Celebrate Your Geekdom
from Weta:
Bag End has launched!
Available in two versions:
One ultra-desirable limited edition of 1,111 pieces that includes a supremely detailed interior of Bag End. This is set to be a hugely popular piece among The Lord of the Rings collectors the world over. Available to Pre-order Now!
And one open edition without the interior detailing.
from Shout! Factory:
Gabba gabba hey! Two hugely popular Roger Corman rock films that have long been out of print will hit the home-entertainment shelves on May 4, 2010: the Rock ’N’ Roll High School 30th Anniversary Special Edition DVD and Suburbia Collector’s Edition DVD, the first two titles launching the highly anticipated Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment series from Shout! Factory. Newly remastered and available for the first time in Anamorphic widescreen (16:9), Rock ’N’ Roll High School Special Edition and Suburbia Collector’s Edition provide the outrageous candor of teenage angst and nostalgic reverie of a counterculture rock movement that captured the hearts of many generations. With explosive musical performances from the Ramones, T.S.O.L., The Vandals and D.I., and extensive bonus content including all-new interviews and commentary with cast and crew, rare behind-the-scenes footage and much more, these two definitive home entertainment releases from Shout’s Roger Corman’s Cult Classics line are a must-have for Roger Corman fans and film aficionados as well as anyone who remains young at heart. Each DVD title is sold separately and has a suggested retail price of $19.93.
Executive produced by Corman and directed by Allan Arkush (Heroes), Rock ’N’ Roll High School boasts performances by the Ramones and stars P.J. Soles (Halloween) in the lead role of Riff Randell, Vince Van Patten (Hell Night), Clint Howard (Grand Theft Auto), Dey Young (Spaceballs), Mary Woronov (Death Race 2000), Dick Miller (Piranha) and Paul Bartel (Hollywood Boulevard).
Based on Arkush’s own high school fantasy, the 1979 cult film takes place at Vince Lombardi High School — the wildest, most rockin’ high school around! That is, until a thug of a principal, Miss Togar, comes along and tries to make the school a totalitarian state. With the help of the Ramones, the students of Vince Lombardi battle Miss Togar’s iron-fisted rule and take their battle to a truly rockin’ conclusion!
Rock ’N’ Roll High School quickly developed a devoted following after its release in 1979 and became a mainstay of the midnight movie cult circuit. As with films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, audience members began to dress up like the cast and the Ramones for screenings. Arkush, a self-described “unabashed rock ’n’ roll fanatic,” chose the Ramones to star as the film’s musical heroes, as he felt they epitomized pure rock ’n’ roll. As Arkush remembers, “We staged a live, marathon show at the Roxy Theatre that consisted of 22 hours of nonstop Ramones,” and the tireless quartet also wrote two songs for the film: “I Want You Around” and “Rock ’N’ Roll School.” The Ramones were fans of Corman as well. Johnny Ramone said in an interview at the time, “When we found out Roger Corman was behind the picture, we said, sure, we’ll do it because we knew he had a reputation and we knew he made good movies.”
Rock ’N’ Roll High School 30th Anniversary Special Edition
Extensive Special Features Include:
Written and directed by Penelope Spheeris (Wayne’s World), featuring live performances by T.S.O.L., The Vandals and D.I., and starring Bill Coyne, Chris Pederson, Jennifer Clay and Christina Beck, 1984’s Suburbia deftly explores the punk rock generation and follows the unforgettable journey of two teenage boys who escape their unhappy home and join a group of runaways, punks who have banded together to form their own family. Dubbing themselves “The Rejected,” (aka T.R.), the teens have taken squatters’ rights in a filthy, abandoned house, and are bound together by tragedy and punk rock until they’re confronted by the “Citizens Against Crime,” a group of irascible adults from the suburbs who blame the punks for the ruin of their town. During the course of filming, the production used real kids for many parts in addition to professional actors (and includes the acting debut of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea).
Suburbia Collector’s Edition
Special Features Include:
Following the release of the Rock ’N’ Roll High School 30th Anniversary DVD and Suburbia Collector’s Edition DVD, Shout! Factory will continue to present Roger Corman’s Cult Classics home entertainment releases on a monthly basis. Upcoming highlights include Death Race 2000, Battletruck (aka Warlords of the 21st Century), Deathsport, Forbidden World, Galaxy of Terror, Attack of the Crab Monster, Not of This Earth (1957), Piranha and Humanoids from the Deep, among others.
Independent filmmaker-producer Roger Corman’s storied career ranks as one of Hollywood’s most amazing success stories. Having produced more than 350 films and directed 50 others, his influence on American film goes far beyond his own energetic, creative low-budget movies. He is arguably one of Hollywood’s most gifted and masterful filmmakers.
Noted for his keen ability to spot young talent, Corman’s most lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the legion of producers, directors, writers and actors he has fostered, among them: Jack Nicholson, Francis Ford Coppola, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Peter Fonda, Jonathan Demme, Gale Anne Hurd, Diane Ladd, Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Bruce Dern, Talia Shire, Charles Bronson, Joe Dante, Peter Bogdanovich and Sally Kirkland.
from Shout! Factory:
G.I. Joe Season 2.0
For the First Time, the Collectible Complete Second Season That Has Previously Been Unavailable on DVD in a Single Season Set Will Hit the DVD Shelves Nationwide April 27, 2010 from Shout! Factory
Season 2.0 Features Fan Favorite Characters Including Beach Head, Leatherneck, Low Light, Mainframe, Zandar and Zarna!
Arise, Serpentor, arise! General Hawk, Flint, Snake Eyes and the rest of the G.I. Joe team are ready for action in the explosive second season of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. When the members of the G.I. Joe team are caught off guard after a vamped-up Cobra makes a surprise attack, they turn to Sgt. Slaughter and new recruits Beach Head, Blowtorch and Dial Tone to help bring an end to Cobra and their new Emperor, Serpentor.
For the first time ever, the complete second season of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero is available in a stand-alone DVD collection from Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro, Inc. The box set contains 30 episodes of the epic G.I. Joe saga, beginning with the 5-part mini-series Arise, Serpentor, Arise!, and other exciting bonus content, including fan-favorite PSAs, archival Hasbro toy commercials and special featurette Greenshirts: The Legacy of G.I. Joe. A must-have for heroes of all ages, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Season 2.0 4-DVD box set arrives in stores April 27, 2010 and is priced to own at $29.93.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Season 2.0
Synopsis
After Cobra’s countless defeats by the heroic Special Forces unit known as G.I. Joe, the mad super genius Dr. Mindbender seeks to dethrone the maniacal Cobra Commander by genetically combining the DNA of history’s most formidable conquerors. The result is a threat more menacing and power-hungry than Cobra Commander can ever hope to challenge: the mighty Serpentor! Armed with a new master, a new army of Battle Android Troopers (B.A.T.s) and a new set of plans for world domination, Cobra seems unstoppable! That is, of course, unless General Hawk and his team of commandos have anything to say about it. Yo Joe!
Bonus Features Include:
Technical Information
Street Date: April 27, 2010
Packaging: The 4 DVDs are collected in thin packs with a deluxe foil board sleeve with embossed accents
Rating: Not Rated
Suggested Retail Price: $29.93
Running Time: approx. 8 hours
Discs: 4
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Technical Info: English, Stereo.
from Project London:
As the final touches of independent, feature-length effects marvel Project London are now underway, the film is quietly gaining attention among special effects experts and social networking communities all over the world. The virtually no-budget, live action movie features more than 650 vivid, intense visual effects and animations that help drive a compelling story about a boy battling with a moral dilemma in a present day sci-fi epic. Unique to the film’s production is the use of the open-source software, Blender, for the core of all animated visual effects in the film. As Jawbone.tv called it, Project London is likely one of the “most ambitious no-budget effects movie ever.”
“The entire concept of Project London is enough to make anyone excited, from science-fiction fans to software engineers, from movie buffs to post-production artists, and it has,” said Phil McCoy, Project London Executive Producer and founder of Spiral Productions LLC. “An undertaking like this film wouldn’t be possible without a storyteller like Director Ian Hubert, the support of many talented Blender artists, and the more than 250 worldwide volunteer artists and craft people who joined our team.”
Progress and new reveals of Project London are chronicled on the movie’s Web site at projectlondonmovie.com, where, today, the newest teaser clip has been released to the public. The clip introduces fans to the world of Project London and its two significant forces: the London Underground and the Joint Command. The song showcased in the new teaser clip, “Multiply,” is a brand new song by Half Acre Day. It will be featured in the film and available exclusively on the Project London soundtrack.
PROJECT LONDON SYNOPSIS
This is a story about Nebraska Higgins plunging into a world of intrigue and struggle when the Joint Command kills his father, a hero known by his exosuit, Arizona. Seeing a prime opportunity, the London Underground, a rugged band of revolutionaries, recruits Nebraska to join the resistance against the Joint Command. Will Nebraska, who is dealing with the loss of his father, help the government and rat out his father’s associates or join their cause and work to put an end to a secret initiative sponsored by the military wing of the government? Earth’s fate depends on the potential in this young man’s heart.
THE TRIUMVERATE
Project London is led by three entrepreneurs who are feverishly devoted to producing brilliant visual effects around a great story:
Director Ian Hubert
Hubert both wrote and directed Project London, coining the film’s notable tagline, “This movie will eat your planet.” Ian is now leading the post-production charge. While pre-production and production lasted just a few months, post-production with the 650 visual effects has taken nearly two years with help from volunteer artists and the Blender community.
“This massive undertaking would never have been possible without the incredible support of all the artists lending their skills and creativity to the project,” Hubert said. “I’ve been surrounded by so many talented people, and each one brought their own piece of life and creativity to the film. It’s a really organic process. It’s great seeing all of these pieces come together from so many different avenues. We’ve thrown everything we have into making this a really fun movie experience, and I can’t wait to be able to watch the finished product with everyone.”
Hubert first started making films in the fourth grade when he adopted an old Japanese camcorder and started playing with CG effects and movies. By the time he reached high school, he was making a feature-length film each year.
Executive Producers, The McCoy Brothers
The McCoy Brothers, Phil and Nathan, teamed up to produce Project London, as their unique skills and passions created a solid working foundation for the film. Nathan finally has a vehicle to let his inner sci-fi geek take complete control. Outside of his day job, he tapped into his thousands of hours watching sci-fi masterpieces by acting as location manager and volunteer staff recruiter during the production phase of Project London. Before founding Spiral Productions LLC to produce Project London, Phil joined the world of showbiz as an ambitious young entertainer by producing a number of neighborhood magic shows before honing his skills as a broadcast producer writing, producing and directing radio and TV commercials and industrial films, earning several industry accolades along the way.
THE RESISTANCE
While details of anticipated Hollywood films are generally kept quiet then strategically leaked by direction of expensive marketing firms and focus group surveys, producers of Project London are taking a more sensible, yet bold approach to promoting the film.
“We want to share the build up of the movie’s release with the fans of Project London and, in turn, let them share their experiences with their friends and so on,” Phil McCoy said. “In fact, we are working on a program that will reward the fans that help spread the word through articles, blogs, etc. by giving them a film credit. It’s a way to involve the people who want to be involved with the film.”
Upon its release, The McCoy Brothers are planning to release the film on iTunes and Netflix, and sell Blu-ray and DVD disks directly from the official movie Web site, projectlondonmovie.com, along with other merchandise and exclusive packages aimed at filmmakers and film lovers. Spiral Productions LLC has also just given creative license to artist Branson Anderson to create a graphic novel based on Hubert’s script of Project London. This will also be available through the Web site.
“I’m totally pumped to see this thing come together!” Hubert exclaimed about Anderson’s novel. “Everything I’ve seen so far has just been brilliant. Branson’s a master of subtlety, but also knows when to bring out the big guns — this is going to be an incredible piece of art, able to stand on its own as an exemplary piece of work in the medium.”
from Weta:
Codswallop! Doctor Tremont is at it again. Not content with the direction Earth’s Venusian campaign is taking, he’s been seen through the sooty window panes of his laboratory hugging his knees, rocking back and forth chanting barely coherent phrases in something that resembles Nedderdüütsch. Or possibly plain German. We have no doubt something will be revealed next week, as he has hung a sign on his door bearing the inscription “Fischen gegangen — zurück Dienstag”. We shall keep you posted by carrier pigeon. So don’t bloody cook or eat it this time!
Public Service Announcement
Lord Cockswain’s Top 5 tips for the endurance of hardship while on Safari.
1. Drink plenty of fluids morning (Gin), noon (Pimms or Claret) and night (Any well salted Islay Single Malt).
2. Do not bring women or children. Dogs, however, make great company and servants, while expendable, are indispensible.
3. Arm for all eventualities. There is no such thing as “over-kill”. It’s “under-kill” you want to avoid!
4. Wear sports attire. While a silk smoking jacket may be appropriate on board your ship, it’s too slippery for Toop wrestling.
5. Keep a log. All real explorers do. Scientists will one day find the answer why.
Not a Grordbort’s Collector yet? Buffoon!
Luckily, you have just run out of excuses, as we have decided to completely forego all sense and sensibility and extend our Dr. Grordbort’s Starter Pack until 7 April. 1x VICTORY, 1x Dingus Directory, 1x Victorious Mongoose — Miniature version and 4x postcards, one of which has been befouled by Greg Broadmore, the rapscallion. Get the whole kit and kaboodle for a measly US$49! That’s what the gun itself normally costs! (Bits of it will also make satisfying gifts, once you have ripped out anything of real value.) Also: Good news from the sweat print shop: The Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory is now in its 4th Print Run! Hazzaah!
Grand Theft FMOM!
At a recent stocktake, it became apparent that somebody has run off with 470 out of the 500 F.M.O.M. Wave Disrupter Guns manufactured by F.M.O.M. Industries and less than 30 remain in the entire Universe! We are currently investigating this atrocity and will keep you posted. Meanwhile, if you need an F.M.O.M. — don’t delay — the remaining 30 will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Unconfirmed reports from the bean counting department suggest the guns have been acquired entirely legally through sale and purchase agreements by customers across the planet, but we refuse to believe this can be the case for so many guns. We always assume foul play!
Dr. Grordbort’s has set up camp in Hongkers!
Hosted and presented by the wizardly Hong Kong based technological upstart CYBERPORT. Richard Taylor Esq. and Greg Broadmore attended the official opening Pomp and Circumstance this week. See more autophosphorescent etchings here!
Have you been insulted by the buffoons on the Forum yet? Go on — it’s a blast!!!
from J!NX:
New J!NX Classic Tee: Face Wars
In the old days, people could gauge each other on the merit of their lifetime achievements. A knight could boast of his prowess in battle and show spoils of his conquests. A Pirate had his booty. A farmer had his harvest. Wiseguys kept a tally of all their broken kneecaps. However, now that we are in the age of Digital Faces and Virtual Achievements, how do we determine who is on top? Two words: Cage Match.
Take a Look at What’s Happening in the J!NX Community!
The J!NX Community Page is a hotbed of geeky activity, so if you haven’t been by in a while, now would be a great time. There, you can sample Nooch’s latest Comic Review, test your knowledge with our latest minion-inspired Trivia quiz, or check out the newest Tweakfest Contest. There’s tons to see and do in the J!NX Community, so check it out!
from Shout! Factory:
The rumors are true — well, the ones regarding Shout!’s forthcoming release of Max Headroom: The Complete Series anyway. We really aren’t in a position to confirm or deny some of those other salacious page-turners. Of course, you do remember Max Headroom. He was the spokesperson of a generation. He did soda commercials, hosted his own music video program and was even in an Art of Noise video back in the day. The eponymous character was the center of the cult favorite, which lasted only 14 episodes in 1987-88. It starred Matt Frewer as a reporter whose mind is downloaded into a computer to create a virtual clone who exists in the digital world. A little ahead of its time perhaps? The cast was rounded out by Amanda Pays, Jeffrey Tambor and W. Morgan Sheppard. More details to follow as we get closer to the August street date.
Keep up with the latest Shout! news throughout your day by following us on Twitter and Facebook. Plus, visit our YouTube page for trailers, clips and music videos.
from Weta:
The End is near… Bag End!
Check out the third installment in Daniel Falconer’s article series about the creation of a miniature collectible of Bag End from The Lord of the Rings. It’s getting near launch… keep an eye out before Easter!
Only one left: Strider’s Sword Edition #10 — Will it be yours?
Your last chance to own this incredible piece of art as well as fully functional weapon from The Lord of the Rings. Made at the hands of Weta Master Swordsmith Peter Lyon. The other nine swords have already been reserved by collectors. Will number 10 be yours?
New Lord of the Rings merchandise
A New Zealand Map of Middle-earth and a The Dark Lord Sauron T-shirt are available at the Weta Cave and to NZ customers on our website. (Unfortunately our licensing agreement only permits us to sell these to New Zealand customers.) Daniel Falconer designed both! Check them out! AND… The Miniature shields have started arriving in our warehouses. We are experiencing a few customs delays in our US and UK warehouses, but rest assured — we’re processing the orders as soon as we have the all clear!
The Art of District 9 — new book from Weta this year
We’re very pleased to reveal that we are working on an Art Book cataloguing the awesome work Weta’s artists and craftspeople did for Neill Blomkamp’s District 9. We promise to bring you ongoing updates on the progress. In the meantime — please join the friendly crowds in our online forum and tell us what you would like to see in the book! As a member of the forum (did we mention it’s FREE?), you can also Win District 9 Goodies in our forums in a fun competition by our friend and king of the forums, Charles Song.
The Exceptional Exhibition opens in Hong Kong
Richard Taylor and Greg Broadmore are currently in China for the opening of Dr. Grordbort’s Exceptional Exhibition at Cyberport. See the photos we just received!
Easter at the Weta Cave? Or at WonderCon in San Francisco?
Weta’s friend Phil Davis will be at WonderCon at the Moscone Center in SF 2-4 April. Go see him! For those of you who find Miramar, Wellington an easier place to get to, we have a fantastic line-up of guests at the Weta Cave:
See the WotWots in person!
Here’s a free activity for parents who are wondering what to do during the school holidays. Take your no doubt grateful kids to see the WotWots in person at a selection of shopping malls in New Zealand and Australia. Check out where and when.
from WBShop.com:
The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy on Blu-ray April 6th
Free Shipping!
on orders of $60 or More*
The Original Theatrical Films… for the First Time in Stunning Blu-ray!
Theatrical Release Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray
Theatrical Release Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray plus “Prancing Pony” Shirt
Save $5 on this exclusive shirt when you pre-order the Blu-ray. Available only at WBShop.com! Created to celebrate The Lord of the Rings on Blu-ray, and based on the pub where Frodo first meets Aragorn!
Lord of the Rings Boutique!
Visit our boutique for the trilogy in all formats, plus jewelry, posters, and other collectibles.
Follow us on: Facebook | Twitter
*offer expires 4/5/10 and may be withdrawn at any time
from ThinkGeek:
Attention geeks far and wide!
Did you know that tomorrow is Ada Lovelace Day? The only daughter of poet Lord Byron, Ms. Lovelace wrote the very first computer program, inspired by Charles Babbage’s analytical engine. Wherever you are tomorrow, show some love to the self-rescuing code princesses you know. Buy ’em some Fritos and raise a can of Mountain Dew in Ada’s honor.
Hooray for girl geeks!
Oh Noes. It’s the TV Poltergeist!!
TV Poltergeist Phantom Prank Device
Following in the footsteps of ThinkGeek’s other delightfully evil electronic prank devices… the TV Poltergeist will annoy the crap out of your friends and enemies by turning their TV set on and off at random intervals every 5-20 minutes, 24 hours a day, for weeks on end. Perfect for interrupting lame sporting events, obnoxious video games, moronic sitcoms, and poorly written movies! Simply hide the TV Poltergeist somewhere in the same room as a TV and turn it on. Keep a straight face & enjoy the chaos you have unleashed. 😀
Take $10 Off — Allow us to enable your evil plans
Since you’ll be picking up a TV Poltergeist to make with the spooking and the gnashing of teeth and the pulling of hair, we figured you might like a coupon code that will enable you to grab the other goodies you’ve been ogling. Once you’ve filled your cart with devious delights, use the code BOOTUBE to save $5 off $25+ or $10 off $40+ orders from now through 11:59 pm EDT on Friday, 3/26/10.
Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!
from Split Reason:
Welcome to our monthly newsletter for March, 2010! We’ve recently upgraded our website to bring it from sometime in 2003 all the way up to 2010, and it’s about time! We’ve reduced shipping rates and also added a few bells and whistles along with a complete face-lift. For more information you can read this.
To keep the excitement moving we’re running a random draw to give-a-way some free SR apparel! Are you a Jedi, or a Sith? Tell us what you would do if you could harness the force and you might win some free gear!
Don’t forget about Win Wednesday, the competition is heating up and since you guys are so smart, the trivia question settings are going from beginner to HARDCORE! Follow us on Twitter for a chance to win! It’s a perfect opportunity to test your geek I.Q.
If you’re not a member of our Facebook page, you should be! We’ll be serving some refreshing promotions in the weeks to come and this is the best place to find them! Now on to our new products…
WowWee has a long history of creating imaginative, high-tech toys, dating back almost 30 years. Originally developing toys for other companies, their focus shifted to their own branding in the late 80s when they began offering robotic toys and remote-controlled animals. As technology advanced, WowWee has stayed at the front of the game, creating unique robotic offerings that incorporate the highest quality and cutting-edge technology while maintaining a beautiful esthetic design.
They offer stylized humanoids, cuddly animals and even a realistic chimpanzee, as well as more traditional robots in both humanoid and creature forms. Their most popular and innovative offering has been the series of Robosapiens, first released in 2004, which have sold millions of units in the past 6 years. Newer models offer a range of multimedia functions including speech capability and user customization.
Taking those multimedia developments to another level, WowWee now introduces the Rovio, a Wi-Fi enabled, programmable, wheeled robot that includes a webcam, microphone and speakers. A step up from other mobile robotic toys, the Rovio is not just a glorified RC car but a useful tool. Because of its Wi-Fi capability, not only can it be programmed to patrol your home so you can check on things when you are away, the Rovio can be used to represent you in meetings, gatherings and just about any other scenario you can imagine.
The Rovio comes with an installation disc but it’s recommended that you get the newest software directly from their website. Once installed, you connect the Rovio via a USB cord to your computer to set it up. When I first plugged it in, it wasn’t recognized. After powering it down a few times, it was finally recognized and from there, it was simple. Initial setup was quick and the interface is easy to use. The quality of the sound is clear both in the speaker and the mic. The video size, quality and speed can be adjusted so if you need a clear picture more than speed or vice versa, it’s as simple as a few clicks.
Moving and controlling the Rovio is easy as well. The interface is accessed by typing the address into a browser. I typically use Chrome, but the speaker and mic functions didn’t work. I tried Firefox and Safari with the same results. When I loaded the interface in Internet Explorer, everything functioned correctly, so keep in mind that you currently must have Internet Explorer loaded on whatever computer you are logging into Rovio with. Moving Rovio is as simple as clicking on one of the directional icons or even clicking on the Rovio icon in the center of the directional pad, dragging and dropping it where you want to go.
While installation, setup and controlling the Rovio is easy, getting the remote access to work might be a challenge. First off, you have to set your wireless router to allow incoming connections. You also need to know the IP address assigned to your Rovio. Most home networks have dynamic IP addresses (changing each time the device is connected to the network). This can cause a problem for you if there is a power outage, or some other situation arises that resets your IP address for the Rovio. When you are home, it’s not a problem because the software includes a utility called Find Rovio that searches for its current IP address and allows you to connect to it. As for finding it when you are away from home, there are free services that will look for your Rovio’s IP address and connect you to it by simply going to the web address you’ve assigned for it, but it does require the purchase of a domain name with the companies offering the service. The average price is about $40 per year for the domain, so if you don’t have your own website to piggyback it off of, you can always choose one of those services to connect to.
Since it can get complicated getting the remote access to work, WowWee tries to make it easier by offering some comprehensive tutorials on YouTube to talk you through each step. Once you get it set up, the possibilities are endless. You can access your Rovio from any internet connection, including your cell phone, PDA or even game systems.
If I had a wish list of things I’d change about the Rovio, I think the biggest issues would be battery life, browsers supported, and the adjustability of the camera. The battery only lasts about an hour so, if you have a larger house, you might want to invest in a second dock so that it can get to the nearest dock wherever it is when the battery runs low. My Rovio died before making it “home” a few times. As I mentioned before, the Rovio is only fully functional at this point if you use Internet Explorer. When I tried adjusting the video settings in IE, the quality would change but not the image size, so while sound and video worked with IE, the video picture wasn’t as sharp or clear as it was with Chrome. As for the neck, it has only 3 positions (as you can see from the image above). It does not rotate or pivot between the mid and upper setting. Granted, I was just chasing my dogs and family around the house, but the camera angle limitations were a bit frustrating.
All in all, the Rovio is fun to play with, easy to use, and has a lot of potential uses. With the frequent software updates offered by WowWee, I’m sure browser support and camera functionality (if not position) will continue to improve.
Features:
*Rovio requires additional TrueTrack Room Beacons (each sold separately) to navigate or self-dock across multiple rooms.
The Rovio can be purchased through Amazon, or wherever you find your favorite high-tech toys.