Chris Pirillo » toy

LEGO Minifigures: Series 3

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:57:46 +0000

Since 1949, LEGO has been giving collectors and enthusiasts the opportunity to design and create virtually anything they can imagine. This tradition continues with the LEGO Minifigures: Series 3. 16 unique minifigures make up this edition, expanding on the collection the first two series started. Their inspiration comes from movies, sports, history, and even regular everyday life.

The tennis player carries her racket with a confident smirk. She’s donned in a white tennis outfit with blue trim.

The Hula Dancer brings life to any party with her grass skirt and maracas.

The Space Alien has a big green head with bulging black eyes. His purple space suit matches the beam coming out of his ray gun. Rumor has it he wants to take over the world, but just hasn’t found the time to, yet.

The Samurai wields a massive katana, wears an impressive set of armor, and looks absolutely serious all the time. Under the armor, he’s wearing a maroon kimono.

The Sumo Wrestler is a real award winner. No, really, he has a trophy with him so all will know how impressive his skills in the ring really are. Even though this immovable object has a permanent frown, he is always happy to stop and sign autographs.

The Rapper comes complete with a giant boom box, microphone, and a matching cap. While he may not be the next Kevin Federline, he certainly looks the part.

The fisherman has caught a big fish, and it is nearly as long as impressive as his beard. He appears to be a jolly old fella with tons of stories to tell.

The Tribal Chief comes complete with a giant ceremonial headdress and a deadly looking spear.

The Snowboarder has her own snowboard and helmet, which matches a pretty fancy looking snowsuit.

The Elf, LEGOlas, is a master archer with arrows as pointy as their ears. Should an enemy get too close, though, his shield is on hand to protect him from danger.

The Race car Driver has a winning smile, and a protective helmet that doesn’t quite fit over his hair.

The Pilot comes with an aviator hat and goggles. He looks warm in his flight jacket.

The Baseball Player is in uniform and ready to play with bat in hand. The only question is, “Who are the Clutchers?”

The Mummy is all wrapped up in being one scary dude. His white wrappings appear to be covering up a terrible skin condition.

The Space Villain resembles a cross between a Borg and a pirate captain. His peg leg and phaser complete a package of pure evil that may rival even the fiercest of the Sith.

This brings us to the final LEGO Minifigure, Gorilla Suit Guy. He may be sweating it out inside a giant monkey costume, but that doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate a good banana.

Behind the Stormtrooper Mask is a LEGO Geek

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 03:25:55 +0000

Per the Minifig Me company, I have my own face on a LEGO minifig:

Granted, I’m sporting a Stormtrooper body… largely, because the head is peach-colored and most of my minifigure arms have yellow hands. I’m on the lookout for better options.

Is McDonalds Creepy?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:06:50 +0000

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According to the Consumerist a few weeks back, the Center for Science in the Public Interest threatened to sue McDonalds for putting toys in Happy Meals. Apparently, they don’t like the idea of McDonalds enticing little boys and girls with toys. The director of the company stated that: “Tempting kids with toys is unfair and deceptive, both to kids who don’t understand the concept of advertising, and to their parents, who have to put up with their nagging children.”

Wait. What? Why are they targeting McDonalds only? Does the CSPI plan to sue EVERY restauraunt who places a toy in their kid’s meals? The last time I checked, most places do this. Why is this so wrong? It gives me the creeps to know that some idiot at the CSPI thinks this way… likening Mickey D’s to a child predator. Seriously?

McDonalds responded, stating they are not like the “standers in the playground handing out candy to children.” Rock on Ronald! Don’t give in to someone who is simply trying to make a name for themselves by filing an idiotic lawsuit against a big company.

What do you think? Is McDonalds really creepy, or is this lawsuit the culprit?

Thanks, Lamarr, for a fantastic video once again!

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Adults Love the Star Wars AT-AT

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:02:37 +0000

Patrick Boivin only wanted two things when he was a kid: a puppy and an AT-AT Walker. I can totally understand his plight. I am addicted to all things Star Wars myself – in case you didn’t know.

Now that he’s a grownup, Patrick has his beloved AT-AT… and a “puppy.”

I Like LEGO

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:20:24 +0000

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A Danish caller the other night actually gave me a choice of topics to discuss. He threw out LEGO, windmills, politicians on Facebook and journalism for me to choose from. I ruled out politics immediately. If you get me going on that, I will never stop. I don’t know much about windmills, and the chat room went insane wanting to talk about LEGO bricks. LEGO it is!

It’s no secret that I’m a LEGO fanatic. LEGO is actually a term that came from the Danish people for those of you who didn’t know. Loosely translated, it means that you’re having a good time playing. Isn’t that the truth?

I still remember opening my first LEGO set when I was a kid. I thought it was something new and interesting and I couldn’t wait to get to work on building things. I don’t know what drew me to that universe when it wasn’t even as large as it is today. I love the way the kits have evolved over the years – and I’m addicted to minifigs.

Part of the attraction is the nostalgia factor because I have loved them for so many years. There is, of course, a sense of accomplishment once you have finished building. I admit that I always follow the instructions. I’m just anal that way. I’ve know a few people, though, who have replicated my home office in LEGO bricks. It blows my mind to see people freestyle build things that way. I would love to meet someone who could put together a kit (and instructions) to build my home office. How cool would that be? I’d love to build it myself.

LEGO to me is like Zen. I can zone out while I build and really relax. I don’t get to do that often, so I welcome any opportunity that comes my way. How many of you are LEGO fans? It’s okay to admit that you still love to build as an adult, I promise.

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Bring Your Own Big Wheel on Easter

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 10:05:37 +0000

Once again, San Francisco will be home to the annual Bring Your Own Big Wheel race on Sunday. Several dozen participants will risk humiliation (and serious bodily injury!) racing their big wheels down the streets of the hilly city.

Begun in 2000 by John Brumit, the event was originally held on SF’s famous Lombard Street until its increased popularity necessitated the move to Vermont Street. This year, the race is being held down Potrero Hill and promises to be one of the most exciting events yet.

Over the years, LaughingSquid has captured some awesome photos of this event. Many of the participants show up in costumes, which brings even more hilarity and fun to the day. Throngs of people line the streets to cheer for friends, family members and their favorite costumed character.

If I were in San Fran this weekend, this is something I could totally get involved with. Can’t you just see me speeding down that hill at breakneck speed on a flimsy plastic “bike” made for little kids? Yeah, I can’t see it either. I think I’d do better watching from the sidelines.

This is definitely one time when I won’t be telling anyone to break a leg.

LEGO Games

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:39:48 +0000

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Part of the geek experience is playing with LEGO. I took the bricks for granted, as some people (like Imei) have never played with them at all. This was her first time – caught on tape. Actually, it was caught on Memory Stick.

LEGO is serious business for most of us Geeks. We GET it, you know? You don’t need to have a set of directions, or a particular build in mind. You just dump out your bricks and build whatever is in your mind! It’s almost like a Zen experience for me!

What was your first LEGO experience?

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What Was Your Favorite Childhood Toy?

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:51:57 +0000

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I remember playing with an original Lite Brite when I was a kid. My brothers and I would spend hours on end creating different pieces of artwork. You could use the pre-made sheets to guide you, or create something right out of your own imagination! Nowadays, you can play with the new Lite Brite Cube! Create something different on all four sides, or go with a theme. The only limits are those within your own mind! I’m very grateful that ThinkGeek sent this to me to review.

The Cube comes with two storage drawers to hold all of your pegs. You can, of course, buy extra pegs – just in case you happen to lose some! One child can create four different scenes, or keep all the little ones busy at once! There’s a carry handle on the top of the cube for easy transport. Just a word of caution, though… I’d put a piece of tape on those drawers when you move the Cube around. They come out pretty easily, and it’s impossible to find all those little pegs on the floor if they spill!

Wicket and Pixie both want to try to create a picture for me for Christmas. The problem is that they lack opposable thumbs! I don’t think they’ll be able to pick up these little pegs and stick them in the slots. Oh, well. I’m sure they’ll come up with something else to get into.

What childhood toys do you remember playing with? What was your all-time favorite?!

[awsbullet:lite brite cube]

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Korg Kaossilator for Easy Music Creation

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:16:18 +0000

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My latest musical gadget is the Korg KAOSSILATOR. It’s a dynamic phrase synthesizer. Anyone can instantly play musical phrases by simply tapping or sliding their finger across the KAOSSILATOR’s Touch Pad.

This pocket sized music synthesizer is like nothing we’ve seen before. Rather than using keys or buttons to play musical notes, the Kaossilator features a revolutionary touchpad design. Move your finger from left to right to change the pitch of the note, and up and down to change the sound. But musical sounds are only the beginning, the Kaossilator can also be used like a drum kit with dozens of built in beats and drum sounds. Plus you get some amazing sound effects from laser blasts to Pac Man. You can put everything to good use with the built-in loop recording feature which lets you layer virtually unlimited tracks to create complex songs combining lead instruments, drum beats and sound effects together.

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The Widget Gadget Gizmo Desklet Thingamajig (Chumby!)

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:10:32 +0000

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That’s right… it’s Chumby! This is definitely going to be a huge hit, and the favorite new gadget of many Geeks. I am having a lot of fun playing with the Chumby… and so are all the people in our live community!

The Chumby is a compact device that displays useful and entertaining information from the web using your wireless internet connection. Always on, it shows — nonstop — what’s online that matters to you. What can you do with a Chumby? The question is… what CAN’T you do with it?

Catch the latest news headlines, sports, weather, stock prices.
Play your iPod mp3 files through built in speakers. Charge it too.
Enjoy your Flickr and Facebook photos as a digital picture frame.
Stay updated on new Netflix releases or view your movie queue.
Make and share e-greetings, photo mash-ups, goofy animations.
Wake up to the multi-tone alarm clock.
Track any eBay auction or Craigslist item.
Monitor incoming email on any POP3 account.

The coolest thing is that I have my Chumby sitting on my desk, and it’s now tuned in to my live chat. Any regular voiced user or channel op can type a message, and it will display directly on my Chumby! At only $179.99, it’s a great way to stay connected and have some fun at the same time.

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Remote Control Robot: Dalek from Doctor Who

Chris Pirillo — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 08:05:41 +0000

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My friend Willie over at ThinkGeek sent me the new Dalek Robot to play with. If you know much about Dr. Who, you’ll know what a Dalek is. It’s remote control, and fun to play with!

Doctor Who is a guilty pleasure in the US and an obsession in the UK. Amazingly the show is still being produced today with the tenth successive Doctor now in play. Of course we all know the Daleks are the real stars of Doctor Who. With a toilet plunger in one hand and a elongated egg beater in the other, Daleks are some of the deadliest cyborgs in the galaxy. Bitter from being mutated by radiation and stuffed inside an inferior robot body, the Kaled people hate the Doctor (and staircases) and are bent on universal domination… and who can blame them really? Finally you too can act out your Dalek fantasies with these detailed R/C replicas. Each R/C Dalek stands 12 inches high and is happiest when gliding around your home shouting “EX-TER-MIN-ATE!” and hunting for the Doctor. Complete with tank-like controls and digitized grating dalek voices you’ll feel just like you’re in your own low-budget BBC telly show.

Dalek features include:

Authentic Detailed R/C Dalek Stands 12″ High
Powered Rotating Head
Moving Laser Turret
Flashing “Eye” Lights and Gun Turret
Two Channel R/C with Tank like Controls
8 Dalek sound samples including speech and exterminator gun sound
Directly control sound effects from buttons on the remote

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i-Sobot Robot Toy Review

Chris Pirillo — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 07:45:46 +0000

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Awhile back, I had a toy robot that I never even took out of the box. It was huge, and took like 75 D batteries to operate. The great people over at ThinkGeek sent me one of their new i-SOBOTs to play with. This thing is definitely addictive… and now will be a regular part of my show.

The i-SOBOT robot is just amazing and fun. The I-SOBOT is the big brother of the Omnibot robot you may remember from the 80′s. Frankly there isn’t much of a family resemblance. With 17 servo motors and amazing lifelike movement the i-SOBOT is more like a mini version of some futuristic robotic race destined to be our masters. The i-SOBOT can be directly controlled via the included remote to walk and perform dozens of complex motions. He can balance on one leg, do a handstand and get up from almost any position. String commands together to record more complex performances, or you can use the “Special Action Mode” to be wowed by one of i-SOBOTS intricate built in motion routines. i-SOBOT can also understand 10 different voice commands and speaks using over 200 words and phrases.

i-Sobot has Four operation Modes

Remote Control Mode Movements can be controlled directly using joy sticks and command buttons. He can also perform hundreds of amazing pre-programmed actions using short button codes.
Programming Mode Program a sequence of up to 80 actions, then easily play the sequence back with the push of a button.
Special Action Mode Command i-SOBOT to play air guitar, impersonate a movie character, or perform any of 18 pre-programmed special actions.
Voice Command Mode i-SOBOT recognizes 10 voice commands, reacting with dozens of appropriate but unpredictable actions.

As far as just playing with this robot, I give it an A+. The only downside I’ve seen so far is the fact that in order to install the batteries, you must have a precision screwdriver. If you don’t happen to have one, you’re…. well… precisionally screwdrivered. So for that fact, I give the setting-up of the i-SOBOT a B. Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

Ponzi’s Garbage Pail Kids

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 27 May 2006 23:10:07 +0000

Ponzi’s going to be a Garbage Pail Kid!!! Yes, you all know my fascination with Garbage Pail Kids (even though I’m still mising Bonus Card B5, COLE Gate). A few weeks ago, I emailed Luis Diaz with a small request: that he create a GPK incorporating Ponzi’s two names (well, “Ponzi” is just her nickname – with Latthanapon being her birth name). You see, as I was going through ANS5, she lamented that they never have any GPKs with her name on them. I thought: “Let me see if I can commission an artist to surprise her.” Sure enough, Luis will create a GPK just for you (different options at different prices). He whipped up this sketch:

This will be made into two separate cards: Piercing PONZI and Lust-Upon LATTHANAPON. And today, did a series of watercolors for us to choose from (yes, I couldn’t hold the surprise back when the original pencil GPK sketch came in). We picked the upper far right and the lower far left – which will be arriving in traditional Garbage Pail Kids sticker dimensions soon enough. This is just too cool:

These cards will be priceless! I may ask him to go back and render a full-color version of one of ‘em to make it look like a genuine GPK. Maybe I’ll just commission another one? What about… WINER Diner, Noble SCOBLE, KEVIN Rosey, Scary ARRINGTON, RUBEL Yell, Tin CANTER, PIRILLO Armadillo, Messy MESSINA, or PONZI Screams? Those would be perfect giveaways at Gnomedex.