The best of Toy Fair

From swimming balloon sharks to iPhone telescopes and Segway-style unicycles, we round up the best high-tech gadgets of Toy Fair 2011.

        Not all high-tech these days is serious. This week is the annual Toy Fair at the Javits Center in New York, where toy companies from around the world show off the coolest high-tech toys you’ve never seen. Here’s some of the somewhat frivolous – but far more fun – technology we found on, and above, the show floor.

 

 

 

 

Exotic Bike Materials High Tech Motorcycle

        Is it just us, or is the future not as good as it used to be? When we were kids, science programs were full of predictions for the not-so-distant future. By now we should all have jetpacks on our backs, chicken dinners in a pill and holidays on the moon. Instead, we've got choked freeways, KFC in a bucket and vacations in Florida.

        It's kind of the same in bike technology. Okay, we've got stacks of electronic gizmos these days, but apart from that the bikes we're riding about on today aren't a whole world away from the "motor-sickles" your dad might have dreamed of in the 1970s.

We're not, for one second, saying that the performance of a 2010 Honda CBR1000RR isn't better than a 1970 Honda CB750. But take a close look at the basic materials used and you'll find they're remarkably similar: aluminum engine cases, forged steel crankshaft and con-rods, aluminum fork tubes and steel springs in the forks and rear shock. Okay the new bike has an aluminum frame compared with the steel tubes of the CB750, and it's swathed in acres of swoopy plastic bodywork. But plastics aside, there are no exotic materials used in the CBR1000RR. Rather, those same materials have been refined, optimized and tweaked, then used to produce more performance, reliability and longevity.

        But what other materials could bike firms be using? What's the amazing future we might have to look forward to? Here are a few ideas on what your grandson might find on his stunt bike...

Read more:  

http://www.superstreetbike.com/howtos/1006_sbkp_exotic_sportbike_materials/index.html#ixzz1S8Sh5p7w

The high-speed sports car that turns into a boat at a touch of a button

        It's the sort of car that any self-respecting secret agent would be proud to be seen in.

This high-speed amphibious sports car can swim, hover above water and it's no slouch when it comes to flat-out speed either.

         At the push of a button a hydraulic mechanism transforms the sports car into a propeller-powered boat.

Scroll down for more...

 

        At the flick of a button the car becomes a speeding hydrofoil

Then an integrated 'hydrofoil' system lifts the car to 'fly' two foot above the water's surface.

The Rinspeed Splash was created by Swiss genius Frank M. Rinderknecht, 48, at his car company Rinspeed.

        Frank says: "It's much more than an agile and lively sports car. It's a really cool and fun sports toy.

"It can reach 125mph on the road and accelerates to 60mph in 5.9 seconds." The water performance is impressive too, with the Splash reaching an impressive 45 knots.

        "That's fast enough for water skiing or knee boarding," said Frank.

 

Sony Ericsson SO902iWP – Waterproof CellPhone

        DoCoMo and Sony Ericsson released a new Waterproof phone the Sony Ericsson SO902iWP+. The waterproof SO902iWP+ can receive calls underwater and comes with an MP3 player and 1.3MP digital camera. That’s right. This phone can receive calls underwater but how do you suppose you’ll listen to it with water in your ear? People who spend a lot of time around water would the target market for this phone such as boaters, lifeguards, and aquarium cleaners. Or perhaps this phone is compatible with those who always drop their phone in toilets or pools.

Wide screen

Hi-tech MP3 shoes

 

        Check out the concept shoe as shown above. It features an integrated CD-ROM, some speakers, tweeters, and a volume control knob to boot (no pun intended). Of course, it might be a little behind the times as most portable MP3 players these days use either a hard drive or flash memory and not CD-ROMs. It would be interesting to see how such a concept can take off in the near future, although I am placing my money on at least three more iPod generations before such footwear becomes possible. It’d be great if there was Bluetooth functionality thrown in for a truly wireless on-the-go audio entertainment solution.

Mahru-Z…Walking Robot Maid!

        Robots are all over the place and we keep updating you with the latest happenings in robo-world. South Korean scientists have developed a walking robot maid called Mahru-Z that does so much more than just lending a helping hand in your daily chores. It recognizes people, can turn on microwave ovens, washing machines and toasters, and also pick up sandwiches, cups or whatever it senses as objects. The institute took about 2 years to develop this 1.3 meters tall and 55 kilogram Robot Maid.