Loopz is a slick updated version of Simon Says and is one of the games at Toy Fair I wish I had the opportunity to actually play a full game of.  You use your hands and motion them through the rings to activate the sensors to play.  I was only able to watch the demonstration and check out how the piece of equipment worked before moving on.  It sure looked like everyone there was impressed with this toy/game.

Loopz plays into a few of the different areas that me and my boys enjoy.  Games that involve speed and hand-eye coordination are top notch in our house, but Mattel has also tacked on the memory element and the ability to play solo.  Add all of that together and I think that Mattel will have a hit game on their hands.  Not too much more for me to say since I did not get as much time as I would have liked to play around with Loopz, but I look forward to seeing it when it shows up in the store.

LOOPZ™ Game

Loopz™ is an interactive memory game consisting of four independent semi-circular rings, or “loopz.” Combining music, motion and memory, this game really gets people moving as they match the patterns of light and sound by motioning their hands through the rings as different patterns emerge. As each ring pulsates, players must quickly put their hand through the lit loop to keep the music sequence going. Sound tones and lights continue to lead to more difficult and exciting challenges. An internal counter keeps track of time, completed levels and rates overall performance. Loopz has seven different games and can be played solo or as ”head-to-head” competition.

ARP: $29.99                         Ages: 7+                  Available: June 2010

Earphones are earphones until it comes to my kids, that is where things need to be a bit safer.  Kidzsafe from KonoAudio makes me feel a bit better when I envision our next road trip.  We have two boys and every year we drive down to Hilton Head which is about 15 hours or so.  Last year they both got portable DVD players and what did both of the parents get to hear the whole way down south?  “I can’t hear my DVD cause my brother has his too loud.”  Names left out to protect the guilty.  I would not let my boys have ear phones because who knows how loud they would have put the DVD player, especially since we were both in the front seat and had no real control over the situation.

While at Toy Fair this year, I almost walked right past the Kidzsafe booth, but due to the lucky fact I was waiting for my wife, I got to hear their pitch (all puns intended).  This is one of those accessories that I did not even know that I needed until I saw it.  Kidzsafe is also audiologist recommended so you know that someone has taken a look at this and while I believe that the age range of 6 – 9 is appropriate, I would not be at all upset trying to get a tween to use it as well, because while they should know better they probably do not.  The product itself works great keeping the audio at a safe level even while turning up the volume on the test devices they had at the show.  The actual cord and earphones were also a bit thicker and had a wider “Y” adapter separating the input cable from the earphones themselves.  Looks like they will not tangle as much and even in the rare caes that they did, they look to be much easier to separate.  While I did not see them at the show KonoAudio also makes an eco-friendly bamboo ear bud, pretty cool stuff.

KonoAudio proudly supports: Young Survival Coalition and VH1 Save the Music Foundation.

Protect your childrens ears with Kidzsafe ™ earbuds and headphones which help prevent noise induced hearing loss with Kidzsafe ™safe volume technology.

Kidzsafe earbuds and headphones are compatible with any audio device and no matter how high the device volume is turned up, the volume level will always remain below 85 decibels.

Audiologists and other experts agree that listening above the 85dB threshold is when hearing damage can begin.

For ages 6 – 9. Compatible with all iPod, Zune and other MP3 devices, as well as portable CD and DVD players, Kidzsafe ™headphones give the same high quality frequency and response found in full size headphones. Comfortable ear bud design with three earplug sizes included to ensure perfect fit. Kidzsafe™ products have premium sound powered by KonoAudio ™.

BSCKids got the invite to have a tour of the new products coming from Mattel and I wanted to let everyone know the toy that I am most excited about.  It is the Hot Wheel R/C Stealth Rides.  As it is I have gone through small R/C car after car with my kids hoping to find one that actually controls well, is not made junky and has a decent price point.  Well it seems Mattel was listening to people like me and they will be introducing this new line of Hot Wheels.  If what I just told you was not enough, they have also made the cars collapsible so that they actually fit into the carrying case.  Then the whole toy will fit into your pocket.  Get this, the case is actually your controller. 

It is one thing to have a product that looks cool, but I got a chance to actually try this little R/C marvel out.  It handled real well for the size and I am really sold on the car going flat for storage.  It makes it easy for the kids to take them places, and I bet it also helps out with keeping the toy from getting stepped on because it was not put away.  If you want a bit more traction, you can check out the tank version.  I did not get to play with the tank at the show, but I hope it can climb over some things that the car can not.  This was the toy that I am most looking forward to coming out so I can play with my two boys.  I have included the press gallery below so that you can take a look at the new Hot Wheels R/C Stealth Rides.

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HOT WHEELS^® R/C STEALTH RIDES™ Car Assortment*

Mini but mighty, the Stealth Rides™ R/C vehicles fold flat enough to fit into a carrying case no bigger than a cell phone.  Slide the Stealth Rides™ car out of the case and with the touch of a button transform it into a speedy 3D, fully functioning R/C vehicle.  Using the case, which also doubles as the vehicle’s remote control, boys of all ages gain the ultimate in super cool, super small gadgetry.  This car assortment also features the iconic Batman™ Tumbler.  Utilizing the same slim form factor as the other Stealth Rides™ vehicles, kids can remove the unit from its case and with the touch of a button convert the flat piece into the Batman Tumbler state-of-the-art crime fighting machine. 

ARP: $24.99                         Ages: 6+                    Available: August 2010

HOT WHEELS^® R/C STEALTH RIDES™ THE DARK KNIGHT™ BATMOBILE™

ARP: $24.99                         Ages: 6+                    Available: October 2010

HOT WHEELS^® R/C STEALTH RIDES™ Tank Assortment*

Small enough to fit in a pocket, Stealth Rides™ are engineered to amaze.  These mini but mighty R/C tanks are folded and fit in a slim carrying case.  The case becomes the control for the vehicle – which slips out and transforms from flat to fully functional R/C tank made for gripping and climbing. 

ARP: $24.99                                     Ages: 6+                    Available: August 2010

The Ducki is a product my kids are going to love.  I have gotten so fed up with bath toys that I have banned them from our house.  While at this year’s Toy Fair,  I found the Ducki, finally a bath toy I can live with.  In the past, the bath toys available were impossible to keep clean and would eventually start to form that gross black mold.  This is a classic rubber duck, but it is made with completely safe medical grade material.  If you won’t give your kids bottles and cups with BPA, why would you let them use a bath toy or teething ring with BPA?  It is also PVC and lead free and the extra bonus of being 100% made in the USA.  Because of this special material as well as being able to open it for a thorough cleaning you can say goodbye to the black mold. 

Dano has also just launched a really cute airplane.  The Little Sky Riders fits on most wooden train tracks and  what makes it really special is the downloadable flight patterns you can print out to go with the plane teaches the correct way to form a full set of lower case letters.  We saw the prototype at the fair and look forward to the launch, which I believe is in July.

The DANO Ducki is a unique bath toy and teether made in the United States out of FDA compliant, medical grade materials.  Ducki is BPA, PVC, phthalate free, and CPSIA compliant.  This means that the DANO Ducki is safe for your children and the environment.

Little Sky Riders is an exciting line of toy airplanes from American Toymaker DANO 2.  The adorable modern classics are compatible with most wooden train systems and are proudly made in the USA with FDA compliant material that are PVC, BPA, lead and phthalate free!

Being only weeks away from expecting my 3rd child, I had a focus on baby items at this year’s Toy Fair.  One item I am especially interested in trying is the ERGObaby Carrier.  I had tried two other carriers with my last two children and was not satisfied with either one.  The ERGObaby promises to provide the comfort for me and the support for baby that the other carriers lacked.  The cotton canvas material seems soft yet durable, there is a wide array of soft muted colors to choose from as well as some organic cotton options as well.  

ERGObaby also offers a wide array of accessories with the carrier.  My personal favorite is the sucking pads.  These are removable pads that wrap around the shoulder strap in just the spot that babies would tend to drool on or bite while teething, helping to extend the life of the carrier.  Another great accessory is the matching doll carrier.  This would make a great big sibling gift allowing older children to mimic mom and dad by putting their favorite doll in the carrier. 

After a quick meeting at the ERGObaby booth at Toy Fair, we should be receiving one for review, just in time for our new baby.  Stay tuned.

The TV Hat caught me a bit by surprise at the Toy Fair, as I really was not even looking at the booth when the publicity people started to chat me up.  They offered me a choice of colors and I took a Khaki Visor figuring, why the heck not.  So what we have is a pocket at the end of the hat where you put your video player (fits the Ipod Touch or IPhone perfectly) and a bit of a privacy hood which doubles as a shield from what is going on around you and creates an area where you do not have any glare.  Also there is an adjustable magnifying glass built in to give you the illusion of a larger screen. 

So while I did try out a demo model at the fair the real test happened when I got home.  I let the boys give it a shot while I loaded up a Youtube video of Tom and Jerry.  It is actually pretty cool, not in that it looks like you are watching a 55 inch LCD screen, but it is more than I actually expected.  Now let me give you my opinion of how this product comes in handy and then you can watch the video below (which I can not decide if it is spoofing itself).  The beach is a given, if you want to watch a few shows while you are sitting on the beach with the family and you are not in charge with making sure no one drowns, the TV Hat is a perfect fit.  No glare.  Where else does the TV Hat excel?  Well riding a stationary bike this hat works to keep your hands free while you watch your favorite shows.  I have actually used it for that already, watching a movie while riding the stationary bike.  There are also holes in it if you wanted to use the Iphone to take pictures, I can only imagine what sort of trouble you could get into with that on a beach!  It is not a technological marvel, but it is a darn cool device that is actually quite useful to keep you watching some movies hand free, and glare free.

 

Because my daughter, who is ten, is a Littlest Pet Shop fanatic as well as a shopping fiend, this game is a great addition to our board game collection.  Two to four players, ages 9 and up, can compete as animals – a dog, cat, monkey or bird – who race each other to buy items from each mall store, using treat tokens won from the Food Court along with directions from the electronic console, which operates on three AA batteries (not included).  The console has two voices, a pleasant woman’s voice that tells players how many spaces to move, or to go to the ATM to get more spending money, and a man’s voice that warns when you’ve set off a security alarm or are at a store with a long line or that is out of stock.  The first time we heard the man’s voice it made us jump (“Wow!” he yelled when we pushed the console button) because we were so surprised, then we laughed that a game would make us jump like that.  The console keeps track of each player’s purchases when you swipe your bank card in the right slot – the other slot is the ATM – so if you forget to put a purple check mark marker on your card at each store, the console will let you know when you have bought everything you need to win.  This also keeps players from cheating or arguing over who made which purchases, which is pretty handy for parents who don’t want to hear their kids hollering about that sort of thing, or parents who can’t remember (like me) what they bought because they are too busy trying to keep the cat off the game board.

Each store has a different item to buy, depending on your pet – if you are the dog, you can get a haircut at Squeaky Clean, or designer goggles at Glitter Pet, and you can learn to shake hands at Totally Talented.  We had so much fun playing this that the morning after we bought it and played it for the first time, my daughter woke up asking to play it even before breakfast, which is a big deal for my donut and coffee loving child.  One of our cats – the big fat one – kept interrupting us by stepping on the game board and sitting on our money, but that only added to the fun, even if it made me confused over my purchases, and it was a silly thing to be pulling money from underneath the cat like she was the ATM.  The game board folds up to make a case with a handle to carry it around easily, so you can share the fun with your friends and their participating pets as well. 

This is more fun than we expected, but not a surprise from Hasbro, which continues to keep us entertained.  Littlest Pet Shop fan or not, we think most girls will like this game, and maybe a few boys as well.

A couple of days ago, Justin Bieber rocked the Hollywood Palladium where he performed songs from his first album, My World v1, and we have found some video on the net from it! If you need more Justin performing, over the weekend we posted a bit from his Super Bowl Fan Jam where he sang ‘Baby”. We also posted the B-Roll for that song’s music video.

Justin’s second album, My World 2.0, comes out on March 23rd (check out the album art). Remember. you can catch Justin (and Selena Gomez) this weekend in New York City where he’s hosting Pop-Con!

Selena Gomez was a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last Friday and it was actually a pretty fun bit (highlighted by Fallon prom pictures). They also touched on the recent Emmy win for Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place.

Selena performed “Naturally”, the second single from her album Kiss and Tell which we’ve posted before, and showed you a sneak peek and some images from the video shoot.

Recently we brought you the poster for an upcoming movie starring Gomez, called Ramona & Beezus, and brought you some looks at her new clothing line–Dream Out Loud!

Earlier today we brought you the nominees in the music and television categories, and now we have the choices in the film category! The 23 annual event is led by Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the second film in the franchise, and Monsters vs. Aliens, both of which were nominated in three categories.

The award winners will be announced and aired next month, on March 27th at 8 P.M. on Nickelodeon. Check out the rest of the nominees below!

Favorite Movie

• “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”
• “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
• “The Twilight Saga’s New Moon”
• “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”

Favorite Movie Actor

• Zac Efron
• Taylor Lautner
• Shia LaBeouf
• Tyler Perry

Favorite Movie Actress

• Sandra Bullock
• Miley Cyrus
• Megan Fox
• Zoe Saldana

Favorite Animated Movie

• “A Christmas Carol”
• “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
• “Monsters vs. Aliens”
• “Up”

Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie

• Jim Carrey, “A Christmas Carol”
• Seth Rogen, “Monsters vs Aliens”
• Ray Romano, “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs”
• Reese Witherspoon, “Monsters vs Aliens”