Now this is something that I really, really want. It reminds me of a toy I used to have as a child called “Big Trak”. The “Big Trak” was a sort of futuristic tank that you programmed to move around your home by pressing a keypad on the top of it.

Things have definitely moved on from then (it was about 20 years ago!) and I think of the Rovio as a sort of sibling to the Big Trak. They look kind of similar too. But the Rovio is much more advanced obviously. The technology is better these days. Heck, the Internet didn’t even exist!!

So the Rovio has a pretty hefty price tag to go along with it’s great features. £250 is steep for a “toy” robot. But you do get a lot of bang for your buck. It’s not like it’s some sort of simple radio controlled car.

The Rovio has a built in webcam and microphone and is WiFi enabled. You can control it from anywhere in the world with almost any device that is web enabled. It has three wheels that allows for greater movement and built in GPS. Having the built in GPS allows the Rovio to go to any location at the click of a button (I’m wondering if it can climb stairs?).

Obviously the Rovio runs on batteries and it’s intelligent enough to know when it needs to recharge and will find it’s docking station in order to do so. I’m absolutely drooling over this new gadget and it’s going to be difficult to resist temptation and get a hold of one. I will obviously be using PriceGrabber when I give in.

One of the best films of 2008 by far has got to be Wall-E. This cute little robot captured the hearts of children and adults all over the globe. The latest film in the highly successful collaboration between Disney and Pixar, Wall-E is sure to become a huge seller when it comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray later on this month. It actually comes out on the 24th of November if you must know.

Having watched this movie in the cinema I just had to have a figure of Wall-E, so what did I do? Well, I had a look on PriceGrabber and found this Wall-E Transforming Figure. You can transform him in to a cube and back again. In addition to this you can put him in various poses. I decided to get mine because of character research for my SFX Degree. I thought that the Wall-E Transforming Figure would be the ideal gadget to help me build up a portfolio of sketches.

In actual fact it has more to do with me adoring this little fellow. Once you see the film you’ll know what I mean. You’ll not be able to get “Walllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee” out of your head for an absolute age. The Wall-E Transforming Figure will bring you hours of fun and at less than £15 you can’t go wrong.

What does every good student require to get them up in the morning? Yes, that’s right, an alarm clock. And what better way to start your day than with the Wesco Star Wars R2D2 Projection Alarm Clock. This alarm clock will not only tell the time on its LCD display, but will project it on to your wall too. How cool is that. This is a must have gadget for any Star Wars fan. The Wesco Star Wars R2D2 Projection Alarm Clock is £19.99, which is a fantastic price for such a novel way of waking up in the mornings.
R2-D2 has got to be one of the most loved characters from the Star Wars films, and now you can have the loveable robot to wake you up in the mornings.

Sure there are other alarm clocks out there, but are they as much fun as the Wesco Star Wars R2D2 Projection Alarm Clock? There may be other projection alarm clocks, but they’re not R2-D2 are they.

This is still continuing with my theme of back to school, because we’ll all have to start getting up early again soon. Obviously getting up early will be much easier with the Wesco Star Wars R2D2 Projection Alarm Clock projecting the time on to your wall or ceiling. It might even bring a smile to your face.

Is the force strong enough in you young jedi to get up and get ready for school on time?

Robot toys have come a long way in the last few years, they now come in all shapes and sizes and resemble all kinds of different species, from pandas to dragonflies to cats and then dogs. The robot stereotype is no longer R2D2 or Tin-Man-like although the robots are still very, well, robotic! That may be the whole point but what if you wanted a more life-like robot pal, one that didn’t come with red bleeping eyes and didn’t talk like a Kraftwerk record. Well, ironically the most life-like robot of them all has come in the form of a dinosaur. Yes that’s right, a robotic dinosaur. Pleo is his name and he is more of a pet than a robot. He needs nurturing and looking after and of course, he has to be fed!

Pleo starts off his life as a newly hatched Camarasaurus which means that you have to look after him through his younger years, just as you would with a kitten, puppy or child, after all you wouldn’t want him to suffer would you? Pleo can go through four different emotions, Happy and curious, Playful and lively, Scared and surprised and Sad and vexed, each triggered by however you treat him but don’t be a rotter, treat him nice!

Pleo feels hunger and fatigue, he can graze, nap, dilly-dally around on his own and he can change his mind and go through mood swings whenever he feels like it. You can interact with Pleo or rather, he can interact with you using his touch, sight and hearing sensors. He will let you know when he’s hungry, wants to play or just being a needy little dinosaur and wants a cuddle. He comes with his own training leaf that you can feed him with or tease him with depending on how cruel you are but watch out, he might go for your house plants! As Pleo gets older and goes through the evolution process he will be capable of a lot more on his own and will always be looking to learn new things.

If you are fed up with replacing dead goldfish or bored with that lazy rabbit that sleeps in its hutch all day long, go for a different type of pet, go for a robotic pet, go for a Pleo and spend the rest of your days loving this adorable little creature.