Transformer

A full-out assault has arrived in my living room. Transformers movie tie-ins are being marketed non-stop through ads on Nickelodeon, selling everything from Burger King kids' meals to Pontiac cars. We only watch about a hour of commercial TV a day, but there are multiple ads featuring the Transformers being shown within a single commercial break. The contradiction of a violent action flick based on Hasbro toys is spelled out right in the Burger King commercial--hey kids, get your kids' meal with one of eight toys based on characters from the movie (PG-13, some material may be inappropriate for children under 13).

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has turned a spotlight on this situation but has not yet received a lot of response. Transformers star Shia LaBoeuf has said that producer Steven Spielberg fought back against a proposed R-rating. Yet the movie is being marketed to kids all the way down to the toddler years. (Opti-mash prime Mr. Potato Head, anyone?)… Read more

It's a big day for our favorite fictional robot friends--opening day for the Transformers movie. And that means a whole bunch of wicked toys for sale.

Now, my older brother had a pretty rad collection of Transformers playthings, but some of the new generation of toys are pretty drool-worthy as well.

Here are my top five picks for Transformers toys. They're just as awesome as the 1986 movie version's soundtrack (Thank you, Stan Bush.):

• Transformers movie helmet: Now I don't know if you're into role playing, but if Transformers are your fantasy, you're … Read more

The Harry Potter muggles line up in capes and Hogwarts scarves, the Trekkies have their uniforms and the Star Wars geeks have a variety of costumes to choose from when attending the opening night of a movie in the franchise.

Those are the A-list freaks.

What happens, when the brand has sort of a B-list cult following and you can't exactly dress like the characters?

Tomorrow, July 4 is the opening of Transformers and while I'm sure some clever folks will be decked out in garage regalia, it's kind of difficult to dress as a car that turns into a robot.… Read more

The Transformers movie produced by Stephen Spielberg opens Wednesday, July 4, and we're still not sure who's most excited.

Is this a movie for the children, or the children of the '80s who are going to let their nostalgia for Autobots and Decepticons lead them down the toy and car aisles?

General Motors has gotten in on the act with a whole line of Transformers vehicles for adults, while Hasbro has toys for the kids.

The film industry seems to be targeting Generation Xers, who are now themselves becoming parents, with a slew of resurrections, and the toy … Read more

I'm going to be playing with live-streaming some Apple store iPhone launch coverage very soon, but since I'm a webcam novice, I decided to test it out a little bit before taking it to the streets.… Read more

OK, movie tie-in games tend to suck. It's a sad rule with few exceptions, but most movie games feel phoned in and generic.

Hope springs eternal, though, and the allure of giant transforming robots is keeping me at least a little bit hopeful for the Transformers games. Yesterday we received copies of Transformers for the Nintendo DS. I can't really give it anything beyond my first impressions yet (keep an eye on Gamespot for the inevitable review, though), but it seems like a fun game. The graphics are extremely blocky, thanks to the DS' relatively low power, and … Read more

We look at cool, modern Transformers toys; a GPS device that does so much, it required four CNET editors to test it; a preview build of Microsoft's Windows Home Server; and two slim phones comprise this photo roundup.

Photos: Transformers Transformers hits the big screen this July 4, and that means there's a whole lot of merchandising going on. Among the hordes of Transformers toys is Hasbro's Real Gear Transformers, a series of toy electronics that turn into robots. Remember Soundwave, the Transformer that became a tape deck? Well, this is the next generation of Transformers. And … Read more

The Transformers are hitting the big screen this July 4, and that means a whole lot of merchandising going on. Among the hordes of Transformers toys are Hasbro's Real Gear Transformers, a series of toy electronics that turn into robots. Remember Soundwave, the Transformer that became a tape deck? This is the next generation. Click for a slide show of all six Real Gear Transformers, plus the real-life gadgets we think they most resemble.

We've all seen TVs that can pop up from a cabinet or the foot of a bed--even from under the bed, actually--but how many of them include a bar?

The "Pop-Up TV-Liquor Cabinet" goes from an innocuous-looking cylinder to a mini-sports bar in seconds, kind of like a Transformer for booze hounds. It even beats the combo fridge-bar, at least in terms of proximity from the tube. BornRich says there's also a hand-carved cabinet from the Yucatan for those with a more traditional decor to consider, but it doesn't appear to include a TV … Read more