Cool toys from Toy Fair 2012
Granted, with somewhere around 1,500 manufacturers, distributors, importers, and sales agents from 30 countries making the rounds at the convention center, we're only highlighting a small fraction of all the products on display. But, hopefully there's a little something for everyone in this lengthy photo gallery.
Activision Skylanders Giants
Activision's Skylanders franchise has been a huge hit with kids, and the company used Toy Fair to unveil the next version of the game, Skylanders Giants.Tree Rex
Activision only showed one of eight larger figures (one for each element) that are part of the new Skylanders Giants game that arrives this fall. His name: Tree Rex.All of the new figures feature "Light Force" technology that allows the figure's body parts to light up when placed on the Portal of Power (no battery in the figure required).
No word on pricing yet, but expect the Giants figures to cost significantly more. After all, they are twice the size of the original figures, which can be used in the new game. Needless to say, the Giants characters in the video game possess certain unique attributes.
Mattel Apptivity
With its Apptivity line of games, Mattel is trying to marry "real" toys with iPad apps. The jury's still out on whether that's a good idea.Apptivity Hot Wheels car
The nonscratching wheels of the Hot Wheels car work with the iPad's touch screen.Barbie Photo Fashion Doll
The Barbie Photo Fashion doll has a camera in her back and a shirt with a screen that adds a frame around whatever you shoot. Photos can be offloaded from Barbie with an included pink USB cable. It's due out this August for $50.Apptivity toys: Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja
Apps evolve into plastic toys: Mattel's Apptivity line includes Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja toys that work with the original games.Mattel Fijit Friends
Mattel's dancing Fijits Friends are back (Mattel said it sold 900,000 of them last year) and have added to their family with the smaller--and one might say cuter--Newbies and Yippits.The eyes of a Fijit Friend
Dancing in the dark with a Fijit Friend.Hot Wheels Ballistiks
Playing on the transformers theme Mattel has designed a Hot Wheel that folds up into a ball."With a quick fold and tuck, Hot Wheels Ballistiks turns from a vehicle to a ball that can be rolled rapidly across the floor, down carpeted stairs, or anywhere boys imagine up a stunt."
To transform from ball to vehicle, you simply crash the Ballistiks vehicle onto hard surface. There will be 24 vehicles in all starting in June.
Hot Wheels Total Control Racing
Mattel says: "Never before done, these Hot Wheels vehicles utilize IR remote technology and supercharged micro-motors to create some of the fastest 1:64 scale cars ever."This presenter (above) was showing just how fast and powerful these little cars are on a custom tight-looping track made for the show (the car actually went up the track).
The vehicles can be used alone or on Total Control Racing stunt tracks, which include one car and one booster. The cars are due out in may.
Mattel Terrain Twister
Mattel is bringing back one of its earlier RC vehicles, the Terrain Twister, after a long hiatus. As its name implies, this one travels on most any surface, even snow.Rest for the weary
One of Cosmix's product promoters taking a load off her feet.Soda-geyser-powered car
Mix a little soda with a few Mentos and suddenly you have a geyser-powered car. It's a short trip but soda's a lot cheaper than jet fuel, especially if you stick with generic brands.Regal Elite Glove Force
A new wrinkle in the RC helicopter scene: Regal Elite's Glove Force uses a gyro-equipped arm band for some surprisingly accurate control.Toy show floor
A massive Power Ranger looms over the main lobby.Nanodot sculptures
Magnetic sculptures on display in the Nanodots booth; this golden dragon's an impressive achievement.Tosy SketRobo
Tosy's SketRobo, a sketching robot, is a dead ringer for a futuristic version of the automaton in the film "Hugo."Snap Circuits light
Snap Circuits, an easier-to-assemble type of electronic circuit board kit.Vechs Prix
This Vechs RC car sports a telltale iPhone home button on its front hood that, according to our conversation with the company, won't be in the final version.Augmented reality: Children's book edition
Augmented reality children's books from Popar require a nearby Webcam to translate the embedded AR codes into 3D animations that appear on the screen.Digi-Piggy
Digi-Piggy is a bank that counts coins as you insert them, and keeps a running tally of what's inside. Piggy banks just got a lot more depressingly accurate.Tangle: The lamp
Remember Tangle, that '80s toy? Now it's a lamp.Thames & Kosmos Stirling engine
Build your own Stirling engine! (OK, this has been around for a while, but we're still impressed.)Do-it-yourself eco car
Teach your kids about fuel cells! This Thames & Kosmos kit coming out in the summer will build a car running on magnesium plates, salt water, and oxygen.Power house
Teach kids to be green with their very own solar-powered mini eco home, from Thames & Kosmos.Crayola EZ Type Keyboard
Why does Crayola make a keyboard? To color-code the vowels and consonants, of course.'Big Bang Theory'
This toy "button" delivers your favorite Sheldon phrases. (Disclaimer: CNET is owned by CBS, the network the broadcasts the TV show "Big Big Theory").Lacetek
Lacetek is small company that sells LCDs that attach to kids shoes ($19.95 for a pair). They recharge via USB, and you can upload new images to them.Lacetek's motto is "Every shoe can be extraordinary."