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Giant Robot, I Need You! Johnny Sokko Returns, 40 year anniversary!

Long long ago

back before the earth’s crust cooled, back before The Iron Giant, back before The Transformers, back before….well, a long long time ago, there was Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot.

I grew up on this show, and was just reminded of it by this interesting eBay goodie:

Giant Robot*RARE Giant Robot Remote Controlled Johnny Sokko*

This is a supremely rare edition of Remote Controlled Giant Robot. The set comes with a wrist-watch type controller (not very realistic though) and a 14-inch multi-function GR figure. The figure features 1) light in the eyes and sound effect when pressing the chest of robot; 2) Walking motion or sliding motion; 3) Finger missile launching (light and sound) with lifted arms. The figure takes four AA batteries whilst the controller takes two AAA batteries. Batteries for the controller are not included. All instructions are in Japanese but absolutely no problem for any adults. Great item for GR fans to celebrate the 40th Anniversary.

Stand aside, Optimus Prime! How on earth can you compete with:

….Though I admittedly have little knowledge in the genre of Japanese sci-fi, I do know one thing: when a UFO crashes into the ocean near Tokyo, chances are pretty good that an attack on the city by a giant monster is inherent. Call it intuition.Meanwhile, on a boat not too far away, we meet Johnny Sokko, a young boy on his way to…well, we’re not told where he’s off to. But that really doesn’t matter, now does it? Johnny, while on deck peering out over the sea, meets Jerry Mano. It takes approximately three minutes of small talk between the two for Jerry to blow his cover and disclose that he is really a secret agent for an outfit called UNICORN. How does Johnny cleverly uncover this valuable piece of information about Jerry? In a brilliant battle of wits, Johnny asks, “So, what do you do?” To which Jerry replies, “I’m a secret agent for UNICORN…oops, I mean I’m a writer, ”

Thank you, Captain Obvious.

Then, to add credibility to his writer story, Jerry immediately gets on his futuristic cell phone (at least in the film it’s supposed to be futuristic, in reality it looked like a car antennae) and reports in to his boss back at UNICORN headquarters. I guess subtlety isn’t a prerequisite for being a secret agent…..MORE….

Okay true, perhaps I’m thinking about Giant Robo, but hey…the memories are still as sweet. :)

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - more Johnny Sokko goodies include:


*RARE Giant Robot Remote Controlled Johnny Sokko*


JOHNNY SOKKO &His Flying Robot Giant 26 Episode DVD Set


JOHNNY SOKKO + SPECTREMAN (Ultraman) DVD BOX SETS NEW


JOHNNY SOKKO + SPECTREMAN (Ultraman) DVD BOX SETS NEW


JOHNNY SOKKO + SPECTREMAN (Ultraman) DVD BOX SETS NEW


JOHNNY SOKKO + SPECTREMAN (Ultraman) DVD BOX SETS NEW


Voyage Into Space Johnny Sokko DVD New Movie 1970

Apple TV 2.0 - Get the inside scoop

Morning,

Well! It appears that Apple has regrouped and came back at us with their latest and greatest Apple TV concept - Apple TV Take 2!

Okay, no, it’s really Apple TV 2.0, but the reviews already are looking mighty promising. To wit, Gizmodo says:

…Ever since our Apple TV 1.0 review decided that Apple’s thrust into the living room wasn’t pantsworthy, we’ve been waiting for them to step up and make a revision that was. Apple TV 2.0 is their answer. It’s everything Apple TV should have been when it launched, complete with audio and video podcasts, Flickr and .Mac integration and—most importantly—movie rentals without a computer. At $229, it’s an essential part of any iTunes user’s living room arsenal…..

…This is going to be the core of your Apple TV experience. Browsing for movies is a fairly easy task, with a Top Movies section listing the most popular movies available right now, along with a genre browser and a search function. Typing in your Apple login and password with the remote is arduous, and you’ll want to let the Apple TV remember your password for future sessions (unless you’re worried about security, then you’ll have to go through the fun of re-typing in your password every time you rent/buy anything). After you accept the EULA, your Apple TV buffers for about a minute before you can start watching; longer if your connection sucks.

It’s $3.99 for an SD rental and $4.99 for an HD, then you have 30 days to start watching it and 24 hours to finish watching it once you’ve started. That’s competitive with Blockbuster, Netflix, and other VOD services ….MORE…

Like I said, it sounds really promising. Check out the 2008 MacWorld clip where Steve Jobs introduces it:

And if you want more consumer reviews, check out:

and don’t forget about Apple TV forums:

I really like how the community comes together and shares all those super resources. If you’re a hardcore Apple fan, the sites above are definitely for you.

ThankYouVeryMuch!

Owlbert

ps - some Apple TV goodies:

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