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Hasbro's First-Quarter Loss Widens on Charges

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 03:51:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: Alamy PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Hasbro says its first-quarter loss widened as the toy maker absorbed heavy restructuring charges and foreign exchange rates flattened its international revenue. The performance still topped Wall Street expectations. The ... Read more

Mattel's First-Quarter Earnings Rise on Solid Sales

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:01:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: Alan Diaz/APBarbie products on display at a toy store in Hialeah, Fla., in July 2012. Mattel on Wednesday reported higher earnings on improved sales of its products. EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Mattel's first-quarter net income more than quadrupled, as ... Read more

ExtremeFliers Releases A Teeny-Tiny Quadcopter That Can Flip In Mid-Air

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:06:13 -0400

We were lucky enough to meet with Vernon Kerswell at ExtremeFliers, a 20-something inventor with a passion for little flying things. His latest creation, the Microdrone 2.0, puts a surprisingly powerful brain inside a drone that is about as big as a baseball.

Andre Cassagnes, Creator Of The Etch A Sketch, Dead At 86

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:34:10 -0500

What Andre Cassagnes thought of today's beeping and whirring playrooms we don't know. We do know that the former electrician, born on September 23, 1926, created his iconic toy after noticing how graphite clung to a thin film of plastic while he was marking up a light switch decal. He tinkered with the idea for a while and created the L'Ecran Magique in 1959. Ohio Art licensed his idea in 1960 and the red-framed device was born.

Sunday Series: Fastest Growing Childrens’ Goods Sites In December

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:30:31 -0500

Image from: Babies / Shutterstock Christmas shopping can be a daunting task for parents of young children. Driving to different stores, fighting the crowds, and checking prices can be exhausting, not to mention getting it all done without the kids finding out! Thanks to the internet, online shopping has streamlined the whole process. With so [...]

In Praise Of Dangerous Toys

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:15:11 -0500

When I was growing up, my dad taught me that potassium nitrate, sulphur, and charcoal made gunpowder. He told me that you could add iron to the mix to get a red flame and that acids wouldn't eat through your test tube. Then he sent me into the basement to make whatever I wanted while he read the paper.

The 8 Hot Toys Your Kids Really Want This Holiday Season

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 07:10:00 -0500

DailyFinance.com: Matt Brownell is the consumer and retail reporter for DailyFinance. You can reach him at Matt.Brownell@teamaol.com, and follow him on Twitter at @Brownellorama. Get info on stocks mentioned in this ... Read more

The Goddard Report | Hot New Christmas Toy Truly Sucks

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:51:41 -0500

Joanna Mileos - A Christmas toy suggestion that can drive you up the wall

Extreme Shoppers Score $8,000 of Stuff for $1,300

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 04:15:00 -0500

DailyFinance.com: NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- How's this for holiday savings: a shopping haul of remote control cars, tablets, warm coats and boots worth $8,000 for just $1,300. That was how well extreme couponer Joni Crothers and her "coupon-tourage" of 14 friends and ... Read more

Furby is Back and Driving Higher Search Referalls

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 09:00:00 -0500

Image from: Furby is back! / Hasbro.com Furby is back, and er, better than ever. If you weren’t around on the verge of Y2K, Furby was the must-have toy of the season in 1998 and 1999. And now over ten years later, Furby is back and making his presence known, especially online. As an original Furby owner, [...]

Kickstarter: This Rubber Band Shotgun Is The Mother Of All Rubber Band Shotguns

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:11:29 -0500

Imagine it's Thanksgiving morning and you're with the family. You creep down the stairs, Sheriff in hand, and sneak in on dear old dad as he makes bacon pancakes. You set your weapon on "shotgun" and pull the trigger. A volley of hot rubber whangs him in the legs, his old frame buckling as he takes the shot. Another kill. All this can be yours with the Bandit, an automatic rubber band gun built for speed and (mild) pain infliction. The project, created by Bob Coulston, is a DIY, easy-to-assemble rubber band gun that can fire single bands, multiple bands in rapid succession, or all the bands at once, creating a hellstorm of flying bands.

5 Things You Shouldn't Buy on Black Friday

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:59:00 -0500

DailyFinance.com: Online shopping is getting more popular every year, but that doesn't mean that Black Friday is going out of style. Between in-store doorbusters and online deals, retailers are once again finding ways to grab consumers' interest this year. According ... Read more

Gift Guide: DIY Marble Machine Kit

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:04:49 -0500

Keeping with my theme of DIY projects as gifts, I present to you this little treat, a laser-cut marble machine that comes to us via merry old England. While the mechanism is cool - you turn a little crank and send the balls climbing up a hill and then down a little ramp - the real fun comes in assembling the jolly little machine.

Mattel Goes Hollywood: Can Toymaker Beat Hasbro at Its Own Movie Game?

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:27:00 -0500

DailyFinance.com: Hasbro (HAS) has been able to cash in on its marquee brands in recent years, breathing new life into decades-old toy franchises through theatrical releases and updated product lines. It worked splendidly with Transformers, spawning a couple of box ... Read more

The Tiggly Educational App Lets Babies Learn Shapes On Your Expensive Tablet

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:17:44 -0400

Tiggly is a toy for kids who might be past the "teethe on your iPad" and just below the "I want to play the birds game" stages of mental development. Designed by a parent, Steve Miller of Cambridge, MA, the system includes three little shapes and a set of apps that allow kids to interact with shapes, colors, and animals on the screen.

Kool Smiles Offers Halloween Candy Exchange at Offices Nationwide

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 08:00:00 -0400

Sell Hasbro as Toy Spending Declines: Goldman

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:23:52 -0400

Sorry Johnny, but this Christmas your stocking’s might be a little light this year. Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Kelter says toy spending has been on the decline, and the pace of the dropoff appears to be accelerating. “The nominal amount spent on traditional toys/games in the US per capita is down 30% from $85/person to [...]

Ubooly, The Plush Toy With An iPhone Brain, Grabs $1.5M In Seed Funding

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:30:14 -0400

Ubooly, A toy that uses Apple's iPhone or iPod touch as a means to turn a cuddly plush toy into an interactive experience, today revealed to TechCrunch that it has raised a $1.5 million seed funding round, from investors including Jeff Clavier's SoftTech, 500 Startups, David Cohen and more. THe funding follows Ubooly's successful Kickstarter campaign that funded an initial production run, and a participation in TechStars 2012 Boulder, and will help the team tackle their ambitious goal of providing an evolving digital experience for a child's physical toy.

Hot Toys For the Holidays: Walmart, Toys R Us Make Their Predictions

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 02:00:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: Let the games begin: Toys R Us and Walmart (WMT) have unveiled their hot holiday toy lists, sending the message to shoppers that the Christmas selling season has officially begun. Expect to see more top-toy lists from retailers such as Target ... Read more

Toys R Us Takes Aim at Holidays with Hot Toy Reservation Program

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 09:04:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: The deals will be plentiful this holiday season at Toys R Us, as will the mix of exclusive toys that shoppers won't find at competitors, such as the much-ballyhooed Tabeo tablet. But the big news this year, according to CEO Jerry Storch, is the ... Read more

Y Kant Junior Fbricate Smiknduktrs: Tinkermite Tablet Teaches Kids The Basics Of Hardware Design

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:10:36 -0400

Modern parents will recognize the dilemma: we want our children to learn about hardware engineering and design at birth but we don't want them using soldering irons until they can keep their heads upright and/or develop gross motor skills. What's a parent to do? Enter Tinkermite, a Kickstarter project aimed at offering the wee ones the opportunity to understand the rudiments of mobile phone design without an advanced degree in telecommunications technology. The toy consists of a small puzzle featuring phone parts like the battery, CPU, and memory chips as well as a front draw-and-wipe screen so the little ones can pretend they're using Dad's iPad.

Leapfrog Announces Availability Of Leapster GS, A Mini Educational Tech Toy

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:20:45 -0400

While I wouldn't want to be the parent who buys their kids a Leapster GS instead of a Nintendo DS, I still think that this mini educational handheld is an interesting addition to Leapfrog's line of kids toys. The GS looks a lot more like a handheld device than its predecessors and can take pictures and video with a built-in camera. The GS runs on four AA batteries and features a color screen and comes in green or purple. It runs a number of game times and kids can use it to view animated ebooks. Kids can store content on 2GB of built-in memory.

Toys Grow Up: LittleBits Picks Up $3.65M, PCH Deal To Build Out Its Open-Source Hardware Vision

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:35:00 -0400

LittleBits, an "open source hardware" startup that makes electronic building blocks to design objects for work and play, has today announced the addition of two significant building blocks of its own: it has picked up $3.65 million in funding; and has signed a manufacturing deal with PCH International to scale up its business. The Series A round of funding was led by True Ventures, with participation from Khosla Ventures, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures and Lerer Ventures and will be used to staff up and expand the range of products from the 30 currently on offer. Along with the rush of gadgets that have hit the big time thanks to Kickstarter, littleBits is part of a wider trend for tech startups based around hardware rather than software and services. But as much as it is an idea, the concept is also an ideal: founded by Ayah Bedir, a TED Fellow and an alum of the MIT Media Lab (and heartily endorsed by Joi Ito, who participated in its seed round), the goal, she says, is to "break the boundary" between ourselves and electronics. "We spend more than seven hours with technological devices every day, yet most of us don't even know how they work," she says.

littleBits raises $3.65M to become the Legos of a new era

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:00:06 -0400

LittleBits, a New York-based startup that developed a system of electronic modules that snap together to make simple electronics projects, announced Wednesday that it has raised $3.65 million in new funding and forged a critical partnership with supply chain management company PCH International.

Another Toy Story: Hasbro vs. Mattel

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:00:39 -0400

Image from: Toy Soldiers Image / Shutterstock They’re at it again- Hasbro and Mattel, two of the toy industry’s largest competitors, are competing for first place of online traffic. According to last month’s Compete data, this is the closest they’ve been in attracting Unique Visitors since last fall and it appears that Hasbro is just [...]

Makie gets $1.4m to drag toys into the future

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:12:56 -0400

Forget virtual worlds and children's apps: London-based startup Makielab thinks the toys of the future will be 3D printed and totally customized -- and it's raised a significant round of seed investment to start preparing to play with the big kids.

Kickstarter: Turn Your iPad Into An Etch-A-Sketch

Thu, 10 May 2012 12:17:19 -0400

Looking to relive your childhood or turn your iPad into a hackneyed political pun? You'd best get over to Ari Krupnik's Kickstarter project. For $60 you get a red or blue case that simulates the actual Etch-A-Sketch knobs, allowing you to perform all of the deft maneuvers to which you're accustomed. Stair steps? Easy. Long curve? Go for it. Horrible script writing? Bingo. The product is completely licensed by Ohio Art and the company is trilled with the attention and the high-tech upgrade to their flagship product. They may even manufacture the device in Ohio Arts' factories.

This Real RC Car Transformer Is Ready To Roll Out

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:00:26 -0400

If you watch one homemade Japanese RC car transformer video today, make it this one. This amazing little roadster switches from sports car to dancing robot in a few seconds and it can even walk while in robot mode, and, more important, transform back into a car in the blink of an eye.

Hasbro Has Girl Troubles

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:17:21 -0400

Hasbro (HAS), like its competitor Mattel (MAT), reported that toy sales have been weak in the United States, and the news is sending shares about 5% lower this afternoon. Hasbro posted 4 cents of EPS, 4 cents below expectations. Net revenues in the U.S. & Canada fell 16%, and operating profits plunged 65%. “The results [...]

Brad Wheller Is Added to the Exclusive Ranks of Stanford Who’s Who

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:36:35 -0400

Charles Anthony Earns Membership With Stanford Who’s Who

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:24:25 -0400

Sphero is a startup with Bluetooth-controlled balls

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:01:09 -0500

Tech toys used to refer to fancy gadgets, but the phrase has now moved to describe actual toys. At SXSW I stumbled across (quite literally) Sphero, a ball that contains a gyroscope, accelerometer, Bluetooth and an array of lights controlled by a smartphone or tablet.

Support Builds for LEGO Anti-Sexism Drive

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:30:00 -0500

DailyFinance.com: A petition challenging LEGO Group's recent advertising campaign of its Friends product line is gaining steam faster than a youngster building a skyscraper with the tiny plastic blocks. In less than a month, the SPARK Movement and Powered by Girl ... Read more

Review: The Sphero, A Ball With Personality

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:09:42 -0500

The first time I was chased around a room by a glowing, buzzing ball I was in college and I had just come home from a rave. The last time was when I opened the Sphero and set it loose on my rug. The Sphero is a ball with a brain. Designed by Orbotix, this 3-inch toy has an internal motor and a set of LEDs that can make it flash nearly any color of the rainbow. It's run by iOS or Android apps that allow you to control the Sphero, play virtual golf, and draw images in light (albeit in a roundabout way).

TechCrunch Gift Guide 2011: Best Toys

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:14:19 -0500

If you're an Aunt, Uncle, Grandfather, Grandmother, Godmother, Godfather, Foster Parent, or just plain old mommy or daddy, you might have some kids on your holiday shopping list. These are some interesting toys that I've come across this year and all have a certain high-tech edge that adults and kids alike can enjoy.

Target Debuts 'Almost Last Minute' Holiday Sale

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 -0500

DailyFinance.com: Retailers are finding ways to put a fresh spin on the classic limited-time sale this holiday season. In stores and online, Target (TGT) is launching the Almost Last Minute Sale, which it's touting as a new sales event from Dec. 8 to Dec. 11 that ... Read more

Apparel and Toy Retailer Traffic Down During Black Friday Week

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:40:31 -0500

Image from: Maksim Shmeljov / Shutterstock The holiday retail buzz has been extremely positive over the last week after an extremely successful Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As reported yesterday by Compete, share of traffic to retailers such as Macys and Amazon was up YOY on Black Friday. Traffic to mass merchants, department stores and [...]

Holiday Shopping Alert: The Sweetest Deals Are Yet to Come

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:05:00 -0500

DailyFinance.com: Attention holiday shoppers: Don't feel blue if you missed Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Retail analysts say the best is yet to come, with discounts growing deeper as the week before Christmas draws nearer. "The promotions we saw on Black Friday ... Read more

Dangerous Toys: What to Leave Off Your 2011 Gift List

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:30:00 -0500

DailyFinance.com: It's been a long time since Dan Aykroyd's Mainway Toys was satirically exposed on Saturday Night Live for selling such hazardous playthings as "Bag o' Glass," "Teddy Chainsaw Bear" and "Johnny Switchblade." But some new toys still hold hidden risks ... Read more

Barbies, Legos, and Tablets: Top Toys of 2011

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:34:01 -0500

Image from: zuender/Shutterstock As we enter the final days of November, children everywhere are finalizing their lists for the upcoming holiday season. I remember poring over catalogs and memorizing commercials as I decided what toys I had to have that year. These days, children not only use catalogs and TV for inspiration, but they can [...]

Hands On With The AppXRacer From AniApp

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:36:46 -0400

If you're a fan of the Parrot AR.Drone, you'll probably get a kick out its earthbound relative, the AirXRacer by AniApp. I got a first hands on with this iPhone- or Android-controlled racecar in Shenzhen and you will be able to pick it up this holiday season. The car is a standard RC racer that, as you can see, is quite fast. You control it using your phone's accelerometer or using an onscreen "wheel," a method that offers a bit more finesse. The creator, Jeff Luo of AniApp Labs, said the cars would be available in Radio Shack and Brookstone this holiday and the apps are available now for download.

Buckyballs? So Passé

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:04:59 -0400

Just in time for the Ides of October, ThinkGeek brings us magnetic BuckyCubes, small, 4mm cubes that slide and slip together to create unique shapes. The kit comes with 125 rare earth magnets that can be combined and organized into various shapes.

Lego Tries Augmented Reality With “Life Of George” Game

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:58:05 -0400

Lego (or LEGO if you're adamant about trademarks) has just dipped another toe into electronic gaming with their clever "Life Of George" iOS title. The game uses 144 pieces and a piece of cardboard covered in a dotted pattern. The game is simple: George shows you a picture from his travels and asks you to recreate it using Legos. You have to dig around in your box of pieces to recreate the image and then take a picture of it on the Playmat. Using a brick recognition system from Eye-Cue, the game awards you points for speed and accuracy. The game is oddly addicting and great for kids. The pieces are bit small so it's aimed at ages 12 and up but it's also a great way to build teamwork with one player - maybe a parent - calling out the pieces and the other player putting the object together.

Toys R Us Plays Up Exclusive Merchandise for Holiday Season

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:00:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: Let the holiday games begin. Toys R Us took the wrapping paper off its strategy to "win" this Christmas season this week, unveiling a raft of exclusive merchandise, such as new toy line Moshi Monsters, based on the online children's game, and a ... Read more

Why Are LEGOs So Expensive?

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 10:30:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: There's a question that echoes across the Internet, on blogs and message boards, and in the content of a specialty wiki called Brickipedia: "Why are Legos so expensive?" The plaintive cries abound: "Sorry for the uninvited rant, but what is the ... Read more

McDonald's Happy Meals Get a Healthier Overhaul

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:00:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: For more than 30 years, the standard McDonald's (MCD) Happy Meals have been exactly the same -- a burger or chicken nuggets, fries and a soda. But no more. In an attempt to help youngsters make healthier food choices, the fast food chain announced ... Read more

Summer Spendin': Which Companies Win When School's Out

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: Despite a house rule for the youngsters in my home that forbids any sentence beginning with the words "I want," just a few days into summer vacation, my children are already pouring on the requests. And while I understand how to "just say no," I ... Read more

Cars 2 Could Lap the Field in the Summer Movie Toy Race

Fri, 27 May 2011 07:10:00 -0400

DailyFinance.com: Shopping at a Manhattan Kmart with her 8-year-old son Jonathan, Lisa Velez quickly gravitated to the red Lightning McQueen miniature car from Cars 2, the Disney (DIS) sequel. She squeezed the chassis, and the car cheered, "Go! Go! Go!" Velez was ... Read more

London’s BERG: Reinventing the Concept of a Product

Thu, 26 May 2011 08:00:15 -0400

London design consultancy BERG has spent the last couple of years carving out a strong reputation with its futuristic films and approach to innovative-but-tasteful technology. But it doesn’t just want to build ideas: now it’s moving into making products.

Using Your Easy-Bake Oven Is About to Become Difficult

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:00:00 -0400

The Easy-Bake Oven is falling victim to the fight against global warming. The incandescent light bulbs that heat the toy ovens are being phased out in 2012 in favor of energy-efficient compact fluorescents. But precisely because they are energy efficient, they don't get hot enough to bake a cookie.

Continue reading Using Your Easy-Bake Oven Is About to Become Difficult

Using Your Easy-Bake Oven Is About to Become Difficult originally appeared on DailyFinance on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:00:00.