The publishing empire that is JK Rowling has reached a distribution deal that will allow you to carry all 4,176 pages of the Harry Potter series around in your coat pocket—provided that your coat pocket is holding an Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook or one of the handful of other compatible device like the Sony Reader.

This literary deal has been in the works, literally, for years. It is to eBook readers what the Beatles coming to iTunes was to the iPod. As part of the accord, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble agreed to take less than their usual 30% commission on sales. They also had to allow the purchase transaction to take place on JK Rowling’s own website, Pottermore, and give her final say over pricing.

Fortunately (and somewhat surprisingly), the pricing agreement worked in the consumer’s favor. The first three books in the Harry Potter series each cost US$7.99 in eBook form; the last four installments each cost $9.99. That’s a bit less than the dead tree paperback version and a big discount over the hardback.

Amazon Kindle users will have to make their way to Pottermore to download their Harry Potter eBooks via the Amazon website. Amazon is extending their “buy once, read everywhere” promise to the Harry Potter eBooks, so once downloaded Kindle users will also be about to read about You-Know-Who on their iPad, iPhone, Android device and computer—all without paying any extra Galleons. The books will also be £4.99 on the UK version of the Kindle. Coming soon, foreign language versions in German, French and Spanish.

Barnes & Noble Nook users users will, likewise, have to make their way to Pottermore via the BN website. But those with a Nook have an advantage Kindle users don’t—they can go into any Barnes & Noble store and read the Harry Potter eBooks for free.

And where should you read your newly electronified Harry Potter books once you have them? We suggest Harry Potter World.

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Does that mean these modern board games are less fun than their predecessors? We say no. Or, at least, not necessarily. Here’s a selection of three fun, modern board games:

Scene It

The huge franchise of Scene It games are available in surprising variety of cinematic themes, from classic movies and Disney films, to Twilight, Star Trek and television shows like Friends and Seinfeld. The object is to make your way around the board by answering questions posed after watching clips on the DVD included with the game. The questions range from identifying a character from a quote to predicting what happens next in a scene. One needn’t be a film fanatic to play, though. Superlative memory, creativity—and sense of humor—often comes out victorious.

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Atmosfear

If you love horror movies you’ll likely love Atmosfear too. This spooky interactive board game sees a menacing creature appear on the screen, giving you instructions and forfeits throughout the game. The aim is to collect as many colored keys as possible so you can enter the ‘Well of Fears’. You have 50 minutes to complete the game otherwise you all lose. The DVD shows a clock ticking down on the screen, as well as playing eerie music which gradually gets louder as time begins to run out. It is the perfect game to play on Halloween—or when you just want a good scare.

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Khet – Laser Chess

Khet is one of those rare board games that’s incredibly easy to learn but incredibly hard to master. It’s also incredibly fun. Often—and inaccurately—described as “laser chess,” Khet does not require any chess knowledge to play. (Though the game does involve a laser). The basic rules are so easy we can explain them here:

On their move, players select one of their pieces and either rotate it or move it to an adjacent square. Then they fire their laser. If the laser bounces off a piece’s mirror, that piece is safe. The first piece the laser hits without bouncing off—whether it belongs to you or your opponent—is eliminated.

Fans of chess, Stratego or Othello take note—you’ll likely love Khet too.

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Here’s our annual roundup of the new toys we spotted at “The Fair” that seemed especially worthy of highlighting. Keep in mind that, at least for this website, Spot Cool Stuff has a bias towards products that adults can enjoy playing with as much as kids; you won’t find any dolls, baby rattles or toddler toys on our list.

Each of these toys has either come out in the last few months or is launching sometime this year:

Kubio 7 – kids tablet computer

Techno Source

The LeapFrog Explorer won the coveted 2012 Toy of the Year honors. Had been up to Spot Cool Stuff we would picked another kids tablet computer for the award—the Kurio 7.

The Kurio runs a full version of Android and does most everything a regular tablet computer can. The cool part: The Kurio also lets parents create customized profiles for each of their kids. Parents control which apps each child is allow to use, which websites they can go to (if any) and even when and for how long they can play. The children, for their part, get a tablet with a bright, easy-to-use interface. Read more about the Kurio on our review of the best tablet comptuers for kids.

For sale: Summer 2012
Expected Price: $199

LEARN MORE |

Hexbug Nano Hive Habitat Set

Innovation First Labs

If you don’t have an 8-year old you might not know about Hexbug Nanos. A Nano is a vibrating cockroach sized thingy that scurries around when turned on. Trust us—they are much more fun than our description makes them sound, especially when they are raced around the loops, ramps and tracks of a Hexbug environment.

With the launch of the Hexbug Hive, Nanos now have a portable environment to scurry around in. The Hive includes jumps, a ramp and a Nano maze that kids can design themselves. It’s made specifically to be integrated with other Hexbug Nano systems, so you can build tracks (and, coming soon, zip lines) between the Hive and other Hexbug products. When you are done playing, the Hive folds in half for easy storage or portability.

For sale: Available now
Price: $34.99 (currently $30.13 on Amazon)

HEXBUG TOYS |

Hot Wheels Wall Tracks

Mattel

Yes, Hot Wheels race cars are still around and still the stuff of children’s playtime. With the new Hot Wheels Wall Tracks, that playtime now goes vertical. Wall Tracks are matchbox car tracks you attach to a wall (go figure) using brackets and low-adhesive tape. Mattel claims the tracks are completely removable, though you are certainly better off using it on a wall that’s been painted as opposed to one covered by old wallpaper. Wall Tracks are sold in various sets that include loops and jumps. All the pieces in all the sets can be mixed, matched and arranged in whatever way your child—or you—can concoct.

For sale: Available now
Price: $31.99 for the starter set. Prices vary for other sets.

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Test Tube Aliens

Wild Planet Entertainment

When we showed Test Tube Aliens to a mother she immediately exclaimed: “It’s so gross looking!” Which is to say, kids will love it!

Out of the box, a Test Tune Alien consists of an oversized clear plastic tube with a cocoon inside. Keep the tube filled with water and nourished with “sloog” (a kind of “food” that’s included) and your alien will hatch from the cocoon and then grow to about triple in size. When it is fully developed—a process that takes about 2 weeks—the fledgling alien’s brain will start working. (You know this because an LED light inside the alien’s brain will light up).

What’s cool is that growing the alien is not the end of the fun. Each alien comes with a special code which you can type into a special website to “interact” with it. There are various alien characters to choose from (of which Nash is the most popular) and each has its own personality.

For sale: Six alien characters are available now. Six more are coming in Fall of 2012.
Price: Around $19.99

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8-Bitty – Bluetooth tablet game controller

Think Geek

In a previous post on appcesories we featured the iCade, a case that turns your iPad into a classic, miniature arcade game machine. The people behind the iCad, those at the cool and wondrous store Think Geek, are soon coming out with a way to take that iPad arcade feel on the road: the 8-Bitty. It’s a Bluetooth connected controller with classic arcade-style buttons. It will work with most games but it’s especially meant for the arcade classics like Pac Man and Joust.

For sale: Summer 2012
Price: $29.99

VISIT THINK GEEK WEBSITE |

Loog – wooden kids guitar

A Loog guitar is that rare toy that immediately exudes quality and has the look and feel of an object that’s built to last. It is not the only kid-oriented guitar on the market, but the other offerings are either “fake” guitars, 6-string student guitars or cheap, plasticy things. A Loog is a real, solid 3-string guitar—any tune that can be played on a regular guitar can be played Loog. It’s just that a Loog is easier to figure out than a 6-string. Color coded cord dots on the neck help with the learning too.

Also cool: The Loog ships in parts. (It takes only 15 minutes to assemble.) That modular construction makes a Loog an adaptable instrument. Start off with a short-scale neck (recommended for kids ages six to nine) and then move up to a longer neck when your kid is ready.

For sale: Available now
Price: $215

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Cyco Cycles – three-wheeled unicycle

A regular tricycle is like a bicycle with three wheels. A Cyco Cycle is like a unicycle with three wheels. There’s no handle bar. Instead you sit on a banana seat and steer by shifting your weight. When we first tried one out we made a sharp right when we intended to curve gently to the left. After a few minutes, though, we got the hang of it and were racing confidently around the halls of the Toy Fair. A Cyco can also be ridden by standing on the back and pushing yourself along, scooter-like.

There are two Cyco Cycle models: a regular, for ages ten and up, and a mini, for kids aged seven to ten. Both fold down for easy transport.

For sale: The regular Cyco is available now. The Mini Is due out later this year.
Price: $119.99 ($82.69 currently on Amazon)

LEARN MORE & BUY |

Suspend! – family game

Melissa & Doug

Remember Jenga? From Melissa & Doug, cool purveyors of children’s playthings, comes the next hit stacking game of manual dexterity—Suspend! The game consists of a stand and 24 color-coded rubber-tipped wire hanging pieces. Roll the dice and then attach a piece of that color onto a hanging sculpture. With each new piece the balance of the sculpture shifts. Kids will love it. College students will surely turn it into a drinking game.

For sale: Mid-March 2012
Price: $16.99

MELISSA & DOUG TOYS |

Reverse Charades – family game

In addition to Suspend! (above), our favorite new family board game we spotted at the Toy Fair was Reverse Charades. It’s very much what the name suggests. Instead of one person acting out a word or phrase for a group to guess, a group acts out a word or phrase for one person to guess. The group must work together quickly yet coordinate without talking. Hilarity ensues.

There are two versions of Reverse Charades available: a regular version for players as young as ten~ish and a junior version that is suggested for children six and older. Despite the “junior” in the name, both versions are fun for adults to play sans kids. The exact same game is available in the form of the Reverse Charades iOS app, which is both cheaper and more portable than the physical version.

For sale: available now
Price: $23.99 (but $18.36 on Amazon)

LEARN MORE & BUY: BOARD GAME / iPHONE APP |

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Among the people who were struck by the high—and fast increasing—popularity of mobile apps: toy makers. Increasingly, toys are either designed to be used with an app or are inspired by them. Here’s our review of five especially cool ones:

iCADE

Spot Cool Stuff, having spent a collective chunk of our youth in the 80s and 90s playing arcade games, absolutely loves the iCADE. This cabinet turns an iPad into miniaturized version of a classic arcade gaming machine.

The iCADE was first conceived as an April Fool’s joke by the cool folks at ThinkGeek. Turned out, the joke was on them. Demand for a real iCADE proved so great that ThinkGeek felt compelled to make it a real.

After designing the iCADE arcade casing, ThinkGeek partnered with ION to create iPad versions of Atari arcade classics. There are currently 100 games available, including Battlezone, Lunar Lander Tempest, Breakout, Asteroids and Missile Command.

The iCADE case itself has a joystick and buttons that are the same size and feel as those that the classic arcade machines had. The case connects to an iPad (either the original or an iPad 2) via Blutooth. You don’t need to put a quarter into the iCADE’s slot. But there’s no need to tell your friends that when they ask to play. $99

LEARN MORE & BUY | DOWNLOAD APPS FOR THE iCADE |

Angry Birds: Knock On Wood Game

Time was, popular board games might inspire a video version. Today, popular smartphone games inspire board versions. And no smartphone game has become more popular than the Angry Bird series. (Inexplicably so, in Spot Cool Stuff’s opinion. We far prefer Plants vs Zombies, available for both Android and the Apple iOS).

The board game version of Angry Birds is aimed mostly at kids; they’ll likely enjoy it even if they’ve never seen Angry Birds played on a smartphone or tablet. Parents are unlikely to love this board game, but it probably won’t make them crazy either. One nice feature of Angry Birds: Knock On Wood is that kids across a wide range of ages (from around 3 to, say, 13) seem to like it. What parents doesn’t like that? $26

LEARN MORE & BUY | DOWNLOAD APPS ON iTUNES |

Helo TC Helicopter

Sure, there are plenty of remote control helicopters that come with an old fashion controller. But how much cooler is it to maneuver a toy helicopter using an iPhone? The Helo TC Helicopter comes with an adapter that clips onto an iPhone (or iPod touch or iPad) and plugs into its audio jack. With that—and the free Helo app—you can control the helicopter directly from an iPhone. The controls are straightforward and basic flying is easy. More advanced flying like, say, navigating an office obstacle course can take some practice. Not that your gift recipient will mind putting in the time. $45

LEARN MORE & BUY | DOWNLOAD APPS ON iTUNES |

By the way: If you like your iPad-navigated vehicles to be closer to the ground check out our review of the Rover Spy Tank.

iMarker Digital Stylus

The iMarker Digital Stylus from Griffin Technology—together with the free Crayola ColorStudio HD app—turn an iPad into an amazing coloring book. Most kids favorite activity using the iMarket Digital Stylus will be coloring in the animated coloring, which are like the normal print book coloring pages except the scene moves cartoon-like after a child is done coloring it. There’s also a free sketch mode. Artistic creations can be emailed, shared on Facebook or printed out.

LEARN MORE & BUY |

Cars 2 Appmates

Spot Cool Stuff has tried out several toys that involve physical pieces interacting with a play area on an iPad. The unnecessarily Pixar-branded Cars 2 Appmates from Spin Master is the best of them. The game involves sliding mini-cars around a virtual iPad world. Players can race, navigate obstacle courses and complete missions. Needless to say, an iPad screen protector is highly recommended. Check it out in the video below.

LEARN MORE & BUY | DOWNLOAD APPS ON iTUNES |

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Read more cool toy reviews

A team of over 100 editors, art historians and archeologists spent more than a decade tackling that very question. The result of their collective research is displayed in an epic volume titled, appropriately, The Art Museum.

The Art Museum is not another artsy coffee table book. It is THE artsy coffee table book. No other book has as extensive a display of humanity’s art, from cave paintings to modern works.

Then again, virtually no other book is as big as this one. Opened up, The Art Museum is almost three feet across. In its 1,000 pages you’ll see more than 2,700 works of art. To visit them all in real life you’d have to go to 650 museums, break into the mansions of 50 private art collectors and, oh yeah, infiltrate a dozen archeological sites Indian Jones-like.

But The Art Museum isn’t all about quantity. The book is excellently organized, divided into 25 “galleries” which are then sub-divided into “rooms” connected by “hallways.” At least one of the works on display, a 14th century alter piece, is only visible in its complete form within the pages of The Art Museum. The piece was divided into parts two centuries ago and remained so until the editors of The Art Museum tracked them all down.

All this work and book heft isn’t cheap. The Art Museum retails at US$200—
though it’s currently on sale at Amazon for half that. Not bad for the only art book your coffee table will ever need.

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A Boeing 767 LOT Airlines flight took off on a seemingly routine flight from New York City with with 230 passengers aboard. As the plane began it’s descend into Warsaw’s Chopin International Airport, pilot noticed that the landing wheels weren’t lowering.

After an hour circling above the Polish capital it became clear that the issue couldn’t be fixed while the plane was in the air. So the decision was made to land sans wheels. Can you imagine being on board and hearing THAT announcement over the loudspeaker?

The plane dumped all the extra fuel it could while airport officials cleared the airport and coated in the runway with a special fire retardant.

Then the plane came in for a landing. An absolutely perfect landing, thankfully.

The first phone call the plane’s captain, Tadeusz Wrona, received was from the president of Poland offering his congratulations. Spot Cool Stuff is mighty impressed as well.

SCS COOL TRAVEL BLOG | JOIN US ON TWITTER / FACEBOOK |

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And that’s not the only strange thing about the pairing of Swedish high school friends Daniel Larsson and Tomas Redigh.

Under either name, Larsson and Redgh produce Bitpop, an obscure but growing sub-genre of electronic music that is characterized by the primary melody played by an 8-bit electrical device, like an old Commodore 64 computer or Atari gaming console.

Anyone who played video games in the 1980s and ’90s is already familiar with the bleeps and bloops of 8-bit computers. The Legend of Zelda theme song, the sound of losing a life on Super Mario Brothers—these are 8-bit creations. Composing Bitpop is thus a classic case of finding freedom in limits. Because an 8-bit computer is only capable of producing certain sounds it demands extreme creativity to form those sounds into a song that’s cool (or at least tolerable).

Rymdreglage (aka Ninja Moped) is masterful at Bitpop. And to promote their track 8-Bit Trip, they did what a lot of musicians do: They produced a YouTube video. But unlike other music groups they spent 1,500 hours creating their video—a stop motion masterpiece using themselves, 8-bit computer generated graphics and a whole lot of LEGO pieces. (1,500 hours! That’s more than two months without sleeping, eating or taking breaks!). The video was shortlisted for YouTube Play. Check it out, below.

Larsson and Redgh’s current project is more about destroying musical objects. The two are building a crossbow that’s large enough and powerful enough to catapult a piano 100 meters.

LEARN MORE | DOWNLOAD RYMDREGLAGE TUNES |

LEARN MORE | DOWNLOAD NINJA MOPED TUNES | JOIN US ON TWITTER / FACEBOOK

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The seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we’d argue, match up with the infographic perfectly. (To the point that we wonder whether that was the inspiration for its artist). The West Wing fits the pattern too, as does Malcolm in the Middle, The Gilmore Girls and Boy Meets World. Each of those lasted seven seasons. (Star Trek: The Next Generation lasted seven season too, though we maintain they were consistently strong through at least the first six).

Even some television series that didn’t make it to a seventh season fit with the basic infographic lifespan. Alias definitely plateaued in Season 3 and from there entered its downward spiral especially quickly. So did The Wire.

How does your favorite show measure up? Let us know in a comment, below.

MORE INFOGRAPHICS | JOIN US ON TWITTER / FACEBOOK |

Other Infographics on Spot Cool Stuff:
Mac People Vs. PC People
How a Father’s MusicInfluences His Kids
Turn Your Resume Into a Creative Infographic