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It's been a busy few days for the guys over at RobotsRule. First they got a hands-on look at the "Tri-Bot," successor to the once-beloved Robosapien, and now they've set their sights on "Wrex The Dawg."

The latest creation from WowWee's bot meisters is an ill-mannered toy that's "absolutely terrible at being a dog and even worse at being a robot," the site says, "with an appearance that resembles Frankenstein's Dog if he were assembled from a disjointed set of junkyard parts and a face not even a … Read more

So long, Robosapien. It's been a good run, but face it: When McDonald's starts giving you away with Happy Meals, it's probably a sign that your 15 minute of fame are over.

Enter the "Tri-Bot." WowWee's successor to the groundbreaking Robosapien follows closely in its footsteps with exceptional mobility for a toy robot, except that it has no feet. Instead, it has a three-wheeled base that allows it to turn in any direction at the sharpest angles. The bot made an appearance earlier this year at CES, but RobotsRule has just posted the first … Read more

The way things are going, the desktop could turn into a personal menagerie of robotic creatures. First we had the "Nabaztag," which seemed interesting enough until it revealed its uglier side. Then there was the chirpy "i-Buddy" with its flapping wings. And now we have WowWee's "Chatterbots."

Like its predecessors, these "interactive desktop companions" hook up to the computer and respond when you get e-mail, instant messages, or other communication, as well as remind you of programmed calendar items. As you type certain keywords and phrases they can "let you … Read more

Just when we thought that we'd probably seen the worst game novelty item for awhile, along comes one from a category even more repulsive: magic elixirs.

The "Mana Energy Potion" has been created for World of Warcraft aficionados, not unlike the mystical potable distilled by Suntory to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII. The Mana drink promises to provide "5 to 8 hours of non-stop energy," according to TechFresh, "to experience repeated ecstacies without being exhausted."

It almost sounds illegal. Call us yeller, but we'd be reluctant to ingest anything … Read more

With all the digital pens that are coming to market these days, one might ask whether the world needs yet another smart writing instrument. But unlike some of its competitors, Wow-Pen has a bit of experience on the subject.

Almost exactly a year ago, the Korean company came out with its "Traveler" version, which was really a mouse with an ergonomic design that could be handled like a pen. Now it's releasing its "Digi" model, which also reads and stores what you write through a wireless USB receiver. It can toggle back and forth from … Read more

NEW YORK--While DigitalLife 2007 did see a better turnout than last year according to those who attended both, there wasn't all that much in terms of new tech toys at the show.

Lots of favorites simply continued to make the digital world rounds.

The R2D2 television projector from Nikko was set up to play the famous lightsaber sequences scenes from the Star Wars films.

Lots of people were playing with the Novint Falcon at the Novint Technologies booth. The company announced Thursday that the 3D game controller would be available at CompUSA stores this October for about $239.

WowWee … Read more

NEW YORK--What's black and white and scares me?

The Roboquad robot from WowWee for $99. It's the first robot that's ever startled me or made me nervous. And I loved every minute of the interaction.

I've had the opportunity to meet more sophisticated lifelike robots such as Domo and "Tony X." While some find these humanoid robots unnerving, I've never felt anything toward them but the amused affection one might have for a dog or, say, a Muppet.

The Roboquad is another story.

Watching them in action, these arthropods move so organically that … Read more