takaratomy on technabob...

Remember the BowLingual? Released in the early 2000’s, the device claimed that it could translate your dog’s barks into phrases and emotions that told you what your dog was thinking, or how it was feeling. Now the BowLingual has gotten a 2009 upgrade, which actually gives your dog a human voice.

Just place the bark-sensor collar around your pup’s neck,…

Just because you’re a robot in disguise doesn’t mean you have to be huge. These tiny little versions of two popular Transformers autobots prove quite the contrary.

The latest in TakaraTomy’s Robo-Q series, these palm-sized Optimus Prime and Bumblebee robots are just too cute to be capable of any real destruction. Now the picture above doesn’t really give you a…

Fresh off the boat from Japan, these miniature remote control cars let you tool around as the characters from Mario Kart.

These Q-Steer cars from TakaraTomy let drive around using a pocket-size infrared remote control. Each one features the likeness of one of your favorite characters, and they can run on different frequencies so you can race against your friends.…

Space Invaders fans, here’s a fun way to save your spare change – if you happen to live in Japan, that is.

This Space Invaders piggy bank looks just like a miniature cocktail table version of the classic arcade shooter. The 1/6th scale game has a tiny little version of the game on a built-in LCD screen. Just drop a 100 yen…

Back in the late 1980s, a sensation swept the streets of Asia called the “Flower Rock”. The desktop gadget did one thing, and one thing only — it danced to any music that you played near it. Flower Rock 2.0 commemorates the 20th anniversary of the original Flower Rock, giving it a thoroughly modern makeover.

Takara Tomy and Sanyo put…

Imagine an army of tiny little UFOs whizzing around your head. Now imagine that you could be the one controlling them.

TakaraTomy’s mysterious looking QFOs are pint-sized remote controlled hovering spacecraft which spin through the sky. A little propeller mounted on the bottom of a lightweight foam body gives the QFO its flight.

Each one comes with a rechargeable battery…

Put your cash in this bomb-shaped piggy bank and if you’re not a good saver, you’ll be punished. The electronic piggy bank waits for you to add coins too it every day. If you’re not consistent, it’ll explode, sending coins all over your desktop.

If you don’t add coins each and every day, the bank will start to vibrate, flash…

Our friends over at CScout Japan turned me onto this wacky digital camera that straps to your dog’s neck and can automatically snap pictures throughout the course of the doggie day.

TakaraTomy’s Wonderful Shot camera keeps a visual diary of the happenings in your dog’s life by snapping an image every so often. The camera includes a wireless remote control…

I guess news of this Transformers Optimus Prime iPod dock has been floating around for a few months now, but this is the first time I’ve seen up close photos of this fun compact stereo in action.

The dock features an 18-wheeler that provides a place for your iPod and speakers on its bed. At the front of the truck…

Picture yourself lying on the beach, listening to the crashing waves, soaring seagulls and the squawks of far-off dolphins… Now you can bring a bit of that feeling inside your house, thanks to this new gizmo from Japan’s TakaraTomy.

The Healing Theater Umine projects watery blue and green moving images on your ceiling as it plays back digitally recorded sounds…

Bring the solar system into your living room with these floating lights from Japan’s TakaraTomy.

These Fuwarito lamps look like the earth and the moon, but are just simple helium-filled mylar balloons with an LED built into the bottom. Each light comes with a two cans of helium gas and weighted base to keep them from floating away. Turn the…

Fancy yourself an aspiring rock star, but have no instrumental talent? That’s okay, thanks to this new gadget from Japan’s TakaraTomy.

The Air Guitar Pro starts out looking like the end of a guitar neck, but that’s where the resemblance ends. The rest of the guitar is nowhere to be found.
You play the Air Guitar by holding your fingers…

This rather silly invention out of Japan lets you count individual one Yen coins so you can save them up.

The TakaraTomy Life Bank One Yen Counter screws on the top of any bottle, and lets you count up your change.
Now keep in mind that a single Japanese Yen coin is worth just a bit less than a penny,…

This new toy from TakaraTomy Japan features a little humanoid who can fly. The little guy wears a backpack with a helicopter-like set of rotors to propel him into the skies. Special balancing rods keep the whole contraption from flipping over wildly through the air (although that sounds kinda cool.)

The CAUL (Car Action Unit’s Line, whatever that means) Helibot…