The Game

The object of the game is simple. You must manipulate the vertical movement of the ball using the power of your thoughts. The headband detects the intensity of your brainwaves—the harder your concentrate, the higher the fan in the unit will elevate the ball. Clearing your mind makes the ball descend. Horizontal movement is controlled by a knob on the base. There are five game modes: Freestyle, Mental Marathon, Danger Zone, Chase the Lights and Thoughtshot. Each challenge provides a different test of your ability to guide the ball through a series of customizable obstacles around the track.

The Verdict

It works (to a degree). Granted, it takes a little practice to master but, clearly, the Mindflex game does read and respond to your brainwaves/concentration level. I was able to alter the fan speed to raise and lower the tiny foam ball at will, although there were times when the accuracy or response time was less than stellar. Occasionally, I would relax and clear my mind only to find the LED concentration indicator (and the ball) rise to its highest level. There were also times when I would be concentrating hard, but nothing would happen. Maybe it's the game, maybe it's my awesomely complex brain—who knows.

There are five different game modes, but I spent most of my time in "Freestyle" trying to improve my accuracy. I wasn't all that thrilled with manually guiding the ball around the course with the control knob, but I will admit that the customizable obstacles were a fun challenge—especially the funnel cannon.

You may think differently, but I'm not the kind of guy that finds this type of game interesting for long stretches of time. Although, it would be awesome if the technology matured enough to integrate it into a more complex, multi-dimensional board game. For now, Mindflex seems like something you would whip out at a party to impress your friends until everyone got a headache and stopped after 30 minutes. Speaking of headaches, I have to warn my big-headed brethren that the headset can be massively uncomfortable. I had it on it's biggest setting, but the metal sensor on the inside front part of the band was still digging hard into my gigantic grape. Plus, the clips on your ears don't help matters.

It responds fairly well to your concentration levels.

The customizable obstacles can be a fun challenge.

Some may find the game boring after the novelty wears off.

The $80 price tag is steep.

The headset can be uncomfortable.

[Mindflex]

Even though I was -9 years old in 1977, when Football was first released, and can't specifically remember ever playing it, the handheld itself, as well as those tiny red dots, is immediately recognizable to me. It's been featured in films like Bottle Rocket and Wet Hot American Summer, and chances are a lot of you readers have one or two of them in the bottom of a box somewhere in your basement. It was an incredibly, powerfully popular game, the first major handheld videogame smash, and judging by the Amazon reviews, people are still playing and loving it today. [Handheld Museum, Thanks Sean!]

Gizmodo '79 is a week-long celebration of gadgets and geekdom 30 years ago, as the analog age gave way to the digital, and most of our favorite toys were just being born.

So basically, you would heat up the sheet of plastic on the hot metal surface, then flip the frame holding the plastic over, where it would fall onto the mold. You would then crank a lever down to create a vacuum between the mold and the plastic. After letting it cool down, and cutting off the excess plastic, you would be left with a well formed toy (or the parts to assemble one. You could even drop your own items in there to serve as molds.

Obviously, this thing looks like a pint-sized burn factory, but aside from that, it's a genius idea to essentially sell a part of your manufacturing plant to the consumer. I mean, 9-year-olds will never have attention span not only to melt a bunch of plastic, but paint and assemble the parts as well, but clearly they told their parents to buy it for them. [SamsToyBox via Oh Gizmo!]

The Barbie Digital Fingernail Printer, slated for release this fall, can print any one of thousands of designs directly onto your fingernails. Requiring only a clear base coat of prep and 15-20 precarious seconds as a machine inks each nail, according to KidsTechReview who tried it out at CES (how did we miss this???) it actually works:

Once you’ve selected the design, and even customized it some with orientation, darkness and so on, the printer sets to work printing on your nail...the end result is impressive. It takes some getting used to though. The first nail was a little misaligned, and it feels a little funny when it’s printing, but it won’t be long before kids are making fantastic nails. If you love the design, put a layer of top coat on and the design should stay on for many days. If not, a little rubbing wipes off the design and you can try again.

It's rumored that if Mattel has success with the still unpriced Barbie Digital Fingernail Printer, a Barbie Tramp Stamper should be announced shortly thereafter. [KidsTechReview and YouTube via Craziest Gadgets]

The Ucreate Music can record samples, mix and match loops and use an assortment of rifts, instruments, runs and backbeats to create new music tracks. Creations can be shared with friends on Ucreate Music's website. Unless you count holding the recording mic near a speaker, there seems to be no way to actually mix current pop songs on this. Probably a good thing—the less your six-year-old knows about the RIAA the better. It'll be available for $40 in Fall.

Ucreate Games is kind of an amalgation between a tablet and rudimentary videogame making software. Kids draw their designs on the tablet and then use a library of game components, sound effects and what not to turn them into their own games. The package includes a drawing table, folding camera, USB connection, software, dry erase drawing supplies and a game template booklet. Also out in Fall, but for $60.

Mind Flex is a game in which the participant wears a headset that scans brainwaves with the hopes of controlling a mousetrap-like board. If the user can concentrate hard enough, they can activate a fan that will push a ball through a series of hoops. So the end product, on sale later this year for $80, is really taking a simple technological concept (brain activity) and skinning it with a complicated-looking function (fans, balls, hoops, circles of fire, etc). But much like a similar game called Brainball, it's still probably a parlor trick that excites a crowd. [Telegraph via gadgetreview]

Called the Barbie P520, this clamshell phone is in no way sponsored by Mattel. Undaunted by its lack of authenticity though, the box advertises with the doll's silhouette, the logo, and even a tag line declaring it the “Barbie Music Phone.” It's not too bad for a fake phone spec-wise, packing a 1.3MP camera, up to 2GB of expandable memory, two sim cards, MP3 and MP4 support and Bluetooth into a 60 x 63 x 21mm frame.

AND it's got a touchscreen. The fake Barbie Music Phone, at $113, costs about $30 more than Mattel's MP3 player but, considering what it comes with, it's a much better deal for your hipless-big-boobied-doll-loving nieces. [Shanzhaiji]

The Price: $60

The Verdict: The results speak for themselves. I'm shocked at how much fun I had giving my co-workers beautiful new lady looks, so I can only imagine how much a girl who actually was interested in makeovers could get out of it.

The program was easy enough for youngins to use but still kept some important features like zooming, rotating and adjusting the size of add-on accessories, while also being able to import your own photos. I did find the available styles to be somewhat, well, homogeneous. The program promises downloadable updates, though, so hopefully they will add more diverse hairstyles and accessories.

Sadly, the hardware component isn't that great. The built-in webcam took blurry pics. The drawing pad wasn't very responsive and I didn't really find the need for it. Then again, I'm not used to putting on makeup.

All in all, it's a fun computer program and an okay gadget, not to mention a fantastic new way to imagine Jason Chen as a surfer chick. [GirlTech]

957. Michael J. Fox “Marty Mcfly” hero Mattel hoverboard from Back to the Future Part II & Part III. (Universal Pictures, 1989, 1990) This is one of the hero Mattel Hoverboards used by Michael J. Fox in his most famous role as “Marty McFly” in the Robert Zemeckis classic 80s trilogy, Back to the Future. Two styles of Hoverboard were made for and employed in the film – lightweight boards of styrofoam construction and thick and durable wood-based props – this example is the latter, and is recognized as the best example of all wood Hoverboards to have survived the rigors of filming. The illusion of Michael J. Fox as “Marty McFly” hovering through the air was achieved with practical effects, with actors in rigged harnesses being “flown” via cranes, with special effects taking care of the rest.

Of the two styles of props used in the film, the styrofoam examples in collections today have not held up as well, given the more fragile nature of the material and the abuse they endured in production. Few wood examples have survived, and the collector who obtained this specimen from the prop master chose this for his personal collection as the premiere example of those preserved following the film. It is in used but outstanding condition, and is very rare in that it is entirely complete and intact. Given the wood build and use of metal components, it looks and feels like a “real” prop. This piece has the complete fully functional and rear ballbearing-mounted footpad that rotates 360 degrees, as well as the bottom “magnet plates”. Of the two styles of stickers used for the effects, this prop has the “photoboard”-style sticker affixed. In addition, there is other textured styling and hand painting. This Hoverboard also features the hole in the top, representing where the handlebars were that “Marty” pulled off after borrowing the “toy” from the little girl in the film. $30000 - $50000

Seriously, I know Back to Future forwards and backwards after seeing it too many times to count, but paying $30,000 to $50,000 for this, which is not even one of a kind? I mean, if it were Marilyn Monroe's used underpants I would understand, but a piece of wood that doesn't fly? What kind of crazy-bordering-the-retarded fanboy would actually waste such an stupidly high amount of money in a pink non-flying Mattel hoverboard?

OK, I admit it. I don't have the money. [eBay Live Auctions — Thanks Michael]

This fall, Mattel adds a new category to its toy portfolio with the introduction of D-Rex, an interactive "pet" dinosaur for boys that boasts life-like movements, obeys commands, displays affection and protects its owner. Featuring "biomorphic robotics," a sub-discipline of robotics that focuses on emulating the mechanics, sensor systems and methodologies used by animals, D-Rex is unique in that it features advanced technology along with incredible life-like features, making "him" both a robot and an autonomous pet.

D-Rex has several features that bring him to life - he moves his eyes, wags his tail, responds to care and feeding, comes when called, and like any good pet, protects his owner and his prize possessions.

D-Rex celebrates traditional boys play patterns, while also infusing innovative technology to allow him to come to life and create a memorable "wow" moment for kids.

D-REX
D-Rex is the ultimate pet for boys. A ferocious yet loyal dinosaur with an independent personality, D-Rex combines robotics, proprietary software and reptilian skin to create a life-like appearance and behavior. He walks around, chomps his jaw, bares his teeth and roars more than 100 different ways to let you know what he wants. D-Rex might demand food or want to play a game, and he'll hear your voice and respond to your touch. Like the ideal pet, D-Rex will protect his owner and his prize possessions.
ARP: $150.00 Age: 6+ Available: Fall 2008

Damn, I wish they made an adult size. Here's another shot, to get a sense of scale.

[Toy Fair 2008 @ Giz]

His moves are smooth and funky, his style reminds us of hip-hop's old school pioneers, and his biggest fan is a mad scientist.

Poor Elmo. He tries out for the Borscht Belt comedy circuit, and fails miserably. His joke falls so flat, you can even hear crickets chirping.

Here Elmo tells a "story of woe" involving a scary giant. It isn't the most engaging tale we've heard, but it gives the little red monster a chance to show off a lot of expression. Our new red-furred overlords invade Oct. 14 for $59.99. — Matt Buchanan & Benny Goldman [Fisher-Price]

Suddenly it raised its little helmet and beamed a red laser on us. Confused by what was happening we focused on the bright light, only to be relentlessly pelted by plastic glow-in-the-dark discs. And they weren't just gently trickling out either, the Tri-clops launches them out reaching distances as far as 20-feet. And the fun doesn't run out after 5-10 minutes like R/C cars used to when I was a kid, Tri-clops will go run at full speed for over a half hour. All of this crazy laser-guided R/C destruction will cost you $99.99, look for it this month.

And that's its failing point. Sure, you can prevent your children from talking to strangers online while they're inside the house using the IM-Me, but what about when they're not home? And what kind of kid would agree to use this device when they can just hop onto a computer when mommy and daddy aren't home? Seems to me that the best way to prevent your kids from getting into trouble online is to talk to them rather than clamping down on them. It's $65 cheaper than the IM-Me and you don't have to wait until the summer to start. – Nicholas Deleon

It's Like a Walkie-Talkie, Only You Type Into It [Wired Gadget Lab]

During video game CD-ROM play, kids can pause and scan their collectible game cards to upgrade, modify and enhance their characters. Cards will be available in game packs where players won't know what cards they're getting.

The base set will come with an X-Men game and six X-men cards will retail for $69.99. Game packs with other games, such as "Ben 10" and "Interstellar Wrestling League", will retail for $19.99. Booster card packs by themselves will be $9.99.

Grab one for your kids this October so they can grow up to combine the facial-twitching nervousness of a console player and the social awkwardness of a collectible card gamer. Win-Win. – Jason Chen

Mattel to make hybrid video gaming system [LA Biz Journal]