One of the fun things about going to the San Diego Comic-Con is shopping for the "exclusive" toys, books, T-shirts and other "geek chic" wares. With the convention now upon us, attendees will have a chance to pick up a limited edition "Convention Nerd" action figure and even get him autographed by "Robot Chicken" co-creators, actor Seth Green and Matt Senreich.

The 5-inch action figure comes with a top hat (Is a top hat now standard-issue nerd gear? I guess I missed that memo.),  a sandwich, a jar of "Magical Unicorn Mayonnaise," an Adult Swim swag bag and a 2010 San Diego Comic-Con T-shirt.

"Convention Nerd" will be available only at Entertainment Earth's booth No. 2343 throughout the convention and on Toysrus.com, although online supplies might be limited for the figure. Green and Senerich will be signing at the booth from 11 a.m. to noon Friday.

— Richard Metzger

Image: "Convention Nerd" action figure, courtesy of Cartoon Network.

Wicked Lasers have released a new "toy" laser, except that it's not really a toy, you see. More like a weapon.

In fact, it's exactly like a weapon! Wicked removed the laser from a Casio video projector and placed it into a casing resembling something out of "Star Wars." Witness The Spyder III in action above.

It will blind permanently and instantly and set fire quickly to skin and other body parts, use with extreme caution and only when using the included eye protection. Customers will be required to completely read and agree to our Class IV Laser Hazard Acknowledgment Form.

Worrywarts! What could possible go amiss with a laser beam capable of burning flesh and causing blindness?

Better than a silly old BB gun, eh? Be the first kid on your block to be arrested!

--Richard Metzger

It's not all that much of a stretch to think that if they ever decide to make a "real-life" Barbie doll movie, actor Jon Hamm and his TV wife January Jones would make pretty good candidates to play Ken and Barbie. Perhaps that's why Mattel thought to make a set of special "Mad Men" dolls, complete with the Kennedy-era fashions and hairstyles, to be released this summer to promote the popular AMC drama.

But it's the "Joan Holloway" doll, modeled after curvy Christina Hendricks, that's bound to be the hottest seller of the bunch. Hendricks, with her much-discussed measurements, is a real-life Barbie to begin with. Sorry to say that the Roger Sterling doll, based on actor John Slattery, looks like it'll be the dud of the bunch. What little girl is going to want a gray-haired Ken doll?

The dolls, priced around $75, go on sale in July at www.barbiecollector.com, amctv.com and select retailers. And, no, they won't come accessorized with cigarettes or highball glasses.

-- Richard Metzger

Photo: "Mad Men" Barbie dolls. Credit: Mattel

It's not like the hours you jam away on Rock Band or Guitar Hero are a complete waste of time. After all, you're perfecting those hair-tossingly awesome ax-hero windmill strokes, crunching riffs and wicked hip-thrusts, and this is of course valuable life experience. But when you think about it, wouldn't it be excellent if you could combine the play-acting with some real music-making?

Merging the needs and fantasies of musicians and gamers alike, Inspired Instruments' You Rock Guitar offers a new way of thinking about the multiple uses of new technology. A hybrid digital "guitar" and gaming platform that can be plugged into the video-game console and used as a controller for all your fave rock star games, it also serves as an instrument that can be connected to your computer or amplifier for recording or practicing.

One of the big hurdles for gamers is that getting down to actually playing the games with friends can be a bit complicated. That's because each console, such as PlayStation or Xbox, requires its own hardware, so if you buy a guitar-controller it's usually associated with whatever platform you own: Uh-oh, your kid has Xbox Rock Band, but his friend down the street doesn't, and they can't play together. The You Rock is  compatible across the spectrum of platforms via a removable cartridge that wirelessly communicates with multiple platforms, including Wii,  the iPhone and the iPad. At $20, the cartridge is an inexpensive alternative to having to buy a different guitar-controller. And, priced at around $200, the You Rock itself is an affordable option for parents to introduce their kids to the idea of playing a musical instrument, should said proto-rocker wish to pursue such a worthy goal.

The You Rock Guitar offers three playing methods: Music Mode, Game Mode and You Rock Mode. For players and composers, it includes a lightning-fast MIDI connection that's a big, big improvement on that notoriously shaky technology (much cheaper too: MIDI guitar controllers alone will usually run  at least $800); the MIDI plugs directly into the USB port on Macs and PCs to allow for interfacing with recording software such as GarageBand, Cubase or Pro Tools, or with more complex composition software such as Finale or Sibelius. The You Rock contains a sizable memory chip as well, so you can record into the unit itself -- a big plus for those bursts of inspiration on the road.

Equipped with actual strings plus a very touch-sensitive fretboard, the unit can be plugged into an external amplifier and used as a real playing instrument, or, for beginners, into headphones for silent practice so as not to embarrass one's self with the neighbors. An onboard set of backing rhythms and chords is also provided. In addition to 100 preset guitar and synth sounds, the You Rock Guitar includes 50 alternate and drop-tuning presets along with 10 digital capo settings.

The unit can also be used with an iPod and other mp3 players, for wailing to crucial heavy jams on your iTunes.

The You Rock feels good to hold and to play. Small and lightweight, its plastic body is molded to curve to the hip, and its 22-fret full-scale neck is detachable, so it can be carried in a backpack or onto a plane for some high-flying rifferama, though you might have some explaining to do at airport security.

Inspired Instruments plans further modifications on the You Rock, including a digital bass guitar/controller and a higher-end wood body with optional custom skins and neck-heads; alternative models down the road will feature fewer music or gaming options and will retail for less than $200. 

--John Payne

Photo: Inspired Instruments' You Rock Guitar works with Guitar Hero and Rock Band on Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 gaming platforms, but can also can be plugged into a standard guitar amplifier. Photo courtesy Inspired Instruments.

Well, they might have taken the country by storm, but the adorable, lifelike robotic hamster toys known as Zhu Zhu Pets were found to have potentially unsafe levels of lead and antimony, a consumer group reported last week. Good Guide published a report Friday that found high levels of both lead and antimony in the critters, in particular, the popular Mr. Squiggles character.

Russ Hornsby, CEO of Cepia, the  Zhu Zhu pets manufacturer, said in a press release, “We are disputing the findings of Good Guide and we are 100 percent confident that Mr. Squiggles, and all other Zhu Zhu Toys, are safe and compliant with all U.S. and European standards for consumer health and safety in toys.”

But are they safe? The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 places limits on antimony to no more than 60 parts per million, and the Good Guide report found 93 parts per million in Mr. Squiggles' faux fur and 103 particles per million in his cute little nose.

Cepia is directing consumers to read their own safety reports at www.zhuzhupets.com

Below, a dog gets freaked out by Mr. Wiggles:

Just in time for the upcoming Runaways biopic -- directed by Floria Sigismondi and starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning -- the Mattel toy company is unveiling its "Ladies of the '80s" collection's Joan Jett Barbie. The collection also features Debbie Harry and Cyndi Lauper dolls, available in December.

Although I wholeheartedly approve of this, the first thing that came to mind was: What, no Annie Lennox or Siouxsie Sioux dolls? No Pat Benatar? No Lydia Lunch? Give 'em time; the nostalgia machine will eventually crank 'em all out.

(Note: There is also a Barbra Streisand Pink Label Barbie, but it's '60s Barbra, not "Yentl"-era Babs.)

-- Richard Metzger

Below, Joan Jett and the Runaways perform "School Days" on "The Old Grey Whistle Test."

Photo credit: Mattel

Move over Tickle Me Elmo and bust a move Beanie Babies — there’s a new toy in town.  This Christmas, kids across America will be pestering Santa Claus for their own Zhu Zhu Pet hamster, a new “smart” toy somewhat reminiscent of last decade’s lovable talking Furby.

Looking more like a child’s furry slipper than a real hamster, the Zhu Zhu seems to have the same kind of sensors that make the Roomba vacuum cleaner work, so when the critters are dropped into their habitat (sold separately), they appear to navigate about as well as a living rodent. There is a level of artificial intelligence in the Zhu Zhu’s OS and it can make over 40 noises depending on the stimuli. The little Zhu Zhus appear to have minds of their own as they dart around the room, zip up the ramps of their habitat and ride in their own little cars. It’s actually a pretty amazing toy and unlike real hamsters won’t poop, smell funny or procreate furiously!

There’s only one problem with the Zhu Zhu Pets:  there aren’t enough of them to meet the demand. Predictably, they’re showing up on EBay and via Amazon Marketplace dealers at vastly inflated prices. But it’s not like the Zhu Zhu Pets are an endangered species, so you might want to just chill until they show up again on the shelves of your local retailer at their normal $9.95 list price.

But if you can’t wait, the Experimental Mommy blog has some helpful tips for you on how to nab a Zhu Zhu Pet against the odds. Most of them are even legal.

-- Richard Metzger

Image courtesy Cepia LLC