Take the toys we moms and dads played with when we were kids, add some 21st century tech, and that describes many of the hot items kids will be begging for this holiday season - at least, according to toy review website TTPM's recent Holiday Showcase.
A huge part of this year’s must-have list includes all things Star Wars - animatronic characters, weapons. Stick your iPad or Android tablet inside the $120 Star Wars Science Force Trainer 2 Hologram experience and you control those holograms using your brainwaves.
“There are three sensors on the headset, one on the forehead and two that go behind your ears, and as you focus and concentrate, you produce beta brainwaves,” says Hillary Fine of Uncle Milton’s Toys. “Those brainwaves are turned into a signal that’s sent via Bluetooth to your personal tablet device and that allows you to move the holograms."
Barbie now has Wi-Fi inside so that Hello Barbie, out in November for $75, can listen to questions your child asks and then answer, acting kind of like a Barbie version of Siri.
“She can answer questions, she can play games, she’ll tell you about her history, she’ll prompt you to tell her about school or what you did that day with your family so she really is engaging," says Marissa Beck of Mattel.
Finally, if like me, your kids like to make those friendship bracelets and you would love to help, but your artistic ability just does not allow you, then you probably would like to meet the iLoom.
Just stick your tablet into the loom and it’ll walk you through the entire process.
“It goes through a step by step, it’ll show you every knot that you need to do, it can go backwards, forwards, it can pause," says Sandie Paradiso of Wooky Entertainment.
iLoom will hit shelves in the next few weeks for $40 and will initially work with any iPad, a version for Android tablets is due out early next year.