Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve seen a couple of DIY Pip-Boy 3000s that used the case of the Pip-Boy clock collectible to make a faithful replica. But Flickr user Simon Liu aka Si-MOCs chose a more complex process, using his LEGO building skills to create what he calls the Pip-Boy3000Si.

Simon didn’t provide any details about his replica’s construction, but as you’ll see in the video below it has a working display. Simon also said that it has an FM radio.

Here’s a side quest for you, vault dweller: find Simon’s Flickr page and you’ll be rewarded with three high resolution pictures of the Pip-Boy 3000Si.

[via Ian Brooks]

The LEGO video game franchise has proven to be quite popular with kids and adults. Typically, the games are available on multiple platforms, but Nintendo has landed an exclusive game in the franchise for its new console. The game is called LEGO City Undercover.

The game puts players in the role of undercover detective Chase McCain. Players will be able to explore the open world of LEGO City, in what plays out like an “E”-rated version of Grand Theft Auto IV.

The game does take advantage of the unique Wii U GamePad. Characters in the game use a virtual version of the GamePad to communicate with police dispatch and perform other tasks. Players will use the touchscreen to scan the environment to locate hidden clues, listen in on criminals, access the world map, and place waypoints using the touchscreen.

Owners of the Nintendo Wii U can purchase the game right now or download it from the Wii U eShop. There’s also a companion version of the game coming to the Nintendo 3DS this April, called The Chase Begins. LEGO already offers numerous playsets based on the City franchise.

The power of imagination certainly has no boundaries. When you give a kid a box of Lego bricks, leave him or her alone, and after some time, you would most probably end up with something totally new and never thought of before. Recently, I saw an ad that went somewhere along the lines of “boys will never grow old of their toys”, but rather, they just change them. Italian music producer Giuseppe Acito is no longer a boy, but he still has use for Lego bricks, and his ingenuity has come up with what he has called the “Toa Mata Band”, where it is comprised of a handful of small, robotic Lego figures that have been programmed to play a range of musical instruments, no less.

You can more or less say that each “member” of the band has been constructed from Lego Bionicle pieces, and these have been rigged with rubber bands as well as pulleys. Their arms were controlled by an Arduino Uno that has been hooked to an iPad that runs Nord Beat, which is a MIDI sequencer app. These small robots will be able to “perform” a MIDI sequence as they go around hitting the instrument that they face whenever prompted.

Acito has managed to use a range of different synthesizers and drum machines to date, where among them include a fair number of vintage equipment to eke out tunes that will help you shake your booty. The way the bots have been set up allow them to perform a pre-programmed song, or to even play live with a human operator that is capable of sizing up the situation, before throwing in more commands to the MIDI sequence in real-time.

Unfortunately for the rest of the world, Acito has come up with just a single prototype at this point in time, making this truly a one-of-a-kind.

Source
[ Toa Mata Band is the first LEGO band ever copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

You can create all kinds of stuff with LEGO bricks. Then there are all of the things that you can create that look like LEGO bricks, but aren’t. Here is a clever creation for that LEGO-themed kitchen you have been dreaming of.

Spice racks are hit and miss. It seems like they are either really nicely designed, or very ugly. This spice rack is most definitely geeky. Therefore it is awesome in my book. It was made by Matthew Ebisu, who wanted to spice up his kitchen with LEGO. Very clever indeed, Matthew.

The body and the studs of this spice rack are made of chipboard and cardboard. And if you want to make one yourself, you can download the design template here. I wonder if you could make one out of actual LEGO bricks.

[via That’s Nerdalicious]

You might remember Evan Bacon. He’s the teenager who built himself a couple of superheroes using thousands of LEGO bricks. Now Evan is back with another amazing LEGO construction – a 6-foot, 6-inch-tall Superman.

This new model was built from 18,000 individual LEGO bricks,weighs 110 pounds, and is based off of the Superman design from the upcoming Man of Steel movie. And yes, he has light-up LED eyes.That seems like something Bizarro would do more than Superman though.

All told, it took Evan about 100 hours to build this awesome sculpture. He plans on showing it off at the upcoming Brick Fiesta this Summer, and it will also be appearing in a new book called Extreme Bricks, by author Sarah Herman.

Here’s Evan standing with two of his proudest creations:

Now all Evan needs to do is build himself some LEGO socks and shoes.