Toyology

Create a Carribbean Atmosphere

You'll not be able to much about the weather conditions or the temperature outdoorsbut, abottle of rum, turn the heating up, whack on the Bob Marley best of CD and accompany your top tracks with our newly acquired Mini Finger Steel Drums. Reproducing an entirely acceptable steel drum sounds as you tap your digits around the drum segments there is also an ultra laid back option that allowsthe drums to play themselves so you needn't even lift a finger, just sit back and sip! £14.95 from GADGETS

Portable Beatbox now on the shelves

Mighty impressed we are with Recreations latest reincarnation of the Stylophone that it has made us talk in a Yoda like fashion, enough of that. The 13 pads aboard the Beatbox version has us in mind of a futuristic steeldrum, the soundshowver ensure this is where the similarities end.  Start attacking each with your stylus and play different percussion sounds and choose from 3 different "sound sets" - Drum kit,Bass Stylophone and Beatbox set which has a scratch function button. Record, alter the tempo and play sounds over the top by adding an MP3 player -Check out the video for the Beatbox in the hands of the Pro's -  Buy one HERE for £19.99

Space Invaders alarm is well overdue

This modern day homage to the geektastic game that gobbled up ten pence pieces all over the land is an early morning invader craft. Set the clock for your wake-up call and in the a.m you'll be greeted with a cacophony of colours as well as an army of the Space Invaders marching across the screen accompanied by the familiar sound effects. £24.95 from FIREBOX

Guitar Hero Carabiner lets you rock everywhere

If you're missing work due to your addiction to the phenomenon that is Guitar Hero then its time to stop those feeble sickie excuses and pack one of these in your pocket  and rock wherever and whenever you fancy. Guitar Hero Carabiner has levels of play and songs plucked straight from Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II complete with ten tracks. Inside are 3 levels of play and 5 wav tone ‘note' buttons with difficulty levels increasing to test the deftness of your digits with more complex rifts. A foldable neck shrinks it further and theres an LCD screen, whammy bar for long notes and a carabiner clip. Imagine the fun on the 8.15! Yours for £14.95 at Boysstuff

Piano gloves arrive at last

After months nay years of seeing prototypes of piano playing mitts they have finally arrived. Air guitars and drums are fine but slip these on and they enable you to "ting" out a tune anywhere without looking quite as daft. Chopsticks on your coffee table....easy, just select from classic piano tinking or eight other sounds....and they thought loud Mp3 music on the tube was irritating! Out soonish at £49.99 we are well excited...see IWOOT

Mickey Mouse MP3

Disney and iRiver have joined forces to bring us the M Player, a 1GB (up to 250 tracks) music machine aimed at the kids, yet it is quirky enough we can see grown-ups grabbing a few too. This uber-lightweight machine is just 18 grams but has a great build quality to it and feels robust enough to stand a few knocks. Its the controls where this contendor in the mini-MP3 machine market shines, twist Mickeys left ear for volume adjustment and a twist on the right ear is for track selection.  £29.99  buys you one of thes cute audio machines and we reckon this is going to be one of this years hot properties so grab yours whilst you can ahead of the masses! AdvancedMP3players

Dr Who classic figures released

Personally I don't think Tom Baker can ever be beaten as a Doctor and have often hankered after a knitting pattern to recreate that scarf of his. Now fans of classic episodes can relive/remember some of their finest TV moments starring characters from yesteryear with this 5 inch poseable posse. The Fourth Doctor, The Fifth Doctor with a Sonic Screwdriver and The Sixth Doctor with a Sonic Lance, and each figure pack comes with a different collectable part of the giant K-1 robot from the fourth Doctor's first story in 1974.  When all packs are collected, the giant robot will be complete. There's also a host of other figures and monsters to collect, each with a robot part, including a Sea Devil with Heat Ray (1972), Zygon with 'Skarasen' recall unit (1975), Magnus Greel & Mr Sin (1977), SV7 robot and a D84 robot with anti-robot transmitter (1977).
£5.99 each see character-online

Tokyo Toy Fair -AMP Bot wows the crowds

Hasbro and SEGA unveiled their high end robot last Friday to expectant punters in Japan, and immediately hit the right note. The music playing robot has an MP3 cradle on its back to belt out the music as it makes it way around your abode and tracking software ensures the speakers always face the listener. In addition its hands can be used to control the volume and in a very nifty trick to conduct some DJ style mising of your music. Price forecasts vary from $600 - $800 and it is expected in the US and Japan in October but sadly no news for a UK launch.

Sega and their Rocking Robot

Sega have another robot heading our way, together with Hasbro at the Tokyo Toy Fair they’ve unleashed this, the AMPbot (Automated Musical Personality) and standing an impressive 73 centimetres high it is big enough to kick sand in Robosapiens eye. Stick an MP3 player on the back for some dancing action with moving head and the unavoidable flashing LED light display. Tune delivery comes from stereo speakers and those turntable-shaped hands are for volume control, sound effects and , the killer app, some DJ-style scratching. It’ll put lovers of the Sony Rolly in a bit of a fix, as although its almost twice the price it looks at least four times the fun, but you’ll have to be patient, Japan and the US get theirs this November but poor old Blighty won’t see any till at least the middle of 2009.The price : 80,000 Yen or about $740

Air Guitar - another arrival

If you can't be bothered waiting for Tomy's illusive Rockstar Guitar and the Guitar Hero is a little too invisible for you then the V-Beat might well be up your street. Hold the headstock section in one hand and move it closer to or further away from the body to change pitch whilst your other hand strums over the motion sensors, almost as easy, and much more effective than your old tennis racquet. As its smashed sorry split into two parts already it adds to the aura of you being a rcok god.... Albeit with a slightly shrunken instrument... That'll be all the groupies and late nights then. Available now £24.95 from Firebox