaging UV rays. The only drawback? It costs a rather hefty $4,000 to keep the little ones in your family happy.

Review » Water Wars Water Pistol Game

Playing water pistols has just gotten more fun with the Water Wars Water Pistol Game. For those of you who grew up playing Laser Tag, you know just how fun that is, trying to zap your opponents from afar, with the vest and helmet they wear being legit targets. Since summer is here, how about playing a variation of Laser Tag with the Water Wars Water Pistol Game? Each $37 purchase will come with a couple of color changing vests, so you can tell whether your shots were accurate or not.

The kit comes with a couple of water pistols and of course, two vests, to get you started right out of the box. What’s weird is this – the vests will feature printed targets that will turn red wherever they come in contact with water, so make sure you aim properly and don’t be such a klutz to spill water all over yourself when you’re taking a break!

Just how do the vests work? Well, it isn’t magic, but instead they are printed with special ink which turns red when it gets wet, and when the shirt becomes completely red, that’s game over. Time to stash away a bucket of water as a “grenade” of sorts if you feel that you can’t take the heat. Of course, the vests will become white once again when they are dry.

Review » Water Soaked Knee Hockey Rink

Have a backyard but not quite sure what to do with it? The Water Soaked Knee Hockey Rink will definitely fit the bill, since it offers you one-on-one fun (in a clean way) with your mate, letting the both of you square-off in a sliding, water-soaked game of knee hockey. Knee hockey – you read that right, will involve you using those body parts that have seen many falls during your growing up years in order to slam the puck into the back of your opponent’s net.

There are 30 small nozzles that have been built straight into both sides of the rink, spraying 24″ high fountains of water which will saturate the surface and players so that slipping and jockeying for control will result in ecstatic laughter and plenty of fun. The oversized plastic puck isn’t going to hurt anyone when used properly, where each player will also have the added help of a soft plastic hockey stick in order to hold up a defense.

A garden hose will need to be attached to the rink for continuous water supply. Would you be willing to get all wet this summer with a $49.95 purchase?

REVIEW >> Aquapod Bottle Launcher

Want to have some fun with a bottle of pop that you’re done gulping down? Here’s the Aquapod Bottle Launcher that retails for a mere £24.99. Not exactly pocket change, but at least you can have some imaginary Space Shuttle moments with it. The Aquapod Bottle Launcher is capable of allowing you to fire any regular fizzy-pop bottle (2 liter ones) an incredible 100 feet right up into the air. Do bear in mind that you require a bike-pump which isn’t included, so scurry over to the nearest hardware store to pick it up. Fresh water (instead of fossil fuel) will be the propellant of choice, and a solid brass check valve prevents over pressuring.

REVIEW: Remote Control Flying Spaceman

The Space Shuttle program is about to come to an end in the near future, and that would clearly see the curtain fall on one of the most celebrated achievements of mankind, which is to have man step foot on the moon first before anyone else. Well, for those who want to simulate the way a spaceman walks across the surface of the moon can always get the Remote Control Flying Spaceman, where this $29.99 device will gingerly “tread” on the surface of your choice as you expertly control him to “jump” from one point to another. Engineered with advanced ultralite micro components and bright diode lights, this radio controlled spaceman ought to deliver hours of indoor fun, so it doesn’t matter if it is raining like cats and dogs outside.

Review: Magneticat Cat Toy

Pets might not be on the same level as humans, but that does not mean they do not learn through some human methods, and playing is among one of those traits. After all, it is through playing that kittens learn how to catch prey, honing their reflexes and hunting instinct amongst their siblings. Cat owners out there – how many times have your feline friend left you a “present” in front of the door in the form of a roach, rat or other small animals?

How about letting Garfield (or whatever else you call your cat) hone its playing skills with the Magneticat Cat Toy? This $12.99 purchase works as its name suggests, featuring a magnetically powered cat toy inside that boasts of a weighted base and a ladybug toy on a string. The magnet in the base will repel the ladybug, letting it dance, and that ought to keep your cat amused for hours on end.

It would be interesting to see how Magneto harnesses this toy as a killing machine compared to a coin…

Review: Lateral Drift Remote Controlled Helicopter

Since summer is already upon those of you living in the Northern Hemisphere, just what the heck are you doing at home, reading online news and staying cooped up all day long? Why not head outdoors and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts? After all, before you know it, autumn will be upon you and when you want to bask in the warmth of the noon day, that is no longer as fun as during summer itself. Not only that, gusts of wind will certainly thwart the flight of your Lateral Drift Remote Controlled Helicopter.

This remote controlled helicopter will offer more than just upwards, downwards and basic movement – it will also throw in side-to-side drifting movement that is something you hardly see. This is made possible thanks to a couple of horizontally oriented mini-rotors located on either side of the fuselage, and controlling this puppy is a snap. 40 minutes of charging will deliver seven minutes of flight – diminishing returns at its best for a $69.95 purchase.


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Review: Wappy Dog for 3DS

 

 Wappy Dog for 3DS

I guess that there is nothing that can be done with “pet” games other than linking them with real pets, but until that day, there is Wappy Dog.

Wappy Dog is from video games industry giant Activision, and the toy that you see in the picture is designed to wirelessly work in sync with a 3DS game. The Wappy Dog toy has light up cheeks that can express Wappy’s different mood states from unhappy to fully content via different colors.

As you might have guessed, the object is to make certain Wappy is a happy puppy, and to keep its cheeks the color of contentment. The player/user can talk to Wappy as it recognizes more than 18 different voice prompts, and it can respond with more than 350 barks that are “translated” with the 3DS.

Wappy also has another interesting feature that allows you play with the toy version while you are away. Whatever you did on the 3DS will be synced in with the Wappy toy when you arrive home.

Wappy should be available sometime around Christmas, but I am wondering why he is called Wappy. After all, when I think of a “Wappy Dog”, I think of my mother-in-law’s Great Dane. I tell you, when that dog gets happy, its tail gets “whappy” as a small yet painful whip. I hope this toy robot dog can’t wag its tail like that.

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2011/06/02/wappy-dog-game-accessory-for-the-3ds-is-as-3d-as-it-gets/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Ohgizmo+%28OhGizmo!%29

NGR: The ULTIMATE OPTIMUS PRIME Figure — Soon This Fall

 

The ULTIMATE OPTIMUS PRIME figure, being released this fall, is one of many new TRANSFORMERS toys on display at the 17th annual official TRANSFORMERS brand convention known as “BOTCON.” BOTCON is annually the largest annual official gathering of TRANSFORMERS fans in the world. And the general admission sessions will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5.

NGR: Magnet Powered Spinning Top

If you are into some unique and mind boggling toys, you truly come from a limited group of people. But that doesn’t make you different from normal. It just so happens that you like to perplex others in one way or another. Well, you can silently perplex your friends or even strangers with this unique Magnet Powered Spinning Top.

The Magnet Powered Spinning Top looks like a small metal top that spins on a normal looking black base. But that is not all it does. You see, the top seems to spin perpetually and comes with a radially oriented magnetic field and the base houses a conductive coils inside.

As the top spins towards the center of the base, the changing magnetic field causes the electromagnet to switch on and deliver enough torque to speed up the top’s spin as well as make it spin away from the center, switching off the electromagnet. This allows the Magnet Powered Spinning Top to stay in perpetual motion for hours and hours without stopping. And since the electromagnet is not always turned on, the spinning top can last for about a week on one 9-volt battery. If it catches your fancy, the Magnet Powered Spinning Top is available at ThinkGeek for US$10.

Image Source: ThinkGeek