Robots are the future!
Elliot Rose Bauer couldn't join us at RoboGames 2010 this year, but with a little help from her parents (and Rook's Pawn) she shared her enthusiasm and best wishes, along with a promise to join in all the fun for RoboGames 2011.
USS Enterprise Lands In Washington State
We stopped in Pasco, Washington to enjoy a couple days of rest and relaxation before heading down to San Francisco for RoboGames 2010. Imagine our surprise when we found a fully functional, two passenger, completely street legal, USS Enterprise docked in the local shopping mall parking lot, waiting for Captain Kirk to return:
MAKE TOKYO 05 to set new records!
MAKE TOKYO 05 is coming up in just a month on May 22nd/23rd.
So far exhibitors and attendees have doubled each time the event was held, so the next gathering is promising to be a total block buster.
Of course we'll be there, with bells on!
Join Us At RoboGames 2010!
Just a quick reminder that RoboGames 2010, the worlds largest, best known, and without a doubt most exciting robot competition, is set to kick off in just a few days. We’re already in the US and will be arriving in San Mateo to cover this fantastic event starting Thursday and will be there until the last robot is left standing in the ring victorious late Sunday evening. Come on down and join the fun! In addition to the best, and craziest, robots on the planet, cheering fans that seem like a flashback to the ancient Roman gladiator games, incredible fun and excitement, you’ll get to hear the latest and greatest from the official RoboGames sponsors, including Robots Dreams:
Good News From Mattel, But Is It A Market Trend?
It's only a single data point for a single quarter, but the fact that major toy maker Mattel Inc. posted financial results for Q1 2010 that were a huge improvement over the same period last year may be a sign that the toy and hobby business is finally showing strong signs of improvement.
According to a Mattel feature story released by PlayThings:
"Toy maker Mattel, Inc. has returned a first-quarter profit of $24.8 million, a dramatic improvement over last year’s first-quarter loss of $51 million. The difference is 7 cents per share profit as opposed to 14 cents per share loss in those time frames. For the quarter, revenue was $880.1 million, up 12% compared to $785.6 million last year, including favorable changes in currency exchange rates of 3 percentage points."
Gross sales in quite a few important categories, including Mattel's girls and boys brands, increased strongly with some categories posting sales with double digit percentage gains, lead by Mattel's entertainment business with a whopping 35% jump.
All things considered, the news is quite encouraging, not just for Mattel, but for the overall toy and hobby industry in general. It could certainly be the light at the end of a long economic tunnel.
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