Keeping an eye on stylish
gear and technology.

The Robotic Quadruped is a creepy little thing. It can run around on the floor like a crab completely autonomous using integrated sensors to scan for (and react to) moving objects. It sports three selectable levels of awareness, aggression and activity and its panning and tilting head is gifted with LEDs so it can operate in low-light conditions.

Anyway, with a sound sensor and everything this thing can run around guarding your house against intruders during the night. Just imagine huge Police-stamped versions of these running around on the streets…

Hammacher.com: Robotic Quadruped ($89.95)

(Via Red Ferret)

Tomy’s i-SOBOT is listed in the Guinness book of World Records as the “smallest humanoid robot in production” (and what makes a humanoid? Its own MySpace page of course). It’s just 6.5 inches tall and by using the remote control (and your commanding voice) you’ve got a fully articulating and bipedal robot.

It’s gifted with 17 servo-motors, 19 circuit ships, a built-in gyro-sensor, two LEDs, 90 sound effects, 5 songs, voice command recognition and can speak hundreds of words and phrases and perform preprogrammed actions like walking, dancing, martial arts(!), pushups, soccer and such.

The Japanese version is white and the US model is black and it’ll start shipping in October 2007.

i-SOBOT Website

Continue reading for an i-SOBOT video:

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Say hello to Mei Mei and Di Di, two ancient and kickass warrior siblings from the House of Liu series designed by Chicago-based James Liu.

Crazy Label: House of Liu: Mei Mei ($49.99)
Crazy Label: House of Liu: Di Di ($39.99)

(Via Vinyl Pulse)

Here’s the 6" tall Black and Grey Lotus ‘Kanser’ vinyl figures with removable helmets, designed by Andrew Bell (Creatures in my Head) and produced by ToyQube.

These collectibles are limited to 200 pieces each (individually numbered and signed by Andrew), so hurry up if you want one! $55 for one, $92 for both.

Shop.deadebra.com: Black and Grey Lotus ‘Kanser’ Figures ($55.00 - $92.00)

Oh yeah, I could definitely picture one of Frank Cho’s limited edition Monkey Boy Figures standing 9" tall on my office desk. If you want one you’d better hurry up though, they’re limited to 600 pieces.

WizardUniverse: Frank Cho’s Monkey Boy Limited Edition ($69.99)

(Via Vinyl Pulse)

You remember Soundwave, the Decepticon Transformer that could transform into a tape deck? Well, now it’s available as a fully functional MP3 player, transforming and everything. Just put a microSD card in it with the storage space of your own choice and go.

With a single AAA-battery you get 6 hours of playtime and it’s available in sonic white and spark blue.

AudioCubes.com: Transformers Music Label SoundWave MP3 Player ($129.00, Global Shipping)
NCSX: Takara Tomy Transformers Soundwave MP3 Player ($99.00)

One more pic after the jump:

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Bitman Video Bulb is a Japanese toy that promises to light up any house party. Just plug it in your TV’s RCA video jack and Bitman will pop up on the screen, portrayed as a giant, pixeled stick man. He’ll run around in his pixel house, climbing stairs and dance wherever he wants to (which seems to be pretty much everywhere).

If everything goes like planned your house party guests will stare in awe for a while and then blindly join him in his crazy monkey disco dance. Or something.

AudioCubes: Bitman Video Bulb ($19.00)

The Gloo Man/Woman is pretty cool. Head over to the website, configure him/her with different hair styles, shirt prints and speech bubbles and just download your very own, customized PDF ready to fold and glue.

Gloo.co.za: Gloo Man

More foldable toys:
ReadyMech: Foldable Monsters, ToyPaper: Foldable Monsters, Fold your own TIE-fighter, How to fold your own alien-proof tin foil hat

(Via Notcot)

Mmm. Style and functionality: say hi to Marka Quiñone’s (aka Marka27) Mini Gods, a set of limited edition vinyl collectibles with built-in speakers. Rumor has it that ToyTokyo will start selling these at the San Diego Comic-Con in July.

More pictures at Marka27.com

One more pic of other models after the jump:

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The poor Broken Heart Robots vinyl toys are six inches tall and are available in blue, clear and glow-in-the-dark editions:

“On his home planet of Xerbix 319, the Broken Heart Robot was one of the rare robots built without a purpose. Sadden by this, he fled Xerbix 319 and traveled the galaxy to seek out his purpose.”

MyPlasticHeart.com: Broken Heart Robot ($32.99)