Congress generated considerable publicity this summer when it passed a law regulating the lead content of toys and other children’s products. But there is something to remember as this year’s holiday shopping season begins — the main provisions of the law do not take effect until next year.

What made Congress’ action necessary was a record 112 recalls in 2007 of toys and other products geared for children. Extremely high lead content was the reason. One recall included more than 600,000 accessories for Barbie dolls.

Children are the most susceptible to lead poisoning, which can cause learning and behavioral disorders, as well as illnesses and even death.

There have been 64 recalls this year based on high lead content in children’s products, showing that while the danger is receding, it still remains.

The Associated Press reports that most of this year’s recalls were of products manufactured by companies in China, Vietnam, India, Peru, Taiwan and Korea.

A much lower limit on the content of lead in paint used for children’s products will take effect next summer, and first-ever limits on lead content within toys will be phased in beginning in February.

So what are shoppers to do in the meantime? They cannot perform chemical analyses of products, but they can stay informed about recalls and related news. Two good places to start are the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission

(www.cpsc.gov) and the nonprofit Chicago-based group Kids in Danger (kidsindanger.org).

The Mini Storm Launcher is, like the name suggests, a smaller version of an earlier model. The original was 20″ long, while the mini is under a foot. Like the original, the Mini can drive around on the ground like a car and then take off & fly like a plane. However, unlike its bigger brother, the mini cannot go on water, even though it still looks like a racing “hydroplane” boat.

Here are the the latest Air Hogs emails we received this week and responses for the senders. Some of you would have received individual responses, but the one below were answered here since we feel it will help the entire Air Hogs community.

Jeannie writes..

Message: What would a person order if they wanted two of the new Zero Gravity Air Hogs that could race each other?

Jeannie, all you need to do is order 2 sets of the Air Hogs Zero Gravity and then you’ll have the option (2 users) of racing them against each other.

Paul Writes…

Message: Lost charger for AIRHOGS SWAT TRUCK zero gravity. How can i get a new one for it.

Paul, for replacement chargers for air Hogs, please go here: Air Hogs Battery Chargers.

Lorlie writes..

Message: My son has a havoc heli which crashed into something and the larger propeller broke.  Can the propellers be replaced? If so how and where do you get them? He has only used it for 4 days!!

Absolutely, they can be replaced. Please check out the Havoc Heli Replacement Blades section.

If you have any relating questions to any Air Hogs products, be sure to contact us.

Here’s a great video from the test labs at Air Hogs highlighting the abilities (comparison) of the Air Hogs Havoc Heli and the Air Hogs Reflex Heli. Enjoy…

Having been an avid Air Hogs Havoc Heli pilot I did crave a little more excitement in my life so I set my sites on the Air Hogs Reflex. Air Hogs advertised that it had the ability to go forward, backwards, left and right. This was accomplished with the two sets of vertical propellers that were near the main rotor.

I had noticed that the price had recently dropped for the Reflex about a month ago from $79 to $59 so it was now in a more realistic price range for me. While at Toys-R-Us this past weekend I picked one up.

Visual Differences

There are three major differences between the Air Hogs Havoc Heli and the Reflex. The first is that the Reflex is a little larger then the Havoc. The second is that the Reflex comes with a wall charger instead of being charged from the controller. The final major difference is on the controller. On the Reflex you have right/left and forward/back controls on the right joystick as opposed to just the right/left on the Havoc’s controller.

After discovering all of these differences I plugged in the charger and waited to fly my new toy.

Flight Differences

The first thing that I noticed about the Reflex was that it hovers in place instead of wanting to go forward and to the right (after trimming it of course). Right and left rudder movements on the Reflex are much more precise then the Havoc Heli and can be done while hovering also. The biggest difference is that the Reflex only goes forward when you want it to - the Havoc Heli is always going forward.

Pushing the stick forward gives you forward movement while releasing the stick will cause the Reflex to go back to hovering. Pushing back on the stick gives you reverse movement while again releasing it goes back to hover. The default is to hover straight as long as it has enough throttle applied.

With these types of controls it is much easier to get the Reflex to go where you want it to in comparison to the Havoc. With the Havoc it is always moving so any little mistake can send you into a wall or a light fixture. The Reflex stays put until you tell it to go somewhere.

Cost Differences

At time of writing the the going price for the Reflex is about $49 while the Havoc Heli has recently been dropped to around $24. While the Reflex costs more you the batteries in the controller are only used to control the Heli, with the Havoc they are used to charge the Heli as well as control it.

Conclusion

The Havoc Heli is a great beginning helicopter that is durable and inexpensive. The Reflex is a more advanced heli and gives you more control and longer battery life.

This review is courtesy of http://dan.idano.net/air-hogs-reflex-vs-havoc-heli-my-review-374.htm

So what’s the must have toy for Christmas 2008?

NEW YORK, PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ — Children - and Parents - Pick Their Favorite Toys of 2008

FamilyFun magazine announced today the winners of the 17th annual Toy of the Year (T.O.Y.) Awards, including those toys that earned a highly coveted spot on the Top 10 list. Spin Master’s Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro, the ultimate off-road vehicle that climbs walls, is this year’s #1 toy. Disney Pix Jr. Digital Camera from Disney/Digital Blue, Tag Reading System from LeapFrog, and the Food Chain Friends from Pint Size Productions are also among the winners.

The 36 winners appear in the November 2008 issue of FamilyFun magazine, which hits newsstands October 14, and is available on FamilyFun’s Web site, FamilyFun.com/magazine.

FamilyFun recently broadened the awards program by adding parents to the toy-testing mix. Hundreds of toys were distributed to families for evaluation by children in three age groups and their parents. Over the course of several weeks, the enthusiastic FamilyFun Toy Tester Families spent hundreds of hours assembling, playing with, and rating this year’s hopefuls.

“FamilyFun’s Toy of the Year Awards have become a reliable go-to guide for parents, grandparents, and holiday gift buyers alike,” said Alexandra Kennedy, vice president and editorial director of FamilyFun. “We are proud to offer a diverse roundup of kid-approved and age-appropriate toys.”

Past T.O.Y. award winners, such as Tickle Me Elmo, Rescue Heroes play sets, and the Shake ‘n Go! Speedway, have become the holiday season’s must-have toys.

The Top 10 FamilyFun T.O.Y. Award winners of 2008 are:

1. Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro (Spin Master, $30)

2. 50’s Diner (Step2, $150)

3. Captain Clueless (Gamewright, $20)

4. Circus Ring #4230 (Playmobil, $105)

5. Disney Pix Jr. Digital Camera (Disney/Digital Blue, $50)

6. Mobile Command Center #8635 (Lego, $90)

7. Food Chain Friends (Pint Size Productions, $50)

8. Build-A-Road (International Playthings, $30)

9. Tag Reading System (LeapFrog, $50)

10. Glow Station (Crayola, $30)