toys

The art behind Pixar's long run of hits

OAKLAND, Calif.--"Computers don't create computer animation any more than a pencil creates pencil animation. What creates computer animation are artists."

Those words would ring true no matter who said them, but in this case, the source has just about the highest possible credibility on the issue at hand: John Lasseter, the chief creative officer for both Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios, and the director of four of Pixar's most loved films.

Lasseter's words hang high on a wall in the Oakland Museum of California here, where the exhibit "Pixar: 25 Years of Animation&… Read more

Powered mech for tykes is terrifyingly awesome

When I was 3 or 4, I was a terrible child who swept a path of abject destruction across my neighborhood. And that was with a Big Wheel.

I can't imagine what kind of trouble my friends and neighbors would have been in had I owned one of these gas-powered junior exoskeletons. It's from Japan (of course). It's self-propelled, weighs 400 pounds, and would terrify my pets.

The Kid's Walker is controlled by the pint-size pilot, not the parent, which is a bit worrisome, but at least it's not armed with some sort of firearm, … Read more

Kitschy-fun case turns iPad into Etch A Sketch

From the "why didn't I think of this?" file comes the Etch A Sketch iPad case from Headcase. The iPad (like the iPhone) already has a shake-to-undo function, so it seems like a natural. It even has the little knobs found on the iconic toy, which, sadly, don't do anything here.

But it sure looks awesome. It's officially licensed, so it even has the same raised gold logo at the top and is made from red plastic that looks a lot like the original, which is celebrating its 50th year.

It's set up so … Read more

DIY Weekend: Homemade 10-rocket launcher

Model rocketry isn't the cheapest hobby in the world, but it's a lot of fun. As a kid, I built my first rocket from this Estes Space Shuttle kit. It launched fine and then exploded halfway to its zenith, setting our neighbor's new boat on fire. It was the end of my rocketry days until I was old enough to buy my own kits.

I wish I'd known Kevin Shoemaker when I was a kid. The Chicago-area rocketeer and overall home tinkerer belongs to Adventure Guides, a group of parents and kids who do all kinds … Read more

iPad e-books for children: Five more amazing titles

A few months back I told you about five amazing iPad e-books for kids, noting that Apple's tablet is arguably the single best platform for reading (and, thanks to various interactive features, experiencing) children's books.

App developers and book publishers seem to agree, as the App Store is now home to dozens, if not hundreds, of kid-friendly e-books.

Here's a look at five more (seven if you count the Seuss stuff) that are sure to please wee readers and parents alike.

1. Aesop's Wheel of Fables No children's book collection is complete without Aesop's Fables. This app serves up 20 tales, all of them showcased in a spinning wheel that adds a bit of tactile fun to the story-selection process. It also has spot-the-difference games that get unlocked as you read, and an option for parents to record their own voices for kids to listen to in place of the prerecorded voice. The app's on sale for $6.99 until August 5, when it goes up to $8.99.

2. More Dr. Seuss Oceanhouse Media continues to crank out terrific Seuss classics, all of them optimized and enhanced for the iPad. The latest releases include "Green Eggs and Ham" ($3.99), "Gertrude McFuzz" ($1.99), and--yay!--"Yertle the Turtle" ($3.99). If only my kids weren't on the verge of outgrowing these! Hmm, maybe I should have one more...

3. "The Little Mermaid" Not the Disney version, but the classic Hans Christian Anderson tale, here brought to life with animated, interactive elements reminiscent of the now-classic "Alice for iPad." Beautifully illustrated and thoroughly engaging, the $8.99 app also includes "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Happy Family."… Read more

Remember the YouTube piano? Meet its sibling

Longtime readers might remember the YouTube piano, an ingenious use of YouTube's deep-linking feature that turned a video with various keys on it into a working piano. This week its creators are introducing a follow-up that's slightly less interactive, but just as amusing, called YouTube radio.

Its function is to emulate an old radio with a tuning dial. Users can switch between the eight stations, which include pop, jazz, rock, and even one for cats (no, seriously). Each of these has been composed by musician Adam Ben Ezra, who was one of the co-creators of the piano project. … Read more

The 404 620: Where Wilson got beaten by an octopus (podcast)

Paul the German Octopus is officially more powerful than our own Wilson G. Tang at predicting the future. The mollusk in Oberhausen is 8 for 8 in forecasting the winning teams in this year's World Cup, including yesterday's triumphant victory for Spain over the Netherlands.

In fact, we already planned to invite Paul into the studio this Friday to tell us about the iPhone 5, but recent news tells us that the eight-legged wonder is already planning his retirement from the soccer prediction industry.

If you haven't figured it out by now, The 404 crew is complete … Read more

'Toy Story 3': Third time a charm (roundup)

Pixar brings back Woody, Buzz, and the gang for a third go-round, and once again puts innovative animation effects into the service of classic storytelling.

The groundbreaking tech of 'Toy Story 3' For the new film, Pixar tackles a huge computing problem to conquer what otherwise would be an impossible animation task behind the story's emotional climax. (Posted in Geek Gestalt by Daniel Terdiman) June 15, 2010 10:00 AM PDT

The man behind Pixar's 3D films Q&A Bob Whitehill, the stereoscopic supervisor at Pixar, is the person in charge when it comes to decisions about … Read more

'Toy Story 3': Hope the movie is better than its app

The other night I watched the last half hour of "Toy Story 2" on TV. So what if the children were in bed? It's one of my all-time favorite movies--go ahead and laugh--and I can't wait for "Toy Story 3," which opens Friday.

Needless to say, I was jazzed when Disney's free "Toy Story 3" app arrived yesterday. That is, I was jazzed until I ran it; what a depressing, disappointing, borderline insult of an app.

Here's what you'll find inside:

Woody's Wild RideWoody's Wild Ride is … Read more

The man behind Pixar's 3D films

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--In Hollywood these days, the push to put out movies in 3D is on. In part, it's a way to get some additional marketing buzz about a film, but it's also a source of additional revenue because theaters charge a premium for showings in that format.

At Pixar Animation Studios, those rationales are not lost on executives, and when "Toy Story 3" comes out on Friday it will be offered both in 3D and the traditional 2D format. Indeed, last year Pixar worked to build up interest in the new film by promoting a … Read more