toy

With Microsoft and Sony both slashing prices on their respective consoles, it's no surprise that Nintendo appears to be following suit. Last month, we explained why we think the Wii needs a price drop, and it sounds like we aren't the only ones who think so.

Just today, a tipster sent Kotaku a blurry photo of a Toys R Us circular clearly indicating a $50 price drop for the Nintendo console, bringing it down to $200. Since the circular is dated for the last week in September, the new price could go into effect on September 27.

A $… Read more

This week marks the latest release in the Rock Band series (see our hands-on). It features one of the biggest names in music--The Beatles. It also features pack-in instruments that continue to look more and more like their real-life counterparts.

Rock Band was definitely not the first video game to necessitate special hardware, nor will it be the last. Below we've put together a list of some of the most innovative peripherals and hardware that have helped change the way we play games. Some went on to become big, while others failed or were martyrs to future incarnations that … Read more

I know it's hard to prevent your children from gaining an early fascination with drugs, violence, weapons, World of Warcraft, and illicit personal behavior.

The phenomenon that is Webkinz is but one brave attempt.

In case you inhabit a particularly large hole in Nova Scotia, Webkinz turns your children into loving, caring humans online.

On the Webkinz site, your children can look after their new pets. Well, as long as they buy the physical, three-dimensional stuffed version at a friendly neighborhood store.

So it is my heartfelt privilege to be able to tell you that should you choose to … Read more

In the world of submicroscopic physics, things happen that really can't be observed. So when scientists at Johns Hopkins University need to see an example of interactions between various nanoparticles, they simply make blown-up versions of what they're studying--with Legos.

In the video above, Manuel Balvin demonstrates how different sized ball bearings move differently through a gravity-driven field of pegs. The same reaction can be assumed to work at the nano level, meaning the research can be done more practically.

And these aren't special science Legos, these are the same off-the-shelf toys that we've all loved for years. … Read more

Toys just aren't the same as when I was young, when a Rubik's Cube and a Greedo action figure were enough to get me through a Sunday. Jakks Pacific, makers of many a plug-and-play retro-gaming peripheral and children's toy, has some new wrinkles up its sleeve for the holidays, and we got a chance to get our hands on some of the new stuff in the CNET office.

On the more controversial side, Jakks' new product in their direct-to-TV plug-and-play games line is a low-cost all-in-one version of Big Buck Hunter Pro. In case you've been away from bars for a while, the popular arcade game is a rifle-shooter light-gun game involving hunting for deer. This home edition, unlike PC and console games before it, consists just of the plastic shotgun--which has the game software built-in--and a wireless IR bar that sits atop the TV like the Wii's sensor bar. But is this something you'd want in your home?… Read more

When we first caught sight of Sega Toys' meowing, purring robo-feline, we fervently hoped Lucky the robo-dog or some other bigger, stronger robot would come along and scare the creepy cat out of the neighborhood.

Alas, that's not to be. "Yume-Neko Venus," or "Dream Cat Venus," is slated for a July 30 release, according to Sega (PDF in Japanese). The fake feline will cost 10,000 yen (about $108)--not bad considering you'll be saving a bundle on kitty litter and toy mice.

The battery-operated robo-cat is equipped with five touch sensors that let … Read more

Here's something to consider for the next Fourth of July if you're still feeling the recessionary pinch or want to avoid the holiday throngs. Sega Toys' Uchiage Hanabi Fireworks Projector (15,540 yen; $166) brings the pyrotechnics and fiery colors right into your (preferably darkened) living room, complete with sounds but minus the cordite tang.

Powered by four AA batteries good for three hours, the device measures about 7x8x8 inches. I'd take a rain check, though, on customizing my own fireworks by drawing on the special plates, since they'll just come out looking like toxic fallout … Read more

I don't have a dog right now, but if I did, I totally wouldn't trust it to roam around my apartment while I'm not there. Who knows what kind of mischief it'll get into or what it'll find lurking in my sock drawer. This Pet's Eye View Camera makes it easy to keep track of your dog, but $55 is too expensive for what appears to be a glorified Webcam.

There's not a lot going on here in terms of technology: the little USB still camera attaches to your pet's collar and … Read more