Toy Fair 2026 just wrapped earlier this week and while I would have liked to spend even more time there, I have my own kids (and all their toys and trinkets) to look after. That said, there were a ton of cool new products on display at the Javits Center in New York City that set the stage for the rest of the year, so here's a quick look at some of the most interesting releases from the largest toy show in the Western Hemisphere. 

Transformers: The Movie 40th anniversary figures ($28 to $60)

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Transformers: The Movie, Hasbro is launching an apology tour to make up for traumatizing theatergoers with the death of the most beloved Autobot back in 1986. To kick things off, Hasbro is releasing a handful of new figures alongside re-releases for some popular bots including Astrotrain, Skywarp, Snarl and Shockwave. I want to give a special shout-out to the model for Kranix, which looks incredibly accurate, as if he just leapt off the movie screen. And even though his duck-billed spaceship alt-mode might look a bit awkward, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

The crown jewel of the line might be a near-life-size version of The Matrix of Leadership, which measures more than 15 inches wide and even plays Stan Bush's iconic song "The Touch" with the push of a button. Unfortunately, the appeal of the Matrix is so powerful that it's already sold out, including at third-party retailers like Big Bad Toy Store, which thankfully is still taking pre-orders for the rest of the lineup after the initial stock from Hasbro dried up.

F1 Hot Wheels

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Hot Wheels has big plans for 2026 including a new line of Pantone-colored cars, Brick Shop models like the Elite Series Aston Martin (which comes with its own 1:64 scale car) and a Monster Truck Mutant Chaos set with actual slime. However, I'd argue the company's new F1 offerings are the cream of the crop. Not only are there a bunch of incredibly detailed 1:64 scale racecars with metal bodies, real rubber tires and accurate livery for all the big teams, there's also a new Downhill Circuit Race course that comes with three official vehicles (Mercedes, Haas and Ferrari) featuring multiple levels and the ability to overtake or crash into other cars. If you're like a lot of Americans who have recently fallen down the F1 rabbit hole due to Netflix's Drive to Survive, these new officially licensed miniatures are sure to hit the spot. 

The first five-pack set of cars is available now, with more arriving later this spring before the Downhill Circuit Race course drives by sometime this fall. 

Lego Star Wars with Smart Bricks ($40 to $160)

Lego

We've been eagerly awaiting the first batch of playsets featuring Lego's nifty Smart Brick after it debuted at CES. But now that the company has detailed eight new sets featuring its latest innovation, we're even more intrigued. For me, the three standout kits are the Millennium Falcon, Luke's Red Five X-Wing and Darth Vader's TIE fighter because acting out the Death Star trench run complete with reactive lights and sounds will never get old. I also have a soft spot for the Ewok minifigs that come with the AT-ST set. Alternatively, the Mos Eisley Cantina kit seems like a great way to highlight the smart brick's ability to play music or kick out some rowdy droids. The one thing to look out for, though, is the tag on the set that says whether it's Smart Play compatible or if it's an all-in-one set, because the former will need Smart Bricks from other kits to deliver Lego's newfound interactivity. 

Pre-orders for these are live now, with sets slated to ship on March 1. 

All the new K-pop Demon Hunters toys

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Rumi, Mira and Zoey may have been the biggest breakout stars of 2025 and Mattel is looking to keep that momentum going with a ton of new toys and figures for everyone's favorite demon hunters. There are three new singing dolls that can belt out the trio's hit "Golden" at the touch of a button and a deluxe figure of Rumi complete with her Four Tiger Sword. There are also a ton of other dolls and miniatures showcasing HUNTR/X, the Saja Boys and more. The one downside is that these products aren't coming out until the fall, so you'll have to tide yourself over with other K-pop-themed products for now. 

Hatchin' Yoshi ($50)

Spin Masters

Yoshi seems poised to steal the spotlight from Rosalina in the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie and this release from Spin Masters is only reinforcing the lovable green dino's aura. From inside his shell, Yoshi can burst out with his signature yell. After that, you can pat his nose to make his eyes light up or get him to rock when he's really happy. But if you want one, you're going to have to be vigilant. Pre-orders are already sold out, so you'll need to keep a close eye on retailers like Walmart when he officially goes on sale on February 20. 

Thames and Kosmos SolarFlowers

Thames & Kosmos

Technically, these went on sale last month, but Thames & Kosmos' SolarFlowers caught my eye again at Toy Fair due to their combination of art and science. Available in four different styles, each kit features a model that you can build yourself or with your kids (recommended age 8+) that turns into a lasting showpiece. After putting the kinetic sculpture together, you can connect the included solar panel to bring the whole kit to life (no batteries required) and make the flowers spin for perpetual entertainment. 

Honorable mentions

Upcoming Masters of the Universe figures

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

As someone who grew up during the 80s and 90s, I'm trying to be optimistic about He-Man's return to the big screen later this summer and Mattel's new line of figures is certainly helping. To help prime people for the movie, there's a big range of upcoming toys highlighting He-Man, Skeletor, Battle Cat and more, all of which I would have absolutely loved as a kid. Those will be available later this spring.

Fisher-Price Super Mario Little People collection

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

It's hard to gauge the excitement of toys aimed at one-year-olds when they can't read or get into Toy Fair. But as the parent of a toddler, I adore the partnership between Fisher-Price and Nintendo that has resulted in a line of Mario-themed Little People. All the big names are here, including Peach, Luigi and Bowser and there's even a couple of super cute playsets to go with them. But perhaps the best part is that a six-pack of figures and Bower's Airship costs under $25, which means your kid could be in for hours of fun without you spending a ton of money.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/here-are-my-favorite-things-from-toy-fair-2026-183356720.html?src=rss

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It's big-game season, which means it's a good time to look for home theater gear on sale ahead of Super Bowl 2026. There are plenty of Super Bowl TV deals to consider, but if you have arguably the most important piece of the puzzle down, you may want to upgrade your sound system instead. Sonos' latest sale may have just what you need; a bunch of the company's home theater gear is up to 20 percent off right now. You can save $130 on the Beam (Gen 2) soundbar, bringing its price down to $369, and you'll also find deals on the flagship Arc Ultra soundbar, subwoofers, and more.

The Sonos Beam is the company's sub-$500 soundbar. Engadget's pick for the best midrange model, the compact speaker has impressive sound for its size. Part of that is its Dolby Atmos support. Although the soundbar lacks upward-firing speakers, it uses software tricks to compensate. Audio timing and frequency adjustments make sound seem to come from the side or slightly above.

One of the biggest drawbacks is that the Beam only has one HDMI port. Regardless, that compromise may be easier to accept at Beam's current $369 than at its usual $499.

Several more home theater speakers are included in Sonos's sale. If you have a loftier budget for a soundbar, there's the Arc Ultra. Typically $1,099, it's now $899. The company's pair of subwoofers is included as well. You can get the Sub Mini for $399 (down from $499) or the Sub 4 for $759 (from $899).

Although they aren't explicitly sold as home theater products, the Era 100 ($179) and Era 300 ($379) are also included in the sale. The portable Move 2 isn't discounted individually, but you will find it in a couple of bundles. You can check out the sale page for the complete list.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonos-soundbars-and-home-theater-gear-is-up-to-20-percent-off-right-now-174053415.html?src=rss

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© Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

The big game is one of the few instances now in the US where most people gather around the TV to watch the live event together. While the teams playing in Super Bowl 2026 are the true stars of the show (and Bad Bunny, of course), your TV is a pretty important part of the puzzle of putting together an excellent Super Bowl party. Maybe you’ve been thinking about replacing an aging set, or you’re itching for a full refresh of your home theater setup — either way, you’ll want to try to get a good deal on a new TV. Thankfully, the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl can be a great time to shop for a new TV.

Generally, TV prices steadily decrease after a new model comes out. Some 2026 TV models were announced at CES and are forthcoming things year, making now a good time to look for discounts on 2025 sets. Aside from the holiday shopping season, now is one of the best times of the year to save on a TV. Here, we’ve curated the best Super Bowl TV deals we could find this year, from already affordable sets discounted even further to high-end OLEDs that are hundreds of dollars off.

Super Bowl 2026 TV deals for less than $500

You can easily find solid 1080p and 4K TV sets within this budget-friendly price range. What you’ll be more limited in is size — most TV deals under $500 we’re seeing right now are on sets up to 55 inches. There are a few 65- and 75-inch models in there, but the pickings are slim.

Roku 24-inch 720p smart TV for $100 (18 percent off)

TCL 40-inch Class S3 1080p smart TV for $150 (21 percent off)

Roku 55-inch 4K smart TV for $248 (29 percent off)

Roku 55-inch Mini LED 4K smart TV for $348 (30 percent off)

TCL 75-inch Class S5 4K smart TV for $480 (26 percent off)

OLED TV deals

This is where you want to look if you want your new TV to have the richest colors, deepest blacks and excellent contrast performance. Of course, that all comes at steeper prices — it can be difficult to find a good OLED set for less than $1,000, even on sale.

Sony 55-inch Bravia XR8B 4K smart TV for $998 (9 percent off)

Samsung 65-inch Class OLED S95F 4K smart TV for $2,298 (23 percent off)

Sony 77-inch Bravia XR A95L OLED 4K smart TV for $3,498 (30 percent off)

Super Bowl 2026 TV deals for $500 and up

This will likely be the sweet spot for many people when it comes to TV features, performance and price. Good 4K sets are common in this price range, and you’ll also find some Mini LED sets available here as well.

TCL 65-inch Class T7 4K smart TV for $500 (29 percent off)

Hisense 75-inch QD7 Mini-LED 4K smart TV for $548 (16 percent off)

Amazon 65-inch Fire TV Omni Mini LED 4K smart TV for $920 (16 percent off)

TCL 65-inch Class QM8K Mini LED 4K smart TV for $998 (33 percent off)

Streaming and home entertainment deals

A good TV is key, but having the right peripherals and accessories to go along with it will complete your home theater setup. Deals we’re tracking right now include discounts on streaming devices, soundbars and projectors.

Sonos big game sale — up to 20 percent off home theater gear: Get the Sonos Beam soundbar for $130 off, the Era 300 speaker for $100 off and more

Roku Streaming Stick HD 2025 for $16 (47 percent off)

Roku Ultra streamer for $78 (22 percent off)

Samsung HW B400F soundbar with built-in subwoofer for $100 (29 percent off)

Anker Nebula Capsule 3 projector for $540 (28 percent off)

Valerion VisionMaster Max 4K projector for $3,999 (20 percent off)

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/super-bowl-2026-tv-deals-the-best-sales-we-found-this-week-on-oleds-and-other-smart-tvs-ahead-of-kickoff-160000654.html?src=rss

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Probably my favorite thing about the Lego Smart Play system unveiled this week at CES is that it was designed for kids, first and foremost. In the past 10 years or so, Lego has increasingly courted an older audience with more expensive and elaborate sets. But when it was time to bring more advanced technology to Lego, the idea right from the beginning was more social and interactive play. 

If you haven’t heard about Smart Play yet, its a way for Lego to make its sets more interactive. A Smart Brick filled with sensors makes it so sets can respond to each other, know when they’re moving, play sounds and know when the corresponding Smart Minifigures are near them. Tiny Smart Tags, meanwhile, help the Smart Brick know the context of how it’s being used — whether it’s in a helicopter, car or duck for example.

Tom Donaldson, senior VP and Head of Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group, told Engadget that the company worked on Smart Play for about eight years before introducing it this week, and that social play was the starting point. “We started really looking at consumer needs, and this idea that kids really like social play,” said Donaldson “Kids really like the sort of things that change when they come back to them, and the kids really like agency. They want to be able to change things.” 

LEGO

But a big part of the creation process was making the Smart Brick as flexible and powerful as possible and then seeing what scenarios could take advantage of it. “We wanted to build a really powerful platform,”  he said. “What we shouldn't do is say, ‘this is what we think we're gonna need.’ We needed to say, ‘let's create something that has a lot of capabilities that we can then figure out how to use.’”

One of the conflicts with the tech-packed Smart Play system, though, might be the cost. Obviously, Lego has been successful at most ventures it has undertaken in recent years, but the pricing of Smart Play sets could make adoption a bit challenging. The biggest Smart Play set, Star Wars Throne Room Duel & A-Wing, for example, has almost 1,000 pieces and costs $160. That’s quite a bit more than comparably sized sets. The dual factors of the Star Wars license and Smart Play tech certainly impacted the cost. 

LEGO

The set includes two Smart Bricks, five Smart Tags and three Smart Minifigures, the most “smart” gear included in any of the initial three Star Wars Smart Play sets. Will parents shell out for the more advanced capabilities that Smart Play offers, or will they stick with standard sets?

For now, Lego is betting the extremely broad appeal of Star Wars will help these new Smart Play sets find an audience. About three years ago, Lego got its team focused on the Star Wars franchise involved, as well as Lucasfilm, to figure out how to roll Smart Play out to the world. “Very early on, we all decided that starting with the original trilogy would be great,” said Derek Stothard, Disney’s Director of Global Licensing “These are such well-known scenes and characters, and they cross generations, so parents can introduce them to  their kids. All that works really well together.” 

Unsurprisingly, Lego is being coy about where things go beyond the initial three Star Wars sets, but it’s clear that after eight years of development, they’ll want to bring it to as many product lines as possible. “We're announcing a platform that you can see has tremendous growth [potential], Donaldson said. “We made the analogy with the minifigure as something that you’ll see across the entire [Lego] system, maybe not in every single SKU but it’ll reappear in many different places. But ultimately we're a company that really focuses on giving kids what they want, what they love, and we'll have to see how it lives in a market.”

That last point about how it lives in the market is a good one, particularly given the pricing. We probably won’t know for sure until Lego moves beyond the safe confines of Star Wars and really shows us what Smart Play can do across more varied scenarios. And going to non-licensed sets might be where Smart Play really takes off — it’s easy to imagine a cheaper Smart Play add-on kit that can bring sets to life at a lower cost. But the idea of transforming anything kids create into something more interactive has a ton of potential if Lego can broaden its appeal beyond Star Wars fans. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/lego-is-trying-to-make-tech-invisible-with-smart-play-130000979.html?src=rss

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Have you ever wanted to save approximately three seconds and two mouse clicks when shopping online? Microsoft has something special just for you. The company just introduced something called Copilot Checkout at the NRF 2026 retail conference. This is exactly what it sounds like. It's a shopping assistant embedded within Copilot.

The feature is rolling out now in the US and integrates with PayPal, Shopify, Stripe and Etsy. It lets people complete purchases directly inside of Copilot without having to withstand the grueling experience of being redirected to a retailer's website. Participating partners include Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Ashley Furniture.

The retailers remain the actual merchant of record, so they'll still get customer data and all of that jazz. Microsoft controls the interface.

We don't know what kind of safeguards are in place to prevent the AI from hallucinating its way into buying you a giant bounce house when you wanted to order some Bounce dryer sheets. Engadget has reached out to Microsoft to inquire about these safeguards and how exactly the money is handled.

This is a pretty big moment for AI shopping. OpenAI introduced a shopping assistant several months ago that seems to work in a similar way. However, the company said that a related shopping assistant "might make mistakes about product details like price and availability" and it encouraged people to visit the merchant site for the most accurate details.

Microsoft is advertising Copilot Checkout as a way to avoid the merchant site entirely, so maybe all kinks have been worked out. A recent report from The Information suggests OpenAI has had trouble integrating merchant partners for its own initiative, so maybe not. 

It's also worth noting that automatic shopping isn't exactly a new concept. It's just the AI wrapper that's new. Remember those weird buttons from Amazon that would complete a purchase with a simple press? That was over ten years ago.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/microsoft-is-now-integrating-shopping-directly-into-copilot-181022989.html?src=rss

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© Microsoft

Cute, alien-inspired companion robots are a fixture at CES, but have I ever seen one with a furry telescoping neck that's also warm to the touch? No, I can't say I have before this year. OlloBot — which had possibly the cutest booth at CES 2026 — is a home robot and "cyber pet" that looks something like if you put ET's head on a penguin's body, plus a splash of fur and color. 

Its face is essentially a large tablet that displays its expressions, pictures and videos, and allows it to communicate with people in the home. OlloBot speaks its own language, but will put text on the screen when it has a message that's meant to actually be understood. There's also a companion app where family members can message with the robot, see its diary updates and play games. Like other family-oriented robots, OlloBot is designed to capture special moments and "grow" with the people using it.

Based on the interactions, it will over time develop a personality based on the Meyers-Briggs personality types. The robot responds to voice and touch, and can do tasks like make calls and help find lost objects. It will be able to control Matter-compatible smart home devices, too. All data is stored locally in a heart-shaped removable module underneath one of its flapping arms. Not only is that intended to be a privacy move, but if the robot ever breaks, the family's cyber pet (along with its "memories") can be restored by putting the old heart into a new body. 

Cheyenne MacDonald for Engadget

According to a member of the OlloBot team, a Kickstarter campaign to fund the robot's production is planned for this summer. There will be two versions of OlloBot to choose from: a small one with a fixed, short neck that will cost around $1,000 and a more advanced model that can extend its neck by two feet or so (just eyeballing it) to see from different vantage points, which will run you about $2,000. At the booth, the team also showed off several outfits for OlloBot, including a plush giraffe suit and a sort of cottagecore apple and gingham outfit.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/i-cant-get-over-this-goofy-long-necked-cyber-pet-robot-at-ces-175900062.html?src=rss

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