Hasta La Gadget!

We’ll just go ahead and warn you — don’t even think of giving the read link any attention if you’re both a) a Lego freak and b) strapped for cash. Otherwise, you’ll definitely be $169.99 further away from paying the light bill next month, as the limited edition Mindstorms Black NXT Brick is simply a must-have item for even amateur collectors. The device, which was created to celebrate ten years of Mindstorms, boasts four input ports, a trio of output ports for motors, a large dot-matrix display, USB 2.0, Bluetooth, a 32-bit microprocessor and a digital wire interface for third-party developments. We’d get in line now if you want to be assured of a piece come March 3rd, but that’s totally your call.

[Via GoRobotics]

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Limited edition Lego Mindstorms NXT brings back a decade of memories originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 22:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re having a tough time recalling the last year in which not one, but two new Rubik’s Cube spinoffs were launched, but sure enough, the Rubik’s TouchCube is gearing up to join the Rubik’s 360 at the American International Toy Fair. Christened the “first completely electronic, solvable Rubik’s Cube,” this one maintains the shape of the original but replaces the colored stickers with actual lights. Users ready to engage their minds simply hit the scramble button on the cube, and then rearrange the blocks by swiping their finger. There’s no mention of when this will take store shelves by storm, but we’re pretty sure it’ll be around for the pre-Christmas rush. Oh, and you know you can’t wait to hack one, which was darn near impossible on the analog version. In-action video is just past the break.

Continue reading Rubik’s TouchCube splashes modern day onto timeless classic

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Rubik’s TouchCube splashes modern day onto timeless classic originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Congratulations, you’ve done it. You and your CrackBerry habit have your neglected child pining for a drab QWERTY device of his or her own to pound out emails to lil’ Timmy down the street, and revise playdate scheduling up against an Exchange server. LeapFrog has filled that void in a delightfully hefty, hard-to-swallow form factor, with the new Text and Learn. It’s meant for little chilluns too young to spot a crappy UI and bad ergonomics, so the primary function is pushing the letters and getting it spoken back to you. We must say, we found the lack of push data a little off-putting, and the screen glare was a bit harsh, but the spacious, responsive keyboard is really best in class. Next they’ll be asking for a BlackBerry massage and matching funds for their 401k. Video is after the break.

Continue reading LeapFrog Text and Learn hands-on: look what RIM hath wrought

Filed under: Handhelds

LeapFrog Text and Learn hands-on: look what RIM hath wrought originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Takara Tomy never fails to impress, and with its latest robot, it’s done an excellent job at eliciting “awws.” You see, the February-bound robo-Q bipedal robot is about the size of a human thumb, yet its heart and mind are big enough to understand commands via remote control. There’s even obstacle recognition software built-in to keep it from toppling over gigantic foreign objects (you know, like toothpicks and push pins), which is awesome enough in and of itself to warrant the ¥3,675 ($42) price tag.

[Via TokyoMango]

Filed under: Robots

Takara Tomy’s remote control robo-Q robot is tiny, incredibly cute originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Add one more contender to the list of mind control games vying for our attention this year alongside NeuroSky and Emotiv. Set to debut this week at CES, Mattel’s Mind Flex requires players to concentrate really hard in order to power a fan that’ll float a ball through the hoops. Sure, it’s not nearly as complex as what the other two are proposing, but we could totally see ourselves wearing this headset all day while we work — just to find out how much brain power we’re really using. It’s expected to hit US retail channels later this year for $80, and if we may be so candid, our only wish is that the headset was small enough to hide under a hat. You know, so we could fool our family members into thinking we had superpowers.

Via Gadget Review; Thanks, Christen]

Filed under: CES, Gaming

Mattel’s Mind Flex teaches kids fake telekinesis originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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