Toyology

Balloon-Copter powered by hot air

Blowing into a balloon and then just letting it rip around the room is amusing enough, keeps small kids and animals entertained for hours but grown-ups possibly need a little more given back after their exhaling efforts. The Balloon Copter features three small blades enclosed in a plastic ring, this system attaches to a balloon thats been filled with CO2 and after giving the rotor an encouraging spin and letting go your copter will begin a generally upward trajectory whilst letting out a whistle though its spinning centre and can reach 50 metres if your balloon is big enough. At ust £4.49 from PLAY.com surely a superb stockling filler!

Lots-of-fun-o-Bots

This trio of non-earth threatening automatons are ideal for those budding robotics engineers in your life. Select your comedy droid from Tim Can, the one who turns any standard tin can into your very own walking, wobbling, bog-eyed robot! Tim can be built into two distinct styles and features long, bendy spanner arms., change how he looks by changing the can, think of him as a halfway house to the recycling bin. There's Sweep , the on-the-move robot who scours work surfaces as he moves, an interesting way to clear up after-dinner crumbs and then we have Bump, witch him and and marvel at his high speed zooming about, he'll never get stuck though as when he bumps into an object he'll alter direction. Each one is £13 over at Red5

Start a Swarm

The latest arival in the Hexbug range are these multi-coloured ants, great additions to any robotic collection, making a fine companion for any Robosapien or a plaything for your PLEO. Even on their own they're enough to entertain us humans, each one has six rotating legs with three feet attached that spin into motion at the flick of a switch. The antenae at the front are usedto detect obstacles and when they do the ant changes direction, a sensor at the rear end performs the same function and so continually bounces off walls and scrurrys about until you  bore of him. Grab a few and set them to work. £9.95 each at RED5

Frustrating Spheres

The patience involved in getting a small silver ball to balance itself in one place for longer than a nano second is well known, guiding one of these said spheres down a course of any kind can only add to the desire let the said puzzle slip from your hands and accidentaly offer you a quick solution. Addictaballs won't do this of course as you'll have paid a few pounds for your maze encased in a transparent sphere and that you're grown up and past that "breaking" things stage. Twist, turn and tilt the sphere to guide you through the numbered 1-100 sections to reach your goal, at this point please do not revert to the behavious previously mentioned just pass it to someone else and watch with glee as their faces contort with frustration. From £6.99 at Iwantoneofthose.com

Smartglobe offers information overload

Anyone planning world domination needs to ensure they have a) Access to current affairs in their chosen takeover country and b) Someone on hand who speaks the lingo and is culturally adept – The interactive 3D learning system can fulfill these two criteria and you'll not therefore have to confide in another human who might let your plans slip. Just pick up the remote-control Smart Pen to get started, touch the control panel on the front then any country to get yourself masses of useful data – currency, capital cities, national anthems, history, current leaders, and whole load more beside.

Cube Construction kit is addictive stuff

'Train your brain' we're ordered as adverts featuring folk of all creeds tapping away on Nintendo DS's flit across our TV screens. Train your brain with endless puzzles now or wait for it to turn to warm, soupy mush before your very eyes, they warn. However prudent this may seem, avid toy lovers could be forgiven for wondering whatever happened to good old fashioned, Rubiks Cubey, vastly frustrating puzzles involving twisting things and fitting stuff together and angrily forcing bits of plastic into the wrong holes when no one was looking?  

Make some space for the Grand Carousel

 

We're huge fans of all things fairground here at Toyology Towers, from the sub-standard dodgems, sickly smell of candy floss to white knuckle thrillers and the pale faces of those who should have stayed on terra firma. If there is one attraction that everyone in the family can agree on which to have a turn it is the Carousel and here the brick maestros have outdone themselves with this build, usurping their own Taj Mahal into second spot.

No fuss furry friends

'Realise latent childhood dreams with new hamsters on the block 'Go Go Pets.' Like a hamster but less likely to spend all day sleeping and all night pounding 'the wheel' as you clutch a pillow over your head, Go Go Pets are a modern day 'hamster alternative' and come in a range of friendly characters.
Each character boasts a unique personality and all move from 'nurture mode' to 'adventure mode' cooing, purring and exploring their surroundings, rather than lying inert in a ball of cotton wool as you tap the bars of their cage. As well as owning a robotic, furry friend, the Go Go Pets range also offers mini hamster city accessories including a garage, skate ramp, surf boards and adventure balls as well as a hamster carrier and blanket for those who desire hamster company in the office, playground or whilst commuting. Which I imagine must be everyone.'Grab them from Character

Steph Prentice

Jedi Trainer toy gets UK pricing

The mind powered Jedi Trainer game has a late August limited release date in the Uk at Play.com and looks to be about £99. Players wear a headband type gizmo that used brainwaves to move an intergalactic styled ping pong ball up and down a tube, plenty to mess with your freinds heads. Watch this space for full reviews in the next few weeks.

Engines Ready?

 

Early, non-oiled stained versions of the Haynes car manuals can fetch a few quid these days, so iconic is the brand they've branched out into lots of licenced areas, and we're certain you've seen someone sporting a t-shirt with a see through car image of theirs on the front. We've stumbled across this piece of Lilliputian engineering today, a 100 piece kit that allows budding engineers to those completely useless with the workings of whats under a bonnet to have a pop at putting together their very own internal combustion engine. The kit is complete with all the tools you'll need and of course a step-by-step Haynes guide on how to put it together. Once completed stand back smugly and watch the ignition sparks fly and marvel at the ignition sounds from this ten inch model. £29.99 spent at Menkind = Fathers Day sorted!