Desk Pet Tankbots with Smartphone Controller

 

Your cluttered desktop is full of obstacles like your computer mouse, coffee mugs, staplers, notebook computers, etc., right? Maybe you didn’t realize, but this clutter creates the ideal obstacle driving course for the Desk Pet Tankbots. These clever little mini-robot remote controlled gadgets are actually masters at navigating in and around any maze.

The amusing little Desk Pet Tankbot is equipped with an advanced optical navigation technology. It can search at detect any obstacle in its path at easily navigate around it. This is the pinnacle of procrastination busting, robotic desktop entertainment at its best.

This ingenious little Desk Pet Tankbot can operate in three different modes.

1. Touchless navigation – detects objects in its path with optical navigation technology and can automatically navigate through the maze on your desktop.
2. Autonomous personality mode – spins around and shows off its lights and sounds.
3. Smartphone control – use your Smartphone or iPhone as a remote control to steer and guide the Desk Pet Tankbot.

And what’s better than one Tankbot. Well, two tankbots, of course! Desk Pet Tankbots can “fire” infrared shots at each other and the tankbot optical sensors can detect when they’ve been hit. After enough shots, the winner disables the loser.

Smartphone Controlled Desk Pet Tankbots Demonstration

Smartphone Controlled Desk Pet Tankbots Features

• Avoids and steers around obstacles with advanced optical navigation technology.
• The little tankbot has a personality too with light-up eyes and cute little robot sounds.
• Tankbots are randomly picked from four different colors (Grey ,Blue, Orange, and Green). Sorry, you can’t order the color you prefer, but they’re all great Tankbot colors.
• Come on, you know your desk needs a maze-navigating tank robot.
• Three modes of operation: touchless navigation, autonomous personality mode, smartphone remote control.
• Compatible with iOS devices and Android devices (2.1 and up), you can download the free remote control tankbot app from the App Store or Android Market.
• Insert the DeskPet Universal Remote into your headphone jack to control your TankBot.
• Includes the integrated USB flip out connector to recharge using your computer USB port.
• Automatic shut-off after 3 minutes of inactivity to conserve battery life.
• Internal rechargeable battery provides 15 minutes of tankbot play time from a 40 minute battery charge.
• Suitable for Ages 8 and Up

A Desk Pet Tankbot (or two) provides hours of desktop mini-robot fun entertainment. Get your Desk Pet Tankbot today!

Available: ThinkGeek

Price: $24.99

Soft Kitty Singing Plush

 

If you’re a fan of the “Big Bang Theory” television comedy, you’re already familiar with “Soft Kitty”. Now you can have your own Soft Kitty Singing Plush toy. Next time you’re sick and in need of some tender loving care, what’s better than having your own Soft Kitty to soothe and comfort you, just like when Penny first learned to sing “Soft Kitty” to Sheldon. Don’t remember, here’s a clip of that memorable episode …

With your own Soft Kitty Singing Plush, just press the front left paw and it will sing a verse of “Soft Kitty” for you. And it never gets tired, it will sing over and over again if you like.

Here’s the Soft Kitty Verse

Soft kitty, warm kitty
Little ball of fur
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty
Purr purr purr

 Soft Kitty Singing Plush Demonstration (OK, these guys should definitely keep their day job)

Soft Kitty Singing Plush Features

• The Soft Kitty collar features the “Big Bang Theory” logo – that’s the Bohr-model atomic tag.
• Sings “Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty …” when you squeeze the front paw.
• Made from durable and soft polyester fiber  (wouldn’t be a soft kitty if it wasn’t soft).
• 10-inches in length.
• Includes two 1.5V button-cell batteries.
• Not machine washable (remember, it has electronics inside), surface clean with a damp cloth.
• For kids, adults and geeks everywhere, ages 3 and up.

Get your very own Soft Kitty Singing Plush companion available at ThinkGeek. For slightly geeky people everywhere, the officially licensed “Big Bang Theory” singing pet kitty is guaranteed to make you feel better, unless maybe you have no sense of humor at all?

Available: ThinkGeek

Price: $29.99

Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 by Elenco Will Inspire Your Child’s Imagination

 

At Mint Gadgets, we’re on the hunt for the latest innovative gadgets and gizmos of all kinds, anywhere we can find them. So where do all these great gadget ideas and inventions come from anyway? Well, we like to think that educational toys like the Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 by Elenco play an important role in inspiring our kids of today with the knowledge and skills they need to grow up and create the great gadgets and inventions of tomorrow.

So we think the Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 by Elenco qualifies as a world class toy gadget that will entertain, educate and thrill your kids through the discovery of electronics.  With the Electronic Snap Circuits kit, you can provide your child with an exciting and valuable introduction to electronics. Who knows, you may be paving the way for a brilliant electronics engineering future for your child.

The Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 kit includes over 60 color-coded electronic circuit components that snap together to create actual functional electronic circuits and devices. The kit is recommended for children 8 and older and right on the package it lists the suitable age range as 8 to 108. I guess that’s another way of saying “suitable for kids of all ages” and that includes the kid in all of us!

The Electronic Snap Circuits Kit includes over 60 electronic pieces and components. With these discrete kit components, you can create over 305 different electronic projects. The kit contents include:

• Snap Wires
• Slide Switch
• Resistors
• Microphone
• Capacitors
• Transistors
• Diodes
• Integrated circuits
• Amplifier
• Lamps
• Audio Speaker
• Antenna Coil
• and more …

And you can build exciting and entertaining electronic projects like …

• Two transistor light alarm
• Voice controlled rays of light
• Space war radio
• Musical motion detector
• Radio music alarm
• Water detector
• Battery polarity tester
• Adjustable metronome
• Laser light
• NPN emitter – motor
• NPN collector – motor
• Lie detector
• Delayed action fan
• Time delay circuits
• AM radio
• Burgler alarm
• and more …

The projects are easy to follow and assemble. Each electronic component easily snaps together on the block circuit grid board, no soldering required and no tools needed. The component pieces are numbered and color-coded to make them easy to identify. And each project includes a large color illustration with simple directions that make learning about the fundamentals of electronics and circuit construction easy, fun and educational.

The Electronic Snap Circuits projects are presented in order of complexity from the most simple to the more complex. This helps kids build their skills and understanding of electronics as they proceed through the manual, step by step. Once kids have begun to master some of the fundamentals and skills, they can actually use the kit components to experiment on their own and build customized electronic circuits and devices. There are also a series of Snap Circuits accessories and upgrades to extend and expand the capability of the kit and add additional projects.

The Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 kit even has a feature to connect the electronic circuits that you build to your PC computer, and with the supplied software, turn your PC into an “oscilloscope” so you can see the electrical activity between any two points in the circuit. Now  that is very cool!

As a parent, the Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 kit is the perfect opportunity to introduce your child to the wonders of science and provide an education in the fundamentals of electronics and electronic circuit  design. And you’ll have hours and hours of fun interacting with your child through the creative learning process. It’s no wonder that Electronic Snap Circuits SC-300 by Elenco has won several awards including the “National Parenting Center-Seal of Approval”, “Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products”, and “Dr Toy Best Educational Products”.

Available: Amazon

Price: $30.33

The Snowball Slingshot.

 

It’s the winter season and you may be getting ready to throw some snowballs. Have you been looking for a little “snowball throwing” advantage? Then how about the Snowball Slingshot from Hammacher Schlemmer?

I’m not sure how good your throwing arm is, but I’m pretty sure you can hurl those snowballs further with the Snowball Slingshot. With this slingshot you’ll be able to propel a tennis ball sized snowball up to 60 feet. Now that’s a long-range snowball throwing tactical advantage when you’re engaged on the winter battlefield.

Snowball battlefield maneuvers are fun and easy with the Snowball Slingshot. Just place a tennis ball sized snowball in the slingshot’s muzzle. Draw back the handle-powered medical-grade elastic tubing. Release the handle trigger and launch your snowball at the enemy opposing forces. They’ll retreat or surrender, begging for mercy. Of course, if the opposing team have the Snowball Slingshot as well, then you’re probably looking at a fair fight.

The tactical battlefield opportunities are unlimited with the Snowball Slingshot. For example, you can improve your stealthy snowball salvo attacks while you remain unseen by launching the snowball over the crest of a hill.

The Snowball Slingshot is made of durable, polypropylene and styrene-based plastic that withstands the will stand up to all that rigorous winter play. And if you’re not quite the sharpshooter yet, it includes a target for practicing your snowball slingshot shooting skills. Great winter fun for ages 8 and up.

Available: Hammacher

Price: $39.95

RC Solar Car – Eco Friendly Solar Rechargeable Remote Control Car

Every child has a favorite toy. For little girls, it’s probably a doll or a teddy bear. On the other hand, the boys typically go more for cars, trucks and guns. One toy, however, is a big hit with boys and girls alike. For that matter, even adults can’t help playing with RC Toys (remote controlled or sometimes referred to as radio controlled toys).  There’s an unspoken thrill and excitement to be able to control a small object and make it speed around the house as fast as its wheels can take it.

The one downside with these RC toys perhaps is that they tend to chew up a lot of batteries. And that’s not too eco-friendly, or easy on the pocketbook.

As an alternative, check out the RC Solar Car – a solar rechargeable remote control car. This bright yellow solar car is powered by the sun’s rays which are absorbed by a solar panel located on the roof of the car. And when you don’t have a suitable solar light source available, the RC Solar Car can also be re-charged from a USB port (a USB cable is included). Even the remote control panel also charges using the solar panel on the car, simply plug the remote control panel into the port on the car’s back bumper and it will re-charge from the solar panel as well.

With the RC Solar Car, you have full maneuverability from the remote with forward/reverse and left/right steering control. The RC Solar Car is recommended for kids eight years of age and up. But don’t kid yourself, the adults can’t keep their hands off this little amusement either (must be the kid in all of us). And what better way to teach your kids about environmental responsibility with this eco-friendly RC car at the same time.

RC Solar Car – Charging and Play Times

Solar Charge:

• 30 minutes solar charge  gives you 5 minutes of power
• 1 hour solar charge gives you 10 minutes of power
• 2 hours solar charge gives you 15 minutes of power

USB Charge:

• 1 hour USB charge gives you 20 minutes of  play time

 

Get the RC Solar Car that runs on sunshine. Very affordable at a price of £24.99, your kids will enjoy hours of entertainment, and you’ll enjoy the savings when you don’t have to buy or replace all of those batteries.

Available: IWantOneOfThose

Price: £24.99