ABS CBN's Matanglawin contacted me and they asked to help them compile a list of high tech and cool toys that are popular as gifts this Christmas 2011. I listed the toys that are available here in the Philippines, and one of the best sellers in our local toy stores and also new toys that are fit not only for kids but also for adults. New toy designs with cool tech and features now attracts the adult and teens category, some toys are no longer just for kids, but also a toys for older people.
I went to the toy holiday sale few weeks ago and many people are looking for Baby Alive toy dolls, while others are looking for the Leapfrog Leap Pad tablet, the scene of consumers hoarding some toys are very common every Christmas season, in the US, the Black Friday shop event went crazy, people race on to get a discounted Ps3, Xbox and Rock on Elmo. Here in the Philippines, buyers are very wise now in buying toys as gifts for their younglings, they know about holiday toy sale, warehouse toy sale, bazaars, and also our event the 6th annual Christmas Toy Fair, our biggest toy fair event every Christmas in the Philippines targetting hobbyist and toy collectors.With these toy sale events popping every Christmas season, buyers took the advantage on visiting these events and get cool discount prices, some toy distributors also release some new toys that aren't yet available here, while others release the outdated, old and classic toys that are no longer available, so they target customers who buy new toys and customers who are the hard core toy collectors who collects classic and rare toys...hey I saw that Jackie Chan action figure toy and aww I don't have money that time and its a cheap P800 pesos figure that can match the size and quality of a Hot toys action figure (never mind the head sculpt)
Okay I'll stop this intro and head on to the toys of the season.
so here's my list
1. Leapfrog LeapPad
http://www.leapfrog.com/
Php 7k
I'm amazed by this Leapfrog Leap Pad tablet, and they were released just in the right time in this age of computer tablets. At a price of P7k, you can have a cool educational gadget or toy for your younglings, they can play games, read stories, watch educational animated shorts, coloring activity, and many more. Its like taking home the whole Sesame Street and Batibot brunch to your home. You can download some apps that can add more app softwares for your tablet, some apps are free while others need to be bought online. I haven't tried this Leap pad, but I heard that you can surf the internet and take photos and video using the small camera embeded on the Leap Pad's body.
This toy won the Platinum AWard from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio last Sept. 2011.
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2. Rock on Elmo
http://rockonelmo.com/
Php 5k
Rock on Elmo (or Let's Rock! Elmo) came here in our toy store's shelves last November 2011, I saw this in one of the popular toy stores and It was the awesome Elmo toy line ever. Elmo now in rockstar mode can sing and move like a real pupppet and it performs after pressing a hidden button on Elmo's hand, its like an electonic puppet that talks to you and its mouth moves while talking (similar also to that electronic Cookie Monster that talks and chomps cookie). Rock on Elmo has a lot of preset quotes, music and song, one of the most popular is his theme song "Elmo's world". You can borrow Elmo's microphone, guitar and tambourine, you can play with it while Elmo rocks on, and you can also dress up Elmo by placing those musical intruments, press the button and see how he uses the instruments. My mom in the US bought one toy from the Black Friday madness last month and this will be shipped today and arrive here after Christmas. My son Ash will be happy to see a new edition of Elmo, we own the Elmo Xtreme toy, but this new Rock on Elmo is very enjoyable to play with.
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3. AR Drone
http://ardrone.parrot.com/
Php 25k
pic via http://www.geekalerts.com
I saw the AR Drone first in an international tech event and launch, the first catch here is that you can control this flying drone with your iPhone or iPad, but I'm glad that AR Drone developers already included a wifi control for Android phones. It can stay connect up to 50 meters and fly around with the use of your own smart phone, there's camera included in the AR Drone and you can watch the live camera feed to your smart phone and see the terrain infront of it, you can operate the drone even on a blind spot. I got surprised that Toy Kingdom sells this AR Drone only in their SM Megamall branch with a tag price of P25k. I tried a demo there and it was an awesome toy and must have for geeks.
You can also play with other AR drone users, as the brand says that it is also a flying video game, the game mode features an augmented reality capability, each AR Drone in game mode, has an AR laser that can hit other AR drones during a game battle mode. Other hobbyist install a Go Pro camera on top and uses the AR drone in spying or looking on a birds eye view level around them, perfect for camera hobbyist and travelers if they want to see the view on a high area and records it.
If ever I have a complete gadget from my want list in my bag, then I will definitely buy this Ar Drone.
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4. Solar RC car
http://www.chinatopwin.com/
P900
pic via toybase.com
I bought this Solar RC car in Toy Kingdom few months, I got a little impressed on the features that this Solar RC car uses solar energy from the sun to charge its own batteries. You can also use a USB to charge this using your laptop's energy. Charging mode is around 2 hours and it gives a complete 15 minutes full charge.
Solar panel is on top of the car, the remote control charges if you connect it to the car and you can just leave it in your window every morning and let the sun juiced up the solar cells and batteries and play with it later. No more worries in buying rechargeable batteries. I just wish that they can invent a high capacity battery that can run for an hour.
The atomic battery of the Mars rover is good candidate for Rc car batteries hahahah
5. Spynet video watch
http://www.amazon.com/Spy-Net-
Php 3.5k
pic via http://u.lasoo.com.au
Some kids play around as James Bond or a secret agent, I do play sometimes as a spy or GI JOE soldier during my youngling times, but this generation, kids love to play like Ben 10 or Spy Kids. This cool toy gadget called Spynet video watch is not your ordinarty wrist watch, this watch can record 4 hours of video and take 2000 photos using its own camera. The toy brand Realtech invents lots of cool spy toy gadgets, one of the most popular toy gadgets are the Spynet nightvision watch. Years ago, I thought that these toys are fake and just for fun, I didn't even know that they do perform well and a must have for toy geeks and camera geeks like me.
I'm going to buy this one and replace my old James Bond watch with this Spynet video watch ( yeah I do have a real James Bond watch that I wear sometimes). I can even use this videowatch in my blogging activities too.
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night vision sample video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhxr55g8C_E
6. Simon Flash
http://www.hasbro.com/shop/details.cfm?R=9E2EEEE9-5056-900B-10F1-2FC65444A628:en_US
Php 1.9k
Simon Flash is the new edition for the stacking game, you know those plastic cups and kids used to stack them into pyramid and unstack them again. This Simon Flash is another version, but not a stacking game, you need to place the colors into the right order, the cube lights up and orders you to arrange the cube by its color order.
Its a memory game and good game for Christmas party and family night games at home.
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7. Robot dino - Kota and Pals Hatchlings / Dino-Roars
http://www.amazon.com/
around 3k Php yata
At first I thought that these toys are real robots, but then its just a battery operated dinosaur doll like the Hasbro's Furreal Snuggimals toy animals, it performs animal actions after you press that hidden button, but this Kota and Pals toy performs a dino action with sound. I'm not sure if the Kota and Pals are available, the only version that I saw are the Kota and Pals Hatchlings, baby dinosaurs, saw it first in Hobbes n' Landes stores.
The lifesize version is an old model, like a real dinosaur as your pet, you can ride on it, play with it and consider it as your robotic pet dino.
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here's the mini life size version
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8. Baby Alive
www.babyalive.com
P1.5k - P4k
Baby Alive is so popular and thanks to the tv ad that are being played in all kids channel on cable tv. There are lots of Baby Alive models, the 1st is just a regular baby that cries, laugh and feed, other hard core models can talk, move its mouth and even pee. The style of this toy is a classic, there are lots of version came out during the 90's but this version is much better, because the old ones back them are not battery operated.
The price of each Baby Alive depends on the version and model.
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9. Darth Vader voice changer mask (new ver)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Star-
P1.5k
Toy Kingdom
One of the top 1 toys that I should own this Christmas, I hope my wife reads this ahhahaha. The new version of Star Wars character masks with voice changer features. Most popular to Star Wars fans are the Darth Vaders face mask, I think this mask is the most sellable mask in some toy stores, there are other mask like the Clone Trooper, General Grievous and Tie Fighter pilot.
The mask can help you change your voice in seconds and also playback some of the famous quotes and lines of Darth Vader from the movie Star Wars.
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10. Zero Gravity Lazer Air Hog RC
airhogs.com/
pic via chipspain.com and kimmyshop.com
P3k
Being an RC car fan, and want to collect some of the coolest and hightech rc cars, this Zero Gravity Lazer by Air Hog is the coolest RC car ever! the car can run and stick itself into walls and ceiling, it runs like a normal RC car but they are like the car for Spider-man. The Rc car is very light and got one engine that uses the power of air suction, it sticks to flat surface of a wall, and uses a guided lazer tech from the remote controller as its main control. Point the laser in the wall and the rc car will follow it.
Same as the Solar rc car, this one uses its own rechargeable battery, and after an hour of charging from your electric socket, it can give a 15-20 min. pure wall climbing car madness.
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