All articles tagged with #toy
A human-sized Labubu doll sold for over $150,000 at a Beijing auction, setting a record for its kind, driven by global popularity and celebrity endorsements, significantly boosting the sales and expansion of the Chinese toy company Pop Mart.
Spyra, the spiritual successor to Super Soaker, has unveiled the SpyraGo, a smaller and lighter USB-C water blaster priced at $54, significantly lower than its previous models. While the new blaster is less powerful, it offers the convenience of being refillable with a water bottle, providing 75 shots before reloading, and firing shots twice as fast. Despite the reduced power, the SpyraGo aims to appeal to a younger audience and offers a more affordable option for water blaster enthusiasts.
SpaceX's Starship has been released as a die-cast toy in Mattel's Matchbox Sky Busters line. The toy version replicates the real spacecraft's details, including its fins, thermal tiles, and six Raptor engines. It comes with a plastic display stand and playmat featuring an aerial view of Mars. The line also includes a toy version of SpaceX's Dragon capsule. Both the Starship and Dragon retail for $5 each. Mattel plans to release a die-cast model of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket in 2024.
SpaceX's Starship, along with two Dragon capsules and a Falcon Heavy rocket, has been turned into a die-cast toy as part of a licensing agreement between SpaceX and Mattel's Matchbox brand. The Matchbox Sky Busters SpaceX Starship replicates the real spacecraft in a 4.5-inch scale model, complete with details like fins, thermal tiles, and Raptor engines. The toy comes with a display stand and playmat featuring an aerial view of Mars. The Dragon capsule, another toy in the line, represents the current astronaut and cargo transport vehicle for NASA and private missions. Mattel plans to release a die-cast model of the Falcon Heavy rocket in 2024.
The 2023 Furby is a low-tech, English-speaking chatterbox that reacts to nearby noises, belly rubs, and head pats while spitting out a string of 600 phrases. It lacks Wi-Fi connectivity, internet-of-things functionality, and a companion app. The toy responds to speech only when prompted, and its interactivity includes voice changing, breathing exercises, and inane fortunes. It can be turned off easily and doesn't require constant attention. While kids enjoy playing with it, some adults find it reminiscent of the movie Gremlins.
The new Liebherr Crawler Crane LR 13000 model is the most expensive Lego Technic set to date, priced at $700. Despite not being the largest set in terms of piece count, it stands over 39 inches tall and is packed with functionality, including a rotating upper structure, tank treads, and a fully-functional crane with a complex pulley system. The set includes six large Lego electric motors and two smart hubs for remote control, but does not come with rechargeable batteries. The Liebherr Crawler Crane LR 13000 will be available for pre-order on the Lego website and is set to release on August 1.
Hasbro is bringing back Furby, the popular toy from the late 90s, with a new line set to release in July for $70. The new Furby will speak Furbish, repeat what's said to it, dance, play music, and say positive words to its owner. It has been redesigned to be cuter and has no Wi-Fi, but can talk to other Furbys. Hasbro aims to give Gen Alpha everything they crave while harnessing Furby's power of nostalgia.
Hasbro has released a new version of the iconic Furby toy, which was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The new Furby is smaller, more colorful, and comes with more features than the original, including 600 phrases, five voice-activated modes, and a variety of lights and dance moves. It is available on Amazon for $69.99 and will be in stores and other major retailers from July 15. The original Furby sparked controversy due to its lack of an off switch and rumors about its capabilities, but the new version promises to be less annoying and less uncanny.
The new Tamagotchi Uni device can connect to the Tamaverse, described as "the metaverse of the Tamagotchi world," allowing fans to play together on a global scale. The device can connect to Wi-Fi, potentially allowing it to meet up with other Tamagotchis from around the world. It can also be used as a watch and will be available for pre-order on Amazon starting Tuesday.
Matchbox has released a miniature model of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, the first product to be released under a multi-year licensing agreement between SpaceX and Mattel. The 2.5-inch-tall Dragon lists for $16.99 each and includes both the capsule and the "trunk." The capsule and trunk do not separate, as they do in real life before returning to Earth, nor does the Dragon's hinged nose cap open to reveal a docking ring or a dome window. The Matchbox Dragon comes packaged in a display-ready, 5-inch black box with a cut-out window that frames the spacecraft.
A father recreated a Sax-A-Boom toy for his son's school event after finding out that the original toy costs around $700. He commissioned a 3D model from a professional on Fiverr and used an ESP32-based board called Sonatino for the device's guts. The music samples came from a virtual instrument clone on GitHub and loaded onto an SD card. Despite some gaps and paint flaws, the son rocked the school presentation with the recreated toy.
Marine biologists have retracted their claim of the first sighting of a goblin shark in the Mediterranean Sea after social media users pointed out that the photo they published may actually show a plastic toy instead. The original photo has been completely removed from the article, with the authors admitting that the 'available information was not adequate' to support their claim. The authors initially published their photo in Mediterranean Marine Science in May last year as part of a larger collection of evidence of 21 species that had been spotted in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time.
A controversy has arisen in the world of ichthyology over a photo of a goblin shark found on a Greek beach. Some scientists believe the photo is a fake, as the shark in the image bears an uncanny resemblance to a goblin shark model manufactured by Italian toymakers DeAgostini. The authors of the paper stand by their work, but other marine biologists have raised concerns about the specimen's lack of measurement scale and unusual features. The controversy highlights the importance of accurate scientific data and the potential consequences of false information.
Lego has released a new Land Rover Defender 90 model, based on the classic design of the vehicle from 1983 to 2016. The toy features a detailed interior, squishy rubber tires, and a suspension on every wheel. The hood can be swapped between three different designs, and the vehicle can be equipped with a reinforced roof rack, traction plates, and a working winch. The new model lacks the functional shifter and transmission of Lego's previous Land Rover model, which was assembled entirely from Technic pieces.