Two Brothers Create An Elegant New Toy You'll Want To Steal From Your Kids: My Wooden Horse.

Brothers Netta and Avner Shalgi set out to create a simple, handmade, durable, eco-friendly wooden toy that would combine nostalgia and creativity - and they have succeeded. Now using kickstarter for funding, My Wooden Horse is a beautifully designed functional pull or push toy for children that is also a keepsake in an era when toys lose their shelf life in a matter of years.

LEGO X THE SIMPSONS Launch Minifigs, House Construction Set & Special TV Episode.

This week the LEGO Group announced a new partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products to produce a construction set and licensed LEGO® minifigures inspired by the iconic television series, THE SIMPSONS. In addition, FOX is scheduled to air a special LEGO episode of THE SIMPSONS in May 2014 featuring Springfield and its cast of characters in LEGO form.

Anki DRIVE. Hot Wheels With A Brain Take Gaming To A Whole New Level.

Anki DRIVE is a racing game like no other. It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics to take the best of video games and combine it with the best of physical games. It's a video game in the real world. It's real. It's tangible. You hold the cars in your hand, and the track rolls out on your living room floor.



The company was founded in 2010 by Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute graduates who sought to create new consumer experiences using technology that was once confined to robotics labs and research institutes. Its first product, Anki DRIVE, is now on sale in the United States and Canada.

Anki DRIVE was first introduced to the public in June at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), seen in the video below:


Named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2013 and featured on Fast Company, HuffPo, Mashable and Barron's, it's been heralded as a literal game-changer.



Anki DRIVE uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver the first video game in the real world. Each car has been engineered to think: It knows where it is, makes decisions, and drives itself. Using your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or iPad mini you can take control of a car to play against friends or AI cars. But watch your back. Anki DRIVE AI cars have been designed to take you out.


above: the $199.99 starter kit comes with the two cars shown above

To experience Anki DRIVE each player must have an iPhone 4S or later, iPod touch (5th generation) or later, iPad 3 or later, or iPad mini or later.


above: Anki DRIVE can be controlled with the iPhone, iPad, iPhone Touch and iPad Mini

With slight aesthetic and technological changes since last June, you can now play Anki DRIVE against your friends, or against an AI-enabled opponent. The more you race, the more points you earn, which you redeem to upgrade your cars' weapons and capabilities. Each one starts with unique skills. Your upgrade choices further customize the car to make it your own.



Highlights:
• You can play Anki DRIVE against your friends, or against an AI–enabled opponent.
• The AI cars own the road; they know your every move—and the more you drive, the more they evolve.
• Similar to a video game, your character evolves over time. The more you race, the more points you earn, which you redeem to upgrade your cars' weapons and capabilities.
• Up to four vehicles can play at once; you and friends use iOS devices to control one to four of the cars. AI controls any cars you don't control.
• Anki DRIVE includes a physical track that rolls out to 3.5 by 8.5 feet and is intended for use indoors.
• You can place the track on any flat surface, though flooring or a low-pile carpet works best.
• Anki DRIVE is suitable for all ages capable of navigating an iOS device.

WHAT'S INSIDE THE STARTER KIT:



• 2 Intelligent Cars + Charging Cases
• 3.5’ x 8.5’ Race Mat
• Fast Charger

To take control of a car, download the free Anki DRIVE app with one of the following:
• iPhone® 4s or newer
• iPod touch® 5th generation or newer
• iPad® 3 or newer
• iPad mini

$199.99, buy it here

Learn more about Anki technology at www.anki.com and stay tuned for more Anki DRIVE™ updates by liking them on Facebook  and following them on Twitter (@anki).

To get the free iPhone app and take a closer look at Anki DRIVE™, go to: www.appstore.com/ankidrive

The 25 Classiest Ron Burgundy Anchorman 2 Products From Undies To Whiskey.

With Anchorman 2: The Legend Returns opening in theaters December 20th, just about everyone will recognize the mustachioed suit-clad character Ron Burgundy, whether they've ever seen Will Ferrell in the role or not. That's because the promotional tie-ins with Paramount Pictures upcoming film are, as Ron would say, "Kind of a Big Deal."



From shilling for Dodge as their Durango spokesman to his own branded whiskey, the character has inspired everything from a Ben and Jerry Scotch-flavored ice cream to Jockey briefs. Action Figures, LEGO Mini figs, Replica Coats, Panther Sex Cologne and more. Here's a look at the best of the bunch.

JOCKEY ANCHORMAN BRIEFS


Jockey has launched 100% cotton briefs briefs as The Stuff legends Are Made Of with a unique Y-front® fly that provides ample support for your little anchorman in stylish colors that say "I'm kind of a big deal!" - Ron Burgundy.



“Jockey had one of the legendary ad campaigns of the early ‘80s, and the new movie hilariously depicts pop culture of that time,” said LeeAnne Stables, President of Consumer Products at Paramount Pictures. “Producing this limited edition line is a way to extend the fun and anticipation for the film to fans of the movie and the Jockey brand.”
You can buy the Jockey® Low-Rise Y-front® Brief Style #9008 here

BEN AND JERRY'S SCOTCHY SCOTCH SCOTCH ICE CREAM


Created in honor of beloved Ron Burgundy, the TV news anchor with a penchant for all things scotch, the flavor is a creamy concoction of butterscotch ice cream with ribbons of butterscotch swirl.

“Scotchy, Scotch, Scotch is a delicious ice cream and I hope Ben and Jerry consider my other suggestions,” said Ron Burgundy. “Malt liquor marshmallow, well liquor bourbon peanut butter, and cheap white wine sherbet."

“Having Ben & Jerry’s celebrate the return of Ron Burgundy to the big screen with the introduction of this special ice cream is an exciting and delicious way to build anticipation for the film,” said LeeAnne Stables, President of Consumer Products at Paramount Pictures. “We especially enjoyed the sampling process over the last several months to find the perfect Scotchy scotch flavor.”

Scotchy Scotch Scotch is available now at participating scoop shops across the country. Pints of the flavor will arrive on store shelves over the next few weeks. You can use their online locator to find the flavor near you.

RON BURGUNDY WHISKEY


Ron Burgundy Great Odin's Raven Special Reserve Whiskey is crafted and bottled in Scotland from a 60% malt and 40% grain blend by Old St. Andrews Distillery, featuring whiskies from Speyside, Highlands and Islay.


It's available from Riviera Imports across the US, Canada and other countries. If you don't see your home state or country listed here, please contact us at Info@RivieraImports.com


RON BURGUNDY ANCHORMAN 2 REPLICA LEATHER COAT


I love that this product is available! This Ron Burgundy Shearling Collar leather Coat is an exact replica by American Leather Jacket from the Anchorman 2 The Legend Continues Movie.


•100% Genuine Leather
•Shearling Collar
•Front Button Closure
•Two Flap Pockets
•Two Inside Pockets
buy it here

RON BURGUNDY BUST, ACTION FIGURES, BOBBLE HEADS, BOTTLE OPENERS AND MORE

Anchorman Ron Burgundy 7" Bust:


A faux-bronze bust, made of heavyweight polyresin, measures 7 inches tall and includes a name plate with the Anchorman's full name: "Ronald Joseph Aaron Burgundy"
Buy the Anchorman Ron Burgundy 7" Bust

Anchorman Talking Ron 13" Figure [Explicit Language]:

Features Scotchy Scotch Vision and a LOT of cool accessories! Measures 13" Tall
This amazing action figure states 12 of Ron Burgundy's wisest gems that have been archived as future instructions for his innumerable progeny:
"I'm very important; I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany" (The language may not be appropriate for young children)
Buy the Anchorman Talking Ron 13" Figure [Explicit Language]

Anchorman Battle Ready Ron 8" Figure:

•13 points of articulation
•Measures 8 Inch tall
•Features custom tailored suit and battle weapon!
buy the Anchorman Battle Ready Ron 8" Figure

Shop More Anchorman Toys and Items Here

RON THE ANCHORMAN - miniBIGS Custom Minifigure:


Made by MiniBIGS in Warren, Michigan, it's not an official LEGO product but is made from Genuine LEGO Minifigure Elements and can be purchased for $20 here

BRIAN FANTANA'S SEX PANTHER COLOGNE (with Growl Carton):

Made by Omni Consumer Products and officially licensed from the movie, Sex Panther Cologne is the most awesome cologne ever made in the history of the entire world. Scientifically engineered from space age petroleum distillates and animal byproducts, 60% of the time, it works every time. Unleash your inner animal! Carton package actually growls when you open it!


Sex Panther Cologne lures you in with clean and refreshing top notes of juniper and fresh air accord while the heart contains lavender and sensual musk. As the cologne evolves it turns warmer as it envelopes you with masculine notes of cedarwood and sandalwood.
Notes: Fresh Air Accord, Juniper, Lavender, Sensual Musk, Cedarwood, Sandalwood
Style: Fun. Masculine. Animalistic
Category: Fougere (Aromatic)
Made in the USA
buy it here

ANCHORMAN MUSTACHE AND WALLET SET

Anchorman Mustache & Bifold Wallet Set. Keep it classy world when you have this officially licensed Anchorman Mustache & Bifold Wallet Set. Brown bifold wallet features white screen printed lettering and comes complete with an officially Ron Burgundy mustache. Officially Licensed.
buy it here

T-SHIRTS, POSTERS, HATS and MORE from PARAMOUNT PICTURES


Of course, Paramount Pictures has their own slew of products. T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, messenger bags, water bottles, mobile phone cases, hats, stainless steel flasks and more bearing some of Ron Burgundy's most famous quotes from "I love lamp" to "Stay Classy San Diego"


Shop for the above items here

Hot Topic is another official partner with the movie and has a few items such as a talking pen, rubber bracelets and t-shirts:

buy the above items here

And of course, his biography, Let Me Off at the Top!: My Classy Life and Other Musings


TRIVIA:
The actual Ron Burgundy suit (below) from the original movie was auctioned and sold for a whopping $22,500 through liveauctioneers.com and was described as the following in the auction catalog:

WILL FERRELL “RON BURGUNDY” COSTUME FROM ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY - (DreamWorks, 2004) This is pompous but loveable newscaster Ron Burgundy’s (as played by Will Ferrell) signature suit from the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. The costume consists of a bright red Polyester blazer, white button-down shirt and blue and white striped power tie. Faux-wood plastic buttons ornament the loud jacket on the front closure, cuffs and hip pockets. Matching red pants end in bellbottoms. A pair of stark, Pat Boone-white, stitched leather loafers with black rubber soles completes the ensemble. Will Ferrell wears this signature suit throughout the hilarious comedy and in key publicity and ad media. A rare and stunning signature costume from a favorite American comedy, endearing comic character and comedian.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues


With the ‘70s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” Also back for more are Ron’s co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) – all of whom won’t make it easy to stay classy… while taking New York and the nation’s first 24-hour news channel by storm. Produced by Judd Apatow, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Written by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay. Directed by Adam McKay.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Official Site

images courtesy of Jockey, Riviera Imports, Paramount, Omni Consumer Products, and the other manufacturers listed in this post.

Mensch On a Bench Gives Elf On A Shelf Some Company.

Originally I was going to title this post "Mensch On A Bench Gives The Elf On A Shelf Some Competition." but given the relatively small amount of Jews and the growing number of mixed marriages, 'company' was a more appropriate term for the new holiday combination book and toy.



NPR reports that during a visit to a store last holiday season, Jewish father Neal Hoffman felt bad telling his son Jake that he couldn't have an The Elf on the Shelf . The widely popular Christmas toy is intended to watch children's behavior for Santa. Hoffman kept thinking, maybe there could be something similar, but rooted in Jewish tradition.


above: Neal Hoffman with the toy inspired by his son.

Hoffman, a former Hasbro employee, decided Mensch on a Bench was the answer. "A mensch means a really good person. It's a person that you strive to be," he says.

He raised more than $20,000, using the crowdfunding website Kickstarter, last spring. Since then, the interest has been tremendous. After the product arrived "we sold out in two weeks," Hoffman tells Michel Martin, host of NPR's Tell Me More.


above: In a few short years, the "Elf on the Shelf" picture book and accompanying elf doll transformed from a local Atlanta phenomenon to a national sensation sold in 12,000+ stores. About 2.5 million had been sold by December 2011.

Hoffman decided early on that Mensch on a Bench wouldn't be just a toy. An accompanying book is inspired by the story of Hanukkah.



In it, a fictional character called Moshe tells Judah and the Maccabees he will watch over the oil while they sleep in the Temple. "They say, oh Moshe, thank you so much. You're such a mensch sitting on that bench, watching over the oil!"


above: Jake Hoffman inspired his father to create Mensch on a Bench.

He also created eight rules for having a mensch. "They range from singing and playing dreidel and doing latkes with your family, to having the mensch watch over your menorah. ... Also, one night of Hanukkah, you're not going to get presents. You're going to go out ... buy presents for somebody in need, and you're going to give them to somebody else."



Mensch on the Bench tells the story of Moshe the Mensch, who was in the temple with the Maccabees when they won the war against the Greeks. There was only enough oil for one night and everyone was exhausted from the war and wanted to go to sleep. But what if the oil went out while the Jews were sleeping?

From the back of the temple, Moshe offered to stay up all night and watch the oil. He would sit on the bench all night. Judah called him a Mensch...and a child joked "The Mensch on the Bench" and so the name stuck.

The Mensch on the Bench book and doll tells the 8 rules of having a Mensch, which are meant to drive more jewish family traditions and re-enforce the values we want to hand down to our children.

The Mensch On A Bench is already sold out on their site, but can be pre-ordered for 2014

Giant LEGO Snowglobe Features 14 London Landmarks For Christmas.

For the past few years, the first LEGO Certified Professional in the UK, Duncan Titmarsh of Bright Bricks, has created large LEGO sculptures for Christmas and displayed them in various public venues in the UK. Last year, it was a giant LEGO Advent Calendar in London's Covent Garden’s West Piazza and in 2011, the World's Larget LEGO Christmas Tree (35 feet tall) displayed at St. Pancras station.









This year, London’s Covent Garden’s West Piazza celebrates the launch of the world’s first LEGO Snow Globe. It features an inflatable snowglobe in which LEGO sculptures of 14 London landmarks including Shakespeare's Globe Theater, the London Eye, The Battersea Power Station and Big Ben are placed. The snowglobe, which can be walked into via an archway, took six people over 75 days to build, used 120,000 LEGO bricks and stands over 3 meters tall.





some close-ups:







The Snow Globe and its festive scene of London will be open to the public free of charge from November 14th to December 22nd.

Duncan speaks about his LEGO Snowglobe:


Images courtesy of Bright Bricks and London Mums Magazine