People make amazing custom spaceships out of LEGO, sure, but they also make amazing custom mechs as well. More »
from Kotaku
From Kotaku: The Incredible World of Giant LEGO Mechs
From Gizmodo: Multimillionaire Software Exec Arrested in LEGO-Thieving Bar-Code Scam
Ah, power. You give a person too much and they will abuse it. Such is the case with Thomas Langenbach, a 47-year-old VP at Palo Alto-based software company SAP Labs, who has been arrested for the nerdiest crime in recent memory. His abuse of power: computer-based. More »
from Gizmodo
From Gizmodo: Korean Toddlers Build Tallest Lego Tower in the World
From The UberReview: ZBoard: Segway for Hipsters
Remember Segways? They were supposed to be transportation of the future, but now they’re just a silly trend we’ll laugh at in 10 years when we see them on VH1′s “I Love the ’00s.† Segways were for rich yuppies, but the ZBoard ain’t your rich trustfund beneficiary’s skateboard. Electric skateboards are nothing new, but this one is weight-sensing, much like the Silly Seg. Kicking and Pushing is so Lupe Fiasco’s first single (you probably don’t get that reference), but with the ZBoard you won’t have to.
“To ride simply lean forward on the front footpad to accelerate and lean back on the rear footpad to brake.â€
The Z has a top speed of 17 mph and can go 5-10 miles without needing to be re-charged. The boards start shipping this month so go click right here to get yourself one for $499, and/or check the video below.
[Source]
from The UberReview
From Autoblog: Video: Japanese man makes the best Transformers model we’ve ever seen
Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Toys/Games
Michael Bay’s Transformers were true enough (for a Bay production, at least) to the original articles in their car and robot states, but their transforming sequences were epilepsy-inducing explosions of cranks and gears that made no sense at all. Admittedly, it didn’t stop us from enjoying the first movie.
But the work of a Japanese modeler is what we’ve been looking for: his Transformer takes us all the way back to the original eightes series when Bumblebee was a Volkswagen Beetle. This is version eight, fitted with 22 servo motors – it even throws punches and does a jig – and we’re told that version nine is on the way. We’d like to humbly request that all research on flying cars stops, and every resource be poured into a production version of this right now. Scroll downto check out the video.
from Autoblog
From Latest Items from TreeHugger: Build a Robot! Arduino-Based Four-Legged Robot Your Can Make Yourself.
We love biomimicry in robots, especially those that look and move like animals and insects. Now here’s an opportunity to build your own!
From Engadget: Dundee student designs Passive Play toy cube to stimulate parent interaction with autistic children
A University of Dundee scholar has been working on a wonderful tool that aims to evoke the emotional connection between children with autism and their parents. While we’ve seen novelties like the My Keepon in the past, any addition to the cause is always a pleasant one, and the Passive Play’s no exception. The concept comes in the form of an interactive toy cube for the kid (pictured above), which pairs up with an iOS app and allows the parent to see any interaction the little one is having with the device. Passive Play’s creator, Tom Kirkman, says his inspiration comes from “wanting to learn more about autism,” and in case you happen to be in the UK, he’ll be showing off the project at Dundee University later this month. For all those details, be sure to check out the PR after the break.
from Engadget