LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Back when I was a kid, I had all kinds of Fisher-Price toys I loved playing with. But I don’t think I remember anything quite as magic as Fisher-Price’s new line of Apptivity sets for preschoolers that combine child-safe cases and toy figures with slick augmented-reality apps (though my little Classic Xylophone came close).
I’ve seen the iPad morph into a lot of things, but the press release for this little trick definitely slackened my jaw: It’s an appcessory that turns the iPad into a miniature foosball table.
When the folks at Griffin were choosing a mythical creature for which to name their company1, they might have gone with Janus instead, to better reflect the schizophrenic nature of its offering: serious computer accessories vs. frivolous toys.
That’s not to say that the toys are bad. On the contrary, Griffin’s iOS-controlled choppers look amazing. And now they’re joined by these remote-controlled monster trucks.
![The AR Drone 2.0 Is Ready To Become Your Favorite iOS Toy [Review]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ardrone7.jpg "ardrone7")
I’ve waited over two decades to own a real robot. It was one of those silly childhood dreams to own something straight out of Terminator that obeys commands, spies on people, and rains down havoc if need be. Even though we’re in the year 2012, we still haven’t managed to create affordable robots, which is a pretty big letdown if you ask me. Thankfully, we’re getting closer, and playing with the new Parrot AR. Drone 2.0 has given me hope that the toys of the future are going to kick some major ass.
World World Robots is a great series by artist Ashley Wood Three A that describe a grungy apocalyptic world in which gas-masked humans are openly at war with various cool looking models of murderous rogue robots, spanning the surface of the earth, the moon and even mars.
There’s an accompanying toy line by Three A, and one of their latest models is this awesome robot inspired by our favorite company. Bearing the designation STEVE-J, the Caesar APP-EL comes with a rainbow shield after the style of the vintage Apple icon, his own miniature iPad and some vintage iPod styling. It even comes in an Apple-inspired box.
Remember the MagnaDoodle? If you fall on my side of the Great Age Divide, then your answer will be an excited “yes!” The re-usable screen of the Magna Doodle was just about the closest thing that us 70s-born youngsters had to the touch-screen iPhone which you ungrateful kids enjoy today.
If you’re on the wrong side of the Great Age Divide, your answer will be all like “WTF old man you suck LOL.” To which I would respond with the following punishment: You will be forced to use this Magna Doodle for a week. Without the iPhone inside.
Three words: Angry. Birds. Helicopter. What more do you need to know before you peel a crisp $50 off your money roll and place your order?
Thankfully for tech bloggers the Anglo Saxon world over, this year April Fools Day aka All Fools Day fell on a Sunday. That didn’t stop PR folk waking from a fitful, hungover sleep, dragging their laptops into bed and sending out a “funny” press release, which is why you should probably still watch out today.
But above the dross stands — as it does every year — ThinkGeek. In the past, we have seen such April Fool wonders as the Taun Taun sleeping bag for kids, the iCade iPad arcade cabinet and the 8-bit tie. This year, ThinkGeek went to town with a whole range of fake gear. Here we take a look at the best.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXCwfb1jXHo&feature=player_detailpage
These iPhone-powered doggies are ridiculously cute. The little fellas use iPhones for their faces and brains, and can shuffle around the table (or neighborhood, we guess), barking, blinking and even sneezing. It’s a little like a virtual pet, only real.
My Twitter stream. No, didn't know it looked like that either
Biologic is a – hmm, what is it exactly? It’s hard to describe. It’s not a Twitter client, although you can see Twitter with it. It’s not a Facebook client either, but your Facebook friends are all here if you want them to be. So what is it? The people who made it say it’s a “playful environment for exploring your friends’ activity streams from your favorite social networks.” Yeah, that covers it.
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![This Murderous Robot From The Future Was Designed By Apple And Built With Steve Jobs’s Brain [Toys]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Screen-Shot-2012-05-08-at-1.57.05-PM.jpg "Screen Shot 2012-05-08 at 1.57.05 PM")
