UberOrbs

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Julie

November 29, 2004

 

Ready for a cube toy that is unique, weird and addictive? UberOrbs (recently renamed from Magnetoids) will be the first item your co-workers will pick up when they visit your desk. What are they? They are two highly polished, elliptical shaped magnets that are made of a of smooth ceramic or glass like mineral called Hematite.

Package Contents

2 UberOrbs
Vinyl carrying case
Instruction sheet

If you are anything like me, you find magnets irresistible. When I was a kid, I would take apart (i.e. destroy) toys, old appliances, etc, just to get to the magnets inside their motors. Now that I'm an adult, I've been able to control my destructive impulses and just play with my UberOrbs.

UberOrbs are not your typical magnets. For one thing, they have a unique shape which just begs to be handled. You can click, clack, snap and swivel these little guys to your heart's content. They are great for stress relief or just for fiddling with while on the phone etc.

They are also super strong. You sandwich your hand in between the orbs by placing one magnet in the palm of your hand and another on the opposite side. You can spend minutes / hours / days coming up with wacky tricks for these orbs.

But probably the most unique aspect of this toy is the sounds that they can produce. They whir, squeak, smack, and buzz (click for .WAV sound file). People will wonder what the heck you're doing when they hear the noises coming from your cube! Pets will freak out and kids will never give them back once they discover them.

With a price tag of only $19.99, this toy is inexpensive enough to pick up one for your best friend's Christmas stocking and one for yourself!
 

Price: $19.99 (Available from ThinkGeek.com)

Pros:
Addictive
Unusual

Cons:
Addictive