TDmonthly's ToyFair 2006 Preview--Electronics Product Category

littleBits Holiday Kit by LITTLEBITS ELECTRONICS INC

littleBits Holiday Kit is a special kit for the 2012 Holiday Season. Use these Bits to create ornaments, make decorations and celebration festivities. The Holiday Kit 2012 will also feature step-by-step instructions to make special projects. The littleBits Holiday Kit includes: A double sided instruction sheet with quick start guide and project suggestions; A custom-made 9V battery + cable; Custom plastic screwdriver; and 7 littleBits: power, pulse, light wire, dc motor, and bright led. 9/21/2012 (Price: $49.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

SunMod Solar Modification Kit by SPARKLE LABS

This device allows users to add on the Solar Mod kit to any device that runs on AA or AAA batteries. Just turn the device over and let the sun's rays charge it. Hack any AA or AAA powered device to make it solar powered. Included: a flexible solar cell 4.8V with soldered metal connectors, mailable packaging and double -sided tape. Fun hack. Easy way to break into solar projects. NiMH batteries not included. 9/21/2012 (Price: $18.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Wii U by NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC.

With the television and the Wii U GamePad working as two integrated screens, Wii U creates unique possibilities for gaming, allowing ''asymmetric'' game play where each player can have different goals, challenges and views within the same shared gaming experience. Miiverse is a brand-new network communication system that lets gamers from around the world share experiences, discuss games and discover new content. Using their personalized Mii character, players enter Miiverse and see games, applications or entertainment content that either they have interacted with recently, expressed interest in learning more about or that their friends are using or discussing. In addition to the previously announced touch-screen and motion controls, the Wii U GamePad was redesigned and improved from its reveal in 2011. The new form factor offers players dual analog stick controls and can be used as a remote control for users' TVs, even while the Wii U console is turned off. Nintendo also announced availability of the Wii U Pro Controller as a separate peripheral. All game discs for the Wii system are compatible with Wii U, and the system will support controllers for the Wii system. Launch date: November 18, 2012. 9/19/2012 [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Skylanders Giants Starter Pack by ACTIVISION

Thousands of years ago, the Skylanders Giants fought epic battles in Skylands but were banished to Earth. With a new threat looming, its time to bring them back to join forces with the Skylanders. Put them on the Portal of Power® to unleash their strength in the ultimate battle to save Skylands. Starter Pack includes: 1 Video Game; 1 Portal of Power; 3 Skylanders Figures; 1 Character Collector Poster; 3 Sticker Sheets with Secret Codes; and 3 Trading Cards. Launch date: 2012.
— As of 10/30/2012 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 1 review on Amazon.com. 9/19/2012 (Price: $74.99)

InnoTab 2 Learning App Tablet by VTECH

With the addition of a rotatable camera that can also take video, children can capture memories of their friends and themselves. With hundreds of apps to download, children will have so much fun they won't realize they are learning. Combines photo/video camera, interactive animated eBooks, creative activities, tilt sensor learning games and a rich collection of application. Teaches essential skills in reading, logic and creativity. Parents can also track their child's progress on a variety of educational milestones and lessons. Launch date: 2012. 9/19/2012 (Price: $79.00)

Furby - Teal by HASBRO INC.

New FURBY looks great in any color, but Teal FURBY seems to be our most popular so far. Maybe it's the luxuriant teal sheen of its fur, or the way the teal sets off the bright yellow-gold of its eyes. With a mind of its own, the new Hasbro Teal FURBY will develop its personality based on how kids play with it. It will dance to their favorite songs. Put it in a room with a few of its friends and they'll interact with each other in all sorts of hilarious ways while speaking either English or the special FURBY language, FURBISH. Launch date: 2012. 9/19/2012 (Price: $54.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Orb by EXCALIBUR ELECTRONICS

Equipped with aerodynamic E.T.F. Technology, the ORB is Easy To Fly and has impact shielding rendering it crash resistant. The ORB can take off from any surface and has an auto-upright design for easy crash recovery. Aerodynamic design makes it Easy To Fly and maneuver. Impact shielding renders craft crash resistant. Brilliant LED lights for an alien luminescent glow. 9/18/2012 (Price: $49.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Discovery Kids Digi Fruit Clock by GAMENAMICS INC

Kids learn the process of electrolysis. When fruit juice is used as an electrolyte conductor, along with copper and zinc, it completes a circuit to produce energy. The clock will continue to tell time for the life of each fruit that's tried. 9/18/2012 (Price: $9.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Illumivor Mecha-Shark by SKYROCKET TOYS

The Illumivor Mecha-Shark is a glowing radio-controlled predator with animated chomping teeth, a smooth moving tail and ominous sound effects. Menacing in the light, these mechanized carnivores really come to life in the DARK, when they appear to be swiftly swimming across the the floor. Illumivor Sharks are huge, measuring 18 inches from nose to tail. Control the attack with a cool Shark Fin Controller (included). 9/18/2012 (Price: $89.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Papertronics Lunar Landers by SPARKLE LABS

Papertronics are paper toys with paper electronic circuits in them. The Lunar Landers come in a pack of three. Spaceboy, Alien Girl and Tabula Rasa. Tabula Rasa is blank and can be designed by the user.Turn them into a cool night light, party lights or fun additions to a room or desk. When the spaceships are put in their landers one way, they light up. Turn them another way and they are off. Kids fold them themselves- they come pre-cut. Fun DIY with paper and electronics. Follow along with the instructional video. Launch date: August 2010. 9/17/2012 (Price: $18.00) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

4M Fridge Rover by TOYSMITH

Wind up this little rover and let it go on the fridge. It will grip and go up and down on the fridge surface, defying the force of gravity. The wheels grip the surface because the magnet pulls the Fridge Rover firmly against the fridge. Measure about 2 by 2 by 1 /12 inches. 9/17/2012 (Price: $4.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Hexbug Nano Christmas Ornament by INNOVATION FIRST LABS, INC.

Holiday robot captivates kids with rapid skittering motion. Decked out for holiday fun in red, green, snowflake & antlers. At home in a crystal-clear ornament bulb tied with festive ribbon (for a bit). 9/14/2012 (Price: $7.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

3D Magic Magna Color by TECH 4 KIDS

Tech 4 Kids has gone back to the drawing board to reinvent the board itself, with a new and unique artistic sensation. Each 3-D Magic creativity station gives kids an innovative designing world to generate a 3-D artwork, allowing them a new way to let their creativity run wild. This product magically transform designs into vibrant 3-D artwork by using the magnetic coloring studio and colorful 3-D Magic Dots. The unique magic dot pens allow children to place the 3-D Magic Dots to color in the stencil design bv either creating a single spot or make trails of multiple dots by running the pen across the screen. When finished, they sweep the dots into the sorter compartment and watch as the dots magically return back into the pens with absolutely no mess.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys 9/11/2012 (Price: $24.99)

Smarcks Smart Blocks by SMART BLOCKS INC

This new set of Smarcks Smart Blocks has 70 standard building blocks and four new smarter talking blocks. Each new Smart Block uses a higher capacity microprocessor and is equivalent to three of the original; so four blocks in this new set is equivalent to having 12 of the original. The new blocks have been programmed with a new progressive learning function to enable children, as they get older, to play differently as the blocks are programmed to react differently. Very young children can press the buttons in the blocks or stack them one block at a time. This is a discovery stage as they sing, play nursery rhymes, play sound effects, laugh, and talk about color and good manners. As children develop fine motor skills they begin to stack two blocks at a time. Play moves to a higher level as they sing nursery rhymes, like Old MacDonald, with 7 different animals and learn spelling, counting, math, and puzzle solving providing years of entertainment and learning.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys 9/11/2012 (Price: $64.95) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

MobiGo® 2 by VTECH

The new MobiGo 2 Touch Learning System by V Tech is a multi-functional educational handheld system that allows kids to enjoy on-the-go play and hone their creativity all while learning basic skills such as math, vocabulary, spelling, reading, logic, drawing and more. MobiGo 2 has two new ways to play: it comes equipped with a motion sensor and microphone, in addition to the touchscreen. The motion sensor provides total game control, allowing kids to create action movements within games and programs while playing. The microphone provides different methods of game play. Kids can blow into the microphone to move objects, blow off dust, or initiate other special effects. Or they can speak into it to give a command or trigger an action. The QWERTY keyboard helps kids become familiar with a keyboard layout. Additionally, the handheld system functions as an e-reader, photo album, photo viewer, art studio, coloring book, and comes pre-loaded with three great games that take advantage of the product’s many features. The expanded onboard memory allows kids to store more fun, and there are more than 80 other apps available for download at the VTech Learning Lodge Navigator.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys 9/11/2012 (Price: $59.99)

iTikes Map by MGA ENTERTAINMENT

The iTikes Map and companion app are jam-packed with great content. The map comes with a smart-pen that recognizes images on the map. Through the eyes of the iDevice camera and technology of Augmented Reality, the map virtually turns into a lifelike playground. Compatible with all iDevices.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys 9/11/2012 (Price: $59.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Multiplication Master Electronic Flash Card™ by LEARNING RESOURCES INC.

A handheld flash-card game that targets tricky times tables. Kids can play just the ones they want or select them all. Answer as many problems (numbers 0–12) as they can in 60 seconds. Vertical problem format, 2 skill levels, timed/untimed modes, plus fun sound effects. Requires 3 AAA batteries, not included.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys 9/11/2012 (Price: $16.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

WrapStar Mic by FIRST ACT

WrapStar is the first mic kids can bend and twist. With 3 feet of bendability, kids can get all wrapped up in the fun. Each color includes three fun sound effects, and the built-in speaker provides ultimate creative freedom.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys 9/11/2012 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

Omnitrix Touch by BANDAI AMERICA INC.

Simply touch the face to unlock the most technologically advanced Omnitrix ever created. The pop up touch pad allows kids to discover over 40 sounds and three separate modes of play. Mode one allows kids to hear 7 Alien voices, while mode two has ambient sounds that kids can overlay their own sound effects onto and create beats. Mode 3 allows them to replicate the DNA code found in other Ben 10 items to unlock secret messages from Azmuth, the creator of the Omnitrix.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy 100 Best Toys 9/11/2012 (Price: $24.99)

The Amazing Spider-Man Remote Control Speed-Climbing Spider-Man Figure by HASBRO INC.

Kids can send their Spidey up the wall after villains with this fast-climbing figure. When kids point the controller at him and press the buttons, he climbs up and down, left and right, even upside down. Put him on smooth, clean, dry surfaces such as windows and his mini-vacuums help him stick to the surface. Then guide the wall-crawling action with the controller. 8/20/2012 (Price: $34.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

The Amazing Spider-Man Digital Camcorder by SAKAR INTERNATIONAL INC.

Kids can capture still images and movies with this cool The Amazing Spider-Man Digital Camcorder from Marvel. The handheld video camera takes movies at an effective resolution of 640 x 480. Its built-in microphone captures sound, and the included Snap n' Share software lets kids create personalized videos with a soundtrack, edit titles and credits, and produce fun visual effects. Pictures are stored on an SD or MMC card (sold separately) up to 8GB, and USB and AV outputs transfer images and videos to a computer or television. Dimensions: 4"H x 2.5"L x 1.75"W. Weight: 6 oz. 8/20/2012 (Price: $49.99)

HEXBUG Warriors Battle Stadium by INNOVATION FIRST LABS, INC.

The ultimate large scale battleground for all HEXBUG Warriors students comes with two fully-armored collectible HEXBUG Warriors, eight Battle Stadium Pieces (compatible with Battle Arena) and 12 standoffs. There are two assorted HEXBUG Warrior Battle Stadiums available for fans to collect. Each features a different opposing pair of Warriors.
— "Super easy to snap together...my son gave it a huge thumb’s up!" - Review from Kathy at DetroitMommies.com.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval 8/8/2012 (Price: $29.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

HEXBUG Warriors Battle Arena by INNOVATION FIRST LABS, INC.

The battle arena is the perfect stage for HEXBUG Warriors students to hone their skills. It comes with two HEXBUG Warriors with weapons and armor, two expandable battle arena pieces (compatible with Battle Stadium), three standoffs and extra bonus armor. There are four assorted HEXBUG Warrior Battle Arenas available for fans to collect. Each features a different opposing pair of Warriors.
— "The robots do look really cool with all the different armor that can be switched back and forth with the other robots to make your own custom version...My son’s only suggestion was that they should come up with a solar powered version so the batteries would last a little longer." - Review from Kathy at DetroitMommies.com. 8/8/2012 (Price: $19.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

HEXBUG Warriors Battling Robots by INNOVATION FIRST LABS, INC.

Kids can operate their HEXBUG Warriors in Training Mode, with unlimited health, for scrimmages and testing purposes. Once the Warriors are equipped and ready for battle, they can be powered into Match Mode and are set to enter into competition, where they crash, jab and jostle with their opponents until they win or lose by running out of health at which point they deactivate. Once put in Match Mode, each robot’s Shock Sensor activates its Damage Indicator Light which changes colors from green to red and blinks more rapidly as its health decreases. There are 12 assorted HEXBUG Warrior Battling Robots Single packs available for fans to collect. Each Single pack includes 1 fully-armored Warrior.
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashbburn, Va., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2012 survey that Hexbugs are one of their bestselling tween toys. "In a good month, we sell dozens," she told us. 8/8/2012 (Price: $7.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]

littleBits Temperature Sensor by LITTLEBITS ELECTRONICS INC

This is one individual littleBits bit: The temperature sensor senses the temperature surrounding it. Whether it's sitting in a cold glass of water, or just hanging out at your table, or anything in between, the temperature sensor gets stronger when it's warmer. The littleBits Starter kit or Teaser kit, or the USB Power bit is required for use. 8/3/2012 (Price: $24.99) [Add to my Inquiry Basket][?]