Not every toy and gadget needs to have the latest CPU and polymer materials to be considered highly desirable and worthwhile. The Auditorium Toy Co. has produced a handmade, wooden push car toy that looks like some of the toys from your youth… but better constructed.

It’s not just a looker though – the Boattail Racer is handmade from materials that time cannot easily erode.

The wooden bodywork is sculpted from rugged 13 ply Baltic birch. The muscular stance comes courtesy of the 77.5 millimeter carnelian-core industrial grade wheels, which float effortlessly on precision bearings. Solid stainless steel axles and fasteners ensure faithful service for generations to come.

Just like the old Tonka toys, this solid birch and stainless steel toy will probably outlast you. Priced at $350 per toy, it does come in its own archive box that doubles as a presentation box.

[ Links: Auditorium Toy Co. ]

Gamers sometimes entertain other gamers away from their consoles and LAN parties; so why not entertain them with a pack of Super Mario playing cards?

Nintendo is releasing in late July three renditions of their playing cards featuring the imagery of the old, pixelated NES version of Super Mario Bros., then their updated, more cartoon-y versions of Mario and company and finally their more recent 3D iterations of Mario, Bowser – he’s the joker card. Just for nostalgia sake, I’m willing to bet that the retro-NES version of the playing cards will be the best seller.

Available for pre-order for late July delivery at NCSX.com for $12.90.

[ Links: NCSX, Super Mario Playing Cards ]

Looks like Six Flags wants to entertain your kids at their parks and on the computer too. Six Flags has announced their initial foray into social media and social gaming by announcing an interactive game “Mascot Park”, playable via Facebook.

Six Flags Entertainment, the world’s largest regional theme park company, announced today its foray into the world of social gaming with the all-new Six Flags Mascot Park, an interactive game launching on Facebook. Six Flags will elevate this innovative entertainment experience with an approach that focuses on deep personalization, creativity, irreverent antics and social interaction.

“The Six Flags brand stands for fun and unparalleled thrills and the introduction of Six Flags Mascot Park brings that signature experience to the virtual reality world,” said Mike Antinoro, Executive VP of Marketing and Entertainment. “We want to offer fans a forum to entertain, amuse and interact while also recognizing the importance of integrating a unique experience to the online community.”

Six Flags Mascot Park encourages players to create “shows” for their friends to view – and either cheer them or jeer them. Players will strive to be the most popular mascot by creating these unique performances, which will gain fans, entertain friends and earn coins. Coins can be used to buy set pieces and costumes as well as improve their moves. In a unique twist, players can also jump into their friend’s shows and mash them up with their own moves, special effects and pranks.

The inner-child in me is interested in this big time, might make me use Facebook more often even.

[ Links: Six Flags, Six Flags Facebook Page ]

Partnering with Google Earth, General Motors (GM) has produced an application for the education of K-12 students that, once downloaded, will show and educate children using the proven Google Earth technology to accurately show you where in the world people are using renewable energy.

As a responsible corporate citizen, we know it’s important to give back to society. And, as an automaker in these times, we are often on the leading edge of technology development that will help to reduce the impact our products have on the environment. We think it’s important to pass on the lessons and knowledge we’ve learned from working on these issues to the young students today who will be tomorrow’s leaders and problem solvers.

General Motors has really embraced the renewable energy push that will hopefully lead them from being a bailed out, broken and nearly bankrupt company back to a company that employs technology and overall “know-how” to get themselves back into the forefront of innovation once again and supply the next generation with information that will help shape their educational and career opportunities.

Keep up the good work GM. The application is a free download.

[ Links: GM, GM Education ]

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“Death Battle with Robot Kong,” an illustration by Takashi Minamimura, features a cutaway diagram of Robot Kong, also known as “Mechani-Kong” in the US version of the cartoon and in the 1967 spin-off film “King Kong Escapes.” Built to defeat King Kong, the 50-meter tall remote-control robot is powered by a 200,000-kilowatt nuclear reactor and can shoot laser beams from its eyes and poison gas from its nose.

The accompanying text describes Dr. Who’s sinister plans to capture King Kong, place a mind-control helmet on his head, and use him to hijack ships and rob banks. He estimates King Kong can carry about 100 million yen in cash in his giant paws.

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Appearing in the same issue of Shōnen Magazine is a schematic illustration by Takayoshi Mizuki entitled “Secret Pyramid Base,” which shows Dr. Who’s secret base inside one of the Giza pyramids in Egypt.

The pyramid is equipped with advanced military hardware, including 3D radar, jet launchers, recoilless guns, flamethrowers, rocket launchers, and military tanks that burrow underground. Dr. Who monitors all the action from a wall of TV screens in his room at the center of the pyramid. The base is powered by a nuclear reactor in the basement and surrounded by giant ant-lion sand traps.

Situated nearby is a giant nuclear-powered Sphinx Tank. King Kong battles a variation of this weaponized Sphinx in an episode of “The King Kong Show.” (Watch “The Jinx of the Sphinx.”)

The diabolical Dr. Who and Mechani-Kong also appear in the 1967 film “King Kong Escapes,” which was an adaptation of some of the cartoon episodes.

In the film, King Kong is captured and hypnotized by Dr. Who, but he eventually snaps out of it and escapes to Tokyo. Dr. Who sends Mechani-Kong after him, and the two end up in a battle to the death atop Tokyo Tower.

+ King Kong Escapes – US trailer

[Images via: 昭和の雑誌広告・懐かしモノ]

Link to the original article…

KOELN, Germany (AVING Special Report on ‘KIND+JUGEND 2009′) — Xplorys presented its character utilizing ‘Chopstick Kids’ during Kind+Jugend 2009.

Link to the original article…

Gamu Toys have concocted one of the possibly coolest things I’ve seen in a while… a well-articulated Obama action figure.

Bound to be the favorite toy of all conservatives this Christmas

[ Gamu-Toys ]

What takes six D sized batteries, is about as stealth as Roseanne Barr at an all-you-can-eat buffet, will simultaneously have you live your childhood Rambo/Predator/Commando/Unreal Tournament dream/fetish and will make your other office mates jealous with envy while ducking your soft yet automatic wrath?

Nerf N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25 Blaster. That’s what. Go out, buy one, and truly understand that you are holding in your hand a belt driven, fully automatic soft-shelled weapon of least destruction. But it enables your ability to fill that almost closet postal service level rage and releases it in a soft enough to never cause bodily harm – eyes and crotch shots still need to be avoided – but hard enough to make your presence known – back of the head shots satisfy like no other.

Just buy one. I have one and it goes with me in the backseat with a seatbelt around it like a child. I’ve even named mine “Oscar”.

I love it.

And for the absolute best price, head down to your local Walmart and pick one up for $39.88.

Seriously. Buy this. Your inner-child will love you for it.

Bonus: Video of a modified Nerf Vulcan EBF-25 that can shoot 500 rounds per minute at YouTube.

[ Walmart ] [ Nerf ]

Next!

Prior RTL* Last Second Shopper Gift Guide Options:

• #4 – Prada Infusion D’Homme Cologne Holiday Gift Set
• #5 – Epson WorkForce 600 All-In-One Printer
• #6 – Oral-B Triumph 9900 with SmartGuide
• #7 – Mint DS 220 iPod Dock and Wireless Receiver
• #8 – Microsoft Blue Track Explorer Mouse
• #9 – KOR ONE Water Hydration Vessel
• #10 – Nike Zoom Potro PrizeFlight Premium
• #11 – Tank Theory Dungeons Belt Buckle
• #12 – Vaja Case iVolution Case for the Apple iPhone3G

Who knew that the Cookie Monster was so computer savvy!?

The website has some very cool features, including over 3,000 Sesame videos and 1,000 Sesame playlists, parenting and caregiver tips, over 400 Flash-based mini-games and almost 90 full games, educational interactive activities, and a free weekly newsletter for parents offering information on upcoming events.

Sesame Street’s new, research-driven website – SesameStreet.org Beta – that just launched today.

After about an hour a few minutes of playing around, the easy to maneuver website done tastefully in Adobe Flash and in bright colors to keep the little kids – and apparently this adult – attention and encourage you to click around for more stuff to read about, play around with.

SesameStreet.org Beta. Bookmarked.