Our friends over at Character Options have been in touch to let us know about their brand new Doctor Who: Sonic Screwdriver Collection, which is available exclusively on Amazon!

The set includes 6 of the most iconic screwdrivers featured in the much loved TV series including replica toys of the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th/8th, 10th and 11th Doctor Sonic Screwdrivers, all featuring a variety of sound and light effects.

The team have even put together a little video showing off the set:
[youtube:r3WcI-wKsiM]
+  ORDER the set at Amazon.co.uk for £69.99.

[Source: Character Options]

Manufacturer: Character Options

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: June 2016

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 19th May 2016

At the end of Season 10 of Doctor Who (which seems so long ago now), to ease the pain of Clara’s departure we were treated to a brand new sonic screwdriver with a completely revamped look, and at last the 12th Doctor got his very own model - and what a model it is!

When we visited Toy Fair back in January of this year, there was next to no Doctor Who merchandise whatsoever - for the first time since the show returned to our screens in 2005. At the event, we had our annual chat with Character Options who said that things should fire up again for the second half of the year, kicking off with the brand new Sonic Screwdriver.

Here we are in May, and we are lucky to be among the first to review the new toy, ahead of its official release date at the start of June.

Starting off with the packaging, it comes in the familiar cylindrical plastic tube and looks quite striking against the blue and orange visuals. The blue of the new sonic really stands out whilst the silver paintwork seems to catch the light more than previous models, again making it jump out at you.

Once out of the packing, it’s clear that Character Options are going more down the replica route this time around. Gone are the legal text and copyright statements - instead, these are housed inside the sonic with a twist and pull motion.

There’s a good weight to it and the hand hold feels natural. The wheeled thumb grip looks and feels great to the touch with a simple push / pull motion, whilst the palm grip, although slightly bulky from an aesthetic point of view, actually sits really well in your hand.

The very bottom of the sonic protrudes out a little, but this is explained on-screen as it's a plug-in point for the TARDIS console.

As for features, for the very first time in a sonic, we have both blue and green light modes with 4 different light FX and sound FX modes. Pushing up once will give you the static green light mode, with familiar baseline sound FX. Pushing down once will give you the static blue light mode with the familiar upper baseline sound FX.

However, the best modes (in our opinion) are when you push up or pull down twice on the wheel; pushing up twice will give you a throbbing green light mode with a tracking bell type sound FX. Pushing down twice will give you a rotating blue light mode with whirring sound FX.

It’s very hard to find fault with the sonic - it looks stunning and it’s nice how the blue paintwork ties in with the TARDIS colouring, whilst the light section at the top reflects the TARDIS’ time rotor. 

For the very reasonable £14.99 RRP, not only do you get a durable, feature-packed toy, but now, thanks to Character Options' continued efforts to listen to the fans, you have a loyal replica!

+  PREORDER The 12th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver from Character Options for £14.99!

The Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver Remote Control is finally here to give Doctor Who fans what they have been asking for: a brand new, hero prop replica which is a superb recreation of the Sonic Screwdriver used by Peter Capaldi in Series 8. A limited run of 168 laser-etched numbered Sonics will be available exclusively to purchase on the BBC AMERICA booth (#4129) for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con (8th-12th July 2015) prior to general sale from 7^th September from www.BBCShop.com.

The new Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver is a fully functioning gesture-based universal remote control which can control your TV and other home entertainment equipment. Learning the gestures and programming the Sonic Screwdriver is easy, and the intuitive gestures allow the user to become the Doctor. Flick it open and the clasps extend with a satisfying clunk; press the grip mounted button for instant light and sound action or use the Any-TV-Off function just for fun!

The Twelfth Sonic has been made in direct response to the huge number of requests that The Wand Company received from fans all over the world asking for an extending version of their famous Eleventh Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver.

Chris Barnardo, co-founder of The Wand Company said:

“Since our Eleventh Doctor’s Sonic went on sale, we have had a constant stream of requests from fans of all ages asking us to make an extending version. It wasn’t easy to engineer a solidly reliable device that can withstand being repeatedly flicked to extend it, but we’ve been able to do it, and I’m certain that any fan of Doctor Who is going to love it,”

Jason Easy, Senior Licensing Manager at BBC Worldwide, said:

“The Wand Company continually exceed expectations with their range of Sonic Screwdrivers, and the Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic is no exception. The Sonics are not just technologically sophisticated, but also beautifully made and have exciting features that delight fans.”

Product details:

The Wand Company’s new extending Twelfth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver universal remote control prop replica contains the following features:

-  1:1 scale replica of the Series 8 Sonic Screwdriver hero prop

-  Highly authentic flick-to-extend action

-  Grip-mounted action button

-  Press and hold button to make Sonic buzz and tip light in FX Mode

-  Any-TV-off function that turns off any television at the press of a button, without having to program the Sonic first

-  Stores up to 39 remote control commands

-  Customisable personal lock code

-  Ivory-coloured handle with subtle fleck

-  Redesigned copper-plated handle end

-  Gallifreyan stand for vertical presentation

-  12 new secret Morse-coded Twelfth Doctor phrases

-  12 different sonic screwdriver sound effects

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

Manufacturer: The Wand Company Ltd

RRP: £69.99

Release Date: October 2013

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 24th October 2013

Last year, we had the pleasure of reviewing The Wand Company’s first foray into the Doctor Who market with their 11th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control (review here). It was only natural that after the huge success of the first product, that more would be on the way.

Enter the 10th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote Control… and what a product it is! Kicking off with the simple and clean white outer box, which ties in neatly with the 50th Anniversary branding, upon opening you are presented with a contrasting inner black box, which doubles neatly as a handy carrying case.

The case opens out to reveal the sonic screwdriver and a USB cable to charge the device, and getting started really is as easy as plugging it into to the nearest USB point on your computer.

One charged, you’re ready to begin storing the remote control functions, of which there are 39 that the device can learn and store (13 gestures in each of the 3 memory banks). Programming the sonic to learn the gestures is incredibly easy, and nestled beneath one of the inner trays of the black carry case is a handy instruction manual which is simple to follow and will get you up and running in no time at all.

As with the 11th Doctor sonic, this is so much more than just a remote control. Instead of having the simple point and tap functionality, there are the added bonuses of light and sound FX, which help make the overall look and feel of the device even more real.

In the instruction manual, it clearly points out that “The Sonic Screwdriver universal remote control is not a toy”, and they’re right; this is a loyal replica that just so happens to have the bonus of remote control features. The device is heavy enough for you to feel the quality, but light enough to perform all your remote control duties without feeling any burden of weight.

As well as the ‘Control Mode’ there are 3 other operational modes which the user can cycle through:

Quiet Control Mode - Instead of the bells and whistles with the sound FX on the standard control mode, quiet control mode simply performs clicks and light flashes instead of the sounds.

Practise Mode - This is for the user to learn how to perform the movement gestures correctly before going into control mode to store them into the memory banks.

Finally, there’s the ‘FX Mode’ (our personal favourite). Even though, as we previously mentioned, this is not a toy (*smiles cheekily*), FX mode effectively allows you to be The Doctor, and sample up to ten different sonic screwdriver sound effects. If you quickly press the main button three times whilst in FX mode, there’s a great ‘Morse code’ feature that transmits up to ten different well known 10th Doctor phrases in Morse code.

There’s one final surprise in this neat little package though, for when you lift up the other tray in the black carry case, there is, what could easily be mistaken as a Hobbit-sized metal coaster, bearing some Gallifreyan symbols. But this isn’t for your Venusian espresso - it’s a rather cool stand for your sonic, with a magnetic point for which to display the remote in a dazzling, timey-wimey, vertical position. Sure it may not be a necessary extra, but its another example of the attention to detail and extra mile that The Wand Company have gone to in bringing to life this iconic Doctor Who device.

At £69.99, The Tenth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver universal remote control is almost £10 more expensive than the previous Eleventh Doctor’s sonic, but it is worth every penny. We actually preferred this more compact version of the sonic, and despite the size reduction compared to its televisual successor, there’s no compromise in the features or functionality it holds.

+  Click Here to buy now from FireBox for £69.95!

[With thanks to Firebox]

Manufacturer: The Wand Company Ltd

RRP: £59.99

Release Date: End of August 2012

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 14th August 2012

From the moment you open the packaging, it is clear that the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote is a thing of beauty. The attention to detail and craftsmanship is unlike any other sonic replica out there and the fact that it has IR functionality only adds to the value for money.

Out of the box, the device sits neatly on its own stand with a perspex hood, which protects the sonic should you wish to have it on display. The sonic itself smacks of quality. From the weight, right down to the die-cast metal and hand-polished, copper-plated finish, you can't help feeling that you're holding something a little bit special.

Programming the IR codes is surprisingly easy - long gone are the days of scouring through user manuals, hoping to find the right code for your TV set. All you do is press the desired button on your old remote in front of the sonic remote, and a voice confirms the process with a reassuring 'ok'.

Gestures include, Up, Down, Left Right, Push, Pull, Tap Top, Tab Bottom, Tap Left and Tap Right - with no doubt more that we've yet to discover!

There's an FX mode which houses 13 different sound effects that will please new fans right down to the hardcore purists. There are also some Easter Egg functions, but without spoiling the fun, we'll let you discover those for yourself.

It's hard to fault this product, at times it can seem a little too responsive, but as the instruction manual points out, 'gestures are cool, but humans need to practise them'.

The RRP of £59.99 may seem a little high for a remote control, but what you get here is a loyal replica of the 11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver with the added bonus of a remote control. Compared to other replicas that have gone before it, the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote is miles cheaper in comparison, with heaps more functionality to boot.

+  Click Here to buy now from FireBox!

Last month DWO teamed up with Firebox to offer 3 lucky DWO Twitter followers, the chance to win a ticket to the press launch of the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote. DWO WhoCast interviewer, Siobhan Gallichan was on-hand to interview the winners on the day which you can listen to below:

DWO and Firebox have teamed up to offer our Twitter followers a chance to win an invite to the Sonic Screwdriver Remote Press Launch!

3 x lucky winners will win an invite to the press launch next Wednesday in London, as well as taking away with them one of the new Sonic Screwdriver Remote's (pictured).

To enter, all you have to do is Tweet '#DWO @Firebox' to us via the @DrWhoOnline Twitter page.

Please note that in order to be eligible, you must be free next Wednesday (25th July) at 3:30pm, and must be able to make your own travel arrangements.

+ Check Out the Sonic Screwdriver Remote at Firebox!

[Source: Doctor Who Online]

Scientists claim to have invented their own version of the sonic screwdriver as seen in Doctor Who.

Researchers at Dundee University have created a machine which uses ultrasound to lift and rotate a rubber disc floating in a cylinder of water.

It is said to be the first time ultrasound waves have been used to turn objects rather than simply push them. The study could help make surgery using ultrasound techniques more precise, the physicists said. Surgeons use ultrasound to treat a range of conditions without having to cut open a patient. The ability to steer ultrasound waves to the precise spot where they are needed could make those treatments even more effective.

The ultrasound waves could also be used to guide a drug capsule through the body and activate it, for instance right inside a tumour. Ultrasound waves could already be made to push objects and scientists believed they could also turn them - but the Dundee University team claims to have now proved it.

They used energy from an ultrasound array to form a beam that can both carry momentum to push away an object in its path and, by using a beam shaped like a helix or vortex, cause the object to rotate.

Dr Mike MacDonald, of the Institute for Medical Science and Technology (IMSAT) at Dundee, said:

"This experiment not only confirms a fundamental physics theory but also demonstrates a new level of control over ultrasound beams which can also be applied to non-invasive ultrasound surgery, targeted drug delivery and ultrasonic manipulation of cells. The sonic screwdriver device is also part of the EU-funded nanoporation project where we are already starting to push the boundaries of what ultrasound can do in terms of targeted drug delivery and targeted cellular surgery. It is an area that has great potential for developing new surgical techniques, among other applications, something which Dundee is very much at the forefront of. Like Doctor Who's own device, our sonic screwdriver is capable of much more than just spinning things around."

The results of the sonic screwdriver experiment are published in the American Physical Society's journal Physical Review Letters.

The research also forms part of a UK-wide Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project known as Sonotweezers, which aims to bring dexterity and flexibility to ultrasonic manipulation, allowing applications in a wide range of topics including regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, developmental biology and physics.

[Source: BBC News]

Doctor Who prop-maker Nick Robatto has launched a range of new, and sometimes outright deadly ray-guns to unleash on an unsuspecting world! Nick, or his alter-ego, Professor RubberToe, has spent the last three years (in between making the odd Sonic Screwdriver or two) creating the world of RubberToe, and a series of ray-guns that are as beautiful as they are dangerous.

RubberToe Rayguns was born from the fevered imaginings of Nick’s encounters with the weird and outright strange while working on Doctor Who, at the end of which he had a number of beautiful – although no less deadly – ray-guns cluttering up his office. An epiphany followed, and Nick set about sketching out the world in which Professor RubberToe lives and formed a back-story for the ray-guns.

Nick says of his new venture; “I've had a very busy six years working on Dr Who, with only a couple of weeks spare here and there. It’s taken me around three and a half years from my initial idea to the launching of the website. I wanted something that I could put my own design on, and so Rubbertoe Rayguns was born!”.

Now Nick’s amazing creations are available for purchase at www.rubbertoerayguns.com! All the ray-guns are handmade by Nick himself, with limited runs on each design. So to get yourself a beautiful and unique piece of classic sci-fi weaponry!

+  Enter Here to be in with a chance of winning a Rubbertoe Raygun on the DWO Competitions page!

[Source: Nick Robatto]