toys

The year 2015 will be here before we know it, and we're still a long way from flying cars, skyways, and auto-drying jackets as imagined by "Back to the Future II." It's depressing, but there is one futuristic piece of tech from the movie that will be available soon: hoverboards.

Mattel announced at Toy Fair 2012 in New York that it will finally release a 1:1 replica of the hoverboard from "Back to the Future II" and "Back to the Future III," and it's set to arrive just in time for the holidays.

The "movie accurate" replica includes such details as a hole at the front of the deck where Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, ripped out the handlebar and pole and features the same neon-rrific coloring. According to Mattel's press release, it also makes multiple whooshing noises and "glides" over most surfaces. The company didn't provide much detail on how it glides, but one thing's for sure: It does not work on water. Dangit! … Read more

At first glance, the title of the video "Sneak Peak Greatest Toy in the Universe!" sounds like a showboating claim conceived by a lunatic.

As the video progresses, you meet a remote-controlled toy spider wielding powerful weapons, and suddenly realize maybe creator Jaimie Mantzel is onto something. After all, it takes part genius and part luck for an independent person to get nearly half a million hits in one day for a YouTube video about a toy robot. We also recommend you check out the official promo video for the spiderbot, which is set for release later this year.

Mantzel's 7-minute, 29-second video showing off his creation highlights the arachnid's weapons, which include Ping-Pong balls, darts, and flying discs. It even has removable armor. The spider seems to move around well, and if it doesn't cost a fortune, this could just be the hottest toy of 2012. The operating noise does seem loud, though. … Read more

I like to think I'm pretty young at heart, but even I forget sometimes how fun it was to be a kid, when being entertained took something as simple as a cardboard box and a lot of imagination. Thankfully, littleBits reminded me.

littleBits is a set of circuit boards that can be snapped together to form whatever you want. Created by engineer and interactive artist Ayah Bdeir, littleBits was designed in part to help kids (and adults) understand how electronics work and get them interested in building their own devices, instead of just consuming them.

Each littleBits module has a specific function, such as power, motor, light, or switch, and they attach to one another via magnets, so there's no need to solder or program anything. To create a working circuit board, all you need is a power source and some kind of output, and each part is color-coded (blue, green, pink, or orange) depending on its function (power, output, input, or wire). … Read more

Get in the groove and let the good times roll. T3 Motion will launch its latest electric standup vehicle at the Big Boys Toys 2012 show this week at Atlantis the Palm in Dubai.

T3 Motion's popular electric law-enforcement patrol vehicle has about 3,000 T3 Series units in more than 30 countries around the world.

The latest version offers an easy-to-use, quick-response vehicle that helps urban cops catch the bad guys.

"We have made great headway with law enforcement in the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and the Middle East, opening the door for a successful launch into … Read more

Cast your eyes on the freshly unveiled set of Lego "Lord of the Rings" miniature figures.

All of the major characters from the first movie (and a handful of villains) are included in the collection, which debuts this summer. Lego unveiled 14 characters in total yesterday, and the brick maker has done an outstanding job re-creating the characters' iconic appearances. … Read more

For even the most conscientious tech-industry watchers, keeping track of what's coming down the pike can be a tricky task--and the rumor mill only complicates things.

Enter CNET Senior Editor Dan Ackerman, who lays it all out for "The Early Show on Saturday Morning" in this video of the most anticipated tech toys, which includes a timeline of what we can expect each month.

So when will see a new iPad? How about PlayStation's Vita or those "Ultrabooks" people have been talking about? Tune into Ackerman's crystal ball.… Read more

Sometimes, information will stop you and make you reconsider your world view.

"Indianapolis Colts win," did it for me today. So did a Bloomberg Businessweek headline that said: "Lego is For Girls."

I had never considered Lego to be anything other than a precursor to an engineering job. Some people make it, some don't. Most of those people seem to be boys.

But I'd never imagined that Lego would find the need to launch a special line of toys specifically for girls. Yet here we have, debuting in 2012, Brick Barbie. Not, not quite. … Read more

It looks like the LeapPad Explorer could be the hottest tech gift for kids this holiday season.

The tablet for tots is currently out of stock at Wal-Mart, Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Toys "R" Us, and other U.S. retailers, according to product-tracking Web site NowInStock.net.

Even the creator of the tablet, LeapFrog, is out of stock and can only simmer down the masses with this vague declaration on its Web site: "Check back often as shipments are arriving regularly." … Read more

Children need toys. Parents need quiet children. So they buy those children toys.

Yet toys are expensive. And children are fickle. So a site called Toygaroo has decided to offer parents the choice of renting toys.

The site offers various plans, just like Netflix. For example, for $24.99 you get four toys every other month. For $34.99, you get 4 toys every month. And for $52.99 you get eight toys that will delight your children beyond all measure.

WBZ-TV Boston decided to chat with parents who seemed rather delighted with the whole thing.

What seems splendid is … Read more