Playthings no more.How many Star Wars figures did you have when you were a kid? How many G.I. Joes? How many Barbies?

If you grew up in just about any Western country in the last sixty years, the answer to at least one of those questions is a sharp intake of breath, a few moments of thought, and an "I don't know. Lots?"

You probably threw them away when you grew up, but you're about to wish you hadn't. Yesterday's popular toy is today's collectors' item. Some of the action figures you loved as a child are now sought-after rarities with enormous pricetags. Who knows which of these four-, five-, and even six-figure toys lurks in your attic? Probably none of them. But hey, maybe it's your lucky day. Read on and

By Mike Krumboltz, Yahoo! Buzz Log

We've heard of people finding messages in bottles on the beach, but how about an 8-foot-tall LEGO figure?

We first saw the news over at BoingBoing. Apparently a man was out walking on the beach near lovely Siesta Key in Florida, when he came across "something" laying in the surf a ways away. He went to investigate, and what do you know -- it was a giant LEGO man. On its torso was a message, reading "No Real Than You Are." Yeah, we don't get it either.

Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games)Get ready to play in Rockstar's sandbox once again.

The developer has formally announced that Grand Theft Auto V is coming, though in true Rockstar fashion, that's about all it has to say so far.

The developer has wallpapered its website with the game's logo and promised to release the first trailer for the game on Nov. 2. Normally, that wouldn't be enough to put gamers into a tizzy — but GTA is hardly a normal game.

Battlefield 3 (EA)For the past few months, the war of words between Activision and Electronic Arts over their respective modern military shooters has been intense, to say the least. EA has been eager to unseat Call of Duty from its king-of-the-hill spot and hasn't shied away from trash talking to do so.

On Tuesday, the company's best bet to accomplish this — Battlefield 3 — will hit store shelves. And while EA's marketing machine is about to go into overdrive, analysts say the fight may be over before it starts.

Modern Warfare 3, due out Nov. 8, will sell twice as many units as Battlefield 3 this year, predicts Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. He also believes it will likely set entertainment opening weekend records for the third year in a row.

Richard Garriott has always lived in a slightly different world than the rest of us.

Brittania Manor II (Photos courtesy Robin McCall Company)He's the creator of the revolutionary Ultima role-playing series. He's an astronaut. And he lives in one of the coolest houses in Texas.

Or used to live there, at least.

Garriott's epic digs can now be yours — if you've got a spare $4 million lying around.

Britannia Manor II, a 5,000 square foot home in Austin that overlooks 3,000 acres of protected land, was designed by Garriott -- and, as you might expect from a legendary game maker, it comes with some very unique features.

Diablo III (Blizzard)Haven't visited Azeroth in a while? It might be time for an online vacation.

At the company's annual Blizzcon event in Anaheim, CA, ace game developer Blizzard announced that anyone who signs up for an annual subscription to World of WarCraft will score one heckuva treasure: the full digital version of their next game, eagerly anticipated action-role-playing sequel Diablo III.

Like, for free.

Forget Kinect. Scientists have now found a way to literally make you the controller in video games.

A study on human-computer interfaces at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Emerging Technology Conference this week included visual evidence of test subjects controlling games via electrodes attached to the surface of their brains -- completely redefining the term "head shot."

The players, who (it's worth noting) were initially wired up for treatment of illnesses such as epilepsy, were given the chance to play the shooter classic Doom. The position of the targeting reticule was controlled with an external controller, but the command to fire came directly from a patient's thoughts.

Nokia MorphFive years ago, the features of today's smart phones seemed the stuff of science fiction. Functions like voice-activated controls, high-definition cameras and video calls were largely considered geek daydreams, but the breathtaking evolution of the devices has turned them into reality seemingly overnight.

That's what makes the future so exciting for smart phones. No dream is too big. The better question, now, is when some kooky new feature will become reality. And in a lot of cases, it might not be too long.

Some of the features and functions of future smart phones are pretty obvious -- longer battery life, 4G connectivity, more immersive games, etc. -- but there are bigger, broader plans out there. Here are five that have caught our eye.