It’s always nice when our old gadgets and toys get some modern upgrades, but some things just should not be changed. The Etch-A-Sketch Freestyle gets rid of the traditional 2 controller knob design in favor of a single knob that can swivel 360 degrees.

I don’t know about you, but somehow this design feels like cheating. Half the fun of the classic version is that it requires some skill to use it. This is no Etch A Sketch.

Put the video games down and play some Portable Air Hockey instead. This is a portable version that comes with an integrated fan within the puck, allowing it to float across a table or flat surface easily. All you need to figure out is how wall off the sides of your table so you aren’t breaking things.

Portable Air Hockey will cost you $14.99. For that price you get a puck, paddles and a set of nets. Sounds like a lot of fun.

[red ferret]

Zombies are constantly in the news these days. Or they would be, if it wasn’t a conspiracy run by the media. Anyhow, with so many zombies on the loose, you have to practice and keep your aim sharp. After all, if you fail to get a headshot, you may get bitten and become one yourself.

Video games are good practice. So is this Zombie Shooting Gallery. Keep it in the office and unleash your fury on tons of undead while killing time as well. You have to kill the zombie that pops out or it eats a human hostage. The zombies will pop in and out faster as it continues.

Race in a Case! Race in a Case! Race in a Case! Race in a Case will race your face. There’s an entire Formula One racetrack in this case. No setup needed. The faster you crank your hand controller, the faster your car goes. Eliminate your opponent with crank ‘em and spank ‘em action.

No electricity required. For $60 you get the set with two 1:59 scale slot cars, cool racing environment and lap counters to help you keep track of who’s cranking faster. The case is only about 18 inches square.

Watch in amazement as your kids say, “Who?” And, “Dad, I don’t get it. Why is this cool?” Kids today may not know who Evel Knievel is, but that isn’t stopping the manufacturer of this kid’s chopper.

It’s the limited-edition replica of the street cruiser ridden by Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel. And if you didn’t know, he set the world record by jumping over 19 cars and a bunch of other stuff, when he wasn’t laying in the hospital moaning.

Alright all you eggheads who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in like ten seconds. Here’s a harder challenge. Meet Bram’s Cube, created by the creator of BitTorrent, Bram Cohen. It offers more of a challenge by incorporating gears into the design.

It’s a two by two Rubik’s Cube, which seems like an easy puzzle to beat, but the gears add another layer of difficulty that is sure to be frustrating. I wouldn’t even know where to start with this thing. Sure you can align the blocks, but then the gears are all out of whack.

Kid’s gadgets are getting more and more interesting each holiday season. I know school just started back for most of the country, but manufacturers are already gearing up for holiday sales with the full shopping season only a few months away.

Jakks Pacific has some of the coolest gadgets for kids around. The company offers the EyeClops Mini Projector that connects to a TV to project games and other images on the wall or ceiling. The coolest gadget is the EyeClops Night Vision Goggles.

Remember that Rubik’s Touchcube that we told you about back in February? Looks like QVC has it first, so if you want to be the first on your block to get one, you better watch.

The touch sensitive, swipe-controlled cube will be available to buy on the Christmas in July segment this weekend. Instead of turning the segments, just swipe a finger in a straight line or an ‘L’ shape. There’s even an accelerometer built into the cube so that only the upwards-facing surfaces respond to your touch.

Why didn’t we have this stuff when I was a kid? Sure, we had Etch A Sketch and Lite-Brite, but kids today have all kinds of cool stuff, like this LED Illuminated Message Board. It’s like a dry erase board. With the appropriate pens you can draw whatever you want on the white display.

After that just hit the switch and the whole thing lights up like a psychedelic chalkboard. That’s sure to get your message across. It can be written on over and over again and will display the colors red, blue, or green.

Rubik’s cube took the world by storm a few decades back. The man behind the cube is now ready to let another creation loose upon the world in the form of the spherical 360. Yes, he has gone as far as possible with cube puzzle technology and has now moved onto a round puzzle.

It’s a see-through sphere with domes on the outside. Within the main structure, there are two more spheres, with balls in the center. The colors of the balls match the little domes. You can already see how this thing will drive you nuts.

Fireworks are awesome. Big booms accompanied by pretty lights are always cool. But alas, indoor fireworks are dangerous. So rainy days tend to be boring. Not anymore. Sega Toys has unveiled the Uchiage Hanabi. Now you can get your fireworks on indoors.

It’s a projector that displays “fireworks” on your walls and ceilings, with realistic movement and sound. You can even create your own fireworks and program your own shows. You won’t feel the booms and you won’t smell the smoke, but at least it’s pretty.

How long have Halo fans waited for these toys? You can now own your very own remote controlled Halo toys. That way, when you aren’t playing the game, it’s like you are playing a new one. There are 3 different toys available at the moment.

You can get the RC Mongoose with Master Chief, the Warthog with 2 figures and the IR Control Flying Hornet. The last one really flies and sadly the preorders are already sold out. The Hornet will cost you $38.99, the Warthog $ 23.99 and the Mongoose $ 23.99. They will all be officially available in August of this year.

The Dareway is a four-wheeled Segway knockoff for kids. Now kids can pretend they have way too much disposable income and Glide down the street in packs, toting briefcases. Kids 5 and up will be the talk of the playground.

The Dareway even dares you to buy it for your kid with its very name. Do you have the guts to make your little one “that kid”? The Dareway is powered by a rechargeable 12V battery and can spin 360 degrees. It only costs about $220. Sure to be dangerous. Dare you?

The coolest thing my Hot Wheels cars ever did was go in loops real fast and lose a little paint with each crash. What you see above is a hot wheels track that was hacked into a margarita dispenser. The track is set up with a series of microswitches and a Basic Stamp 1 board to communicate that your Hot Wheels cars have completed the tricks performed.

That’s when this system rewards you as a 12-volt pump fills up the margarita cup from the pre-mixed gas can full of alcohol. I’m guessing the more you play this game, the funner it gets. It’s the new nerd drinking game of choice for modders and Hot Wheels enthusiasts alike.

Regular pogo sticks just don’t have the serious power needed to make them a truly fun toy. They just don’t bounce that high. The Flybar however, is like a pogo stick on steroids.

That stick you had as a kid? That’s nothing. This baby launches you way higher. I’m talking hopping over cars here. It gives you the ability to do all kinds of dangerous stunts. It operates using amazingly strong elastic bands called rubber thrusters, which increase the bounce height to a full seven feet. And yes, you may order one if you don’t like your neck all connected to your spine, for $320.