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A Lego version of the International Space Station is coming February 1st
Thanks to a new set from Lego, you'll soon be able to give the International Space Station (ISS) the place of honor it deserves in your home. The 864-piece model will set you back $70 when the company releases it on February 1st.
Your next Lego masterpiece is a $120 NASA Saturn V rocket
Lego has been inspired by NASA lately. Last month, the toymaker paid homage to women who made great contributions to the space agency, and now it's revealing an Apollo Saturn V set that also looks incredible. As seen in the picture above, this rocket stands at a little more than three feet tall and can be positioned horizontally or vertically. The idea for the piece was born out of the company's Lego Ideas program, which lets people from all over the world submit concepts they'd like to see get made. Made up of nearly 2,000 Lego pieces, the NASA Apollo Saturn V is expected to hit stores in June for $120 -- which is a small price to pay to make your Moon-landing fantasies come true.
'LEGO Dimensions' makes me like things I hate
2016 has been a rough year for Ghostbusters fans. After more than a decade of rumors and false starts, the franchise finally got a new film -- but the reboot's cast of leading ladies turned a spotlight on a misogynistic minority within the fandom's community of cosplayers and prop-builders. When the dust settled, we were left with a movie too mediocre to extinguish the hate surrounding it, yet not nearly bad enough to warrant the outrage. For me, this became a personal problem: How was I to reconcile a lackluster film that I just didn't like with my weirdly fervent love of Ghostbusters? The answer, it turns out, was LEGO Dimensions.
Why not make a McNugget vending machine out of Legos?
The answer? Because after about 15 minutes they're not nearly as good. That minor hiccup aside, the YouTubers at Astonishing Studios have created this to celebrate the glorious food-like item that is the chicken nugget. Built and automated entirely by Lego Mindstorms, it can identify and process the proper payment before dispensing a four piece package of McNuggets on demand, with sauce. It only holds a couple of cartons, but without any way to heat -- of course Japan has that figured out -- or cool them, that sounds about right.
ICYMI: Bro-saving weight bench, 4-gram robot and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-891327").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A weight bench designed for people who want to lift alone has a hydraulic foot lever to save yourself from injury. A 4-gram robot can move two different ways: As an inchworm, or by flicking itself in the air with flippers that get a charge from a mild electric current. And an art project made of a 3D-printed top uses eye tracking sensors and software to let the wearer know when he or she is being stared at by responding with movement.
ZTE's modular smartphone could make part-swapping a reality within two years
Smartphones with interchangeable parts is the future... or so companies like Motorola and ZTE believe. Both manufacturers are currently working on prototypes of what's known as modular smartphones. Such a device, if it comes to market, will give consumers a few benefits: the chance to customize their phone exactly the way they want, the ability to upgrade specific parts (or modules) of your device without having to upgrade to a completely new version, the option to buy and sell individual modules to others and less electronic waste left over as a result. Neither Motorola or ZTE has exactly kept their efforts a secret, but what we're unsure of is when we can expect to see real hardware show up on the market. Fortunately, ZTE showed off its first concept device (under glass, unfortunately) on the CES floor this week, and reps told us that we should plan on seeing this concept come to fruition within the next two years. The phone, known as the Eco-Mobius, looks a lot sleeker than what we've seen of Ara so far, and is divided into four separate swappable modules for LCD, core (processors, RAM and ROM), camera and battery. This comes in quite handy for enthusiasts of all kinds who want to take advantage of different modules; if you're into photography, you could theoretically take multiple modules with you, each one with its own strengths and weaknesses -- we'd fancy having a macro lens module for specific shots. Perhaps you want to change the size of your screen, depending on whether you're at the office, at home or a party? No problem. Need a stronger battery? Sure thing. In addition to making this kind of phone a reality, its designers are also putting together a platform in which users can buy, sell and trade modules with each other. Hopefully we'll see more of this concept as things come together, but so far we're very curious about how the final product will look down the road. While we wait for the future to catch up with our dreams, enjoy our images below. Joseph Volpe contributed to this post.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: eco-friendly Christmas trees, Kingdom of Erebor Lego replica and a ring that translates sign language
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. At this time of year, you tend to see lots of cars with Christmas trees strapped to their roofs. But that could become a less common sight due to climate change -- extreme weather events are making life harder for tree farmers, causing tree shortages in the northeastern US. As an alternative, Inhabitat rounded up a list of this year's top eco-friendly faux Christmas trees. In New York, this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit up with 45,000 solar-powered LED lights. In the spirit of the season, Russian photographer Alexey Kljatov took some stunning macro photos of snowflakes by hacking a cheap Canon PowerShot. Inhabitat also unveiled its annual green gadget gift guide, and we shared the real story behind the "design" of Christmas (hint: It involves Santa and 'shrooms).
Piecing together the details of LEGO Minifigures Online with the Funcom team
Brick by virtual brick, the team at Funcom has been busy building the upcoming LEGO Minifigures Online. It's been a quiet fall after the big reveal in August at Gamescom, but that doesn't mean the game isn't making progress. Executive Producer Lawrence Poe and Lead Designer Oscar López Lacalle have lots of details to share about the game, and they took the time to answer some questions here at Massively. Read on for a glimpse of the world, the LEGO minifigures themselves, and how this game will appeal to gamers of all ages.
Lego calendar uses bricks to organize your office, makes productivity adorable
Vitamins Design wanted an organizational calendar that was "big and visible," so it did what any company would do: it turned to Lego. Using the plastic bricks, Vitamins was able to create a three-month calendar that provides near-instant visual feedback about which employee is scheduled to work on what project and when. Sounds simple enough, right? Here's where it gets interesting: Take a picture of the quarterly chronicle with any smartphone, send the image to a special email address and the block placement will be translated to its Google Calendar equivalent. Even better, the sync software was written using open-source code, and Vitamins plans to make it available online. The company says it'll work with any cloud-based calendar too -- not just Mountain View's. Sounds great, as long as no one's making late-night barefoot runs to the office kitchen.
LEGO Legend of Chima Online launches into testing
We understand if you miss LEGO Universe. It's gone, and unfortunately nothing's going to bring it back. But that doesn't mean you have to give up on the idea of a brick-based MMORPG altogether, especially since another one has just launched into open testing. LEGO Legend of Chima Online, a cooperative venture from LEGO and Warner Bros Games, is now available for everyone to play. And it's got some accessibility upgrades over its predecessor. Legend of Chima Online focuses on a single LEGO property rather than the franchise as a whole, for starters. It also requires neither up-front payment nor a download, as it utilizes the Unity 3D client for in-browser play. While the game is technically in beta, it's an open beta, and the cash shop is already in and working with no clear plans for a server wipe. Those of you mourning over LEGO Universe can't have the game back, but this might ease the sting.
Lego Apple II is gorgeous
Lego: nothing is quite as appealing to grown-up nerds. This love affair is magnified when the brick-based creation is a piece of Apple history. This awesome mix of bricks and computer memorabilia is showcased in this replica of an Apple II by Chiu-Kueng Tsang. When assembled, this Lego creation looks just like the Apple II shown above. It has a replica keyboard, two floppy drives and a greyscale monitor. Inside the computer portion are daughter cards and other internal bits. You also gotta love those little Apple logos on the monitor and the drives. You can check out some photos of the Lego Apple II in Chiu-Kueng's Flickr gallery. Image copyrighted and used with permission. [Via Make and Gizmodo]
Lego-powered M&M sorter pleases your palate's imagination (video)
While it's nothing more than a placebo, believe it or not, some people actually argue over which color M&Ms taste better. If the latter speaks to your spirit and you're tired of manually filtering unwanted sweets from your holiday spread, then you might be in luck. A crafty tinkerer who goes by the YouTube handle "Nxt1engineer" has shared a clever contraption that sorts M&Ms by shade. Using tone-detecting sensors, this Lego-powered machine separates and dispenses the popular candy-coated snack, ensuring that everyone receives their favorite hue without any fuss. It's not entirely clear how you might be able to bring this awesome apparatus home, but you can at least see it in action -- check it out in the video after the break.
Snap this 'TinkerBrick Lego Compatible Case' around your iPod Touch
We're usually more concerned with what's inside your iPod rather than what covers it, but we're willing to make an exception because dang look at this thing. TinkerBrick Lego Compatible Case fits the bill, a molded shell for your iPod Touch that works with all Lego pieces.The video above shows solutions for the practical builder, like docks and grips – but also much more elaborate creations like guitars and dump trucks. TinkerBrick also made an instructional video on how to build your own steadycam out of Legos. If you're feeling up to the task, you can grab your own case from TinkerBrick for $33, in yellow, black, red or white.
World of Warcraft Mega Bloks commercial airs
Don't call them "LEGOs" or "Blocks," although we would forgive you if you did make one of these common mistakes when dealing with Mega Bloks. The definitely-not-LEGO toymaker is releasing a series of World of Warcraft sets and now has the commercial to prove it. The 30-second spot shows the creation of Stormwind castle, one of the Horde zeppelins, and several action figures of WoW characters (including Arthas). Each has interchangable armor, which is right in step for what you'd expect from an MMO franchise. Spare 30 seconds to watch it after the jump and decide if you're going to buy a few of these for... a lucky little boy or girl whom you might know.
Lego motorized wheelchair joins Mindstorms NXT alumni (video)
It's been a while since we've come across a Lego project that's on par with a certain Pixar hero or the Rubiks solving robots, but Simon Burfield's brick-based motorized wheelchair definitely ranks close. He's cobbled together seven Mindstorm NXT micro-computers (programmed in RobotC), 14 motors, 16 touch sensors and a Technic frame to build a chair capable of carting around 200 pounds of Lego obsessed humanity. As functional as it is, the creator aims to improve the build with wireless control via Android, a task he says should be "very straightforward" over Bluetooth. If you'd like to see the demo in all its noisy glory, check out the video after the break.
MMO Family: Roblox first impressions
In last week's MMO Family, we had the chance to talk to Roblox CEO David Baszucki and hear how he took a physics-based simulation program and turned it into a successful game design tool that's enabled players of all ages to build and explore an endless variety of game worlds. But what exactly is Roblox? It's been compared to LEGO and Minecraft, but there's actually a lot more to it than that. In this week's MMO Family, we'll dive into the game for some first impressions and explore why everyone, both young and old, should check it out!
Adafruit unveils Lego Ladyada's Workshop, vote for it to become a reality
If 10,000 of you go and vote at Lego Cuusoo, we could soon have a Ladyada Lego Workshop. The concept, whipped up by Limor Fried and Phillip Torrone, was a direct response to the borderline offensive Lego Friends set that was marketed to young girls last year. The seemingly unnecessary line of pastel-hued bricks inspired Fried to hire renowned Lego artist Bruce Lowell to help create a set of blocks that told girls it was ok to aspire to more than good hair and gossipy friends. Ladyada's Workshop is an ABS celebration of hacking, tinkering, strong women and all things DIY. Now all that needs to happen is that enough of you head on over to the Cuusoo site when the set goes up for vote. Hit up the source link for more images of what could wind up being the very first Lego product based on a company that sells DIY electronics kits.
World of Warcraft Mega Bloks season 1 revealed
Remember way back when Mega Bloks announced that it was creating a line of Warcraft sets? Which lore pieces would make for the best building block sets? Which characters did we want to see? Well, season 1 of the Mega Bloks Warcraft line has been revealed, and it is amazing. One of the larger sets includes Deathwing and Stormwind, where you can recreate your favorite cinematic moments from Cataclysm! Faction packs include Ironoak the night elf, Ragerock the orc, Valoren the blood elf, and the ever-exciting and fancily named Colton the human paladin. Mount packs include Swift Gryphon with worgen rider, Goblin Trike with goblin rider, Flying Machine with gnome pilot, and Swift Wyvern with tauren rider. There are also three other larger sets, including the Lich King and Sindragosa, Demolisher Attack Horde versus Alliance, and the Goblin Zeppelin. However, my favorite set of them all (and proof that the folks over at Mega Bloks play World of Warcraft, are Warcraft fans, and understand the nature and feel of this game) is The Barrens Chase Set. The Barrens Chase set is the quintessential WoW setup -- dorky night elf riding his cat in hot pursuit across The Barrens, chasing the most awesome orc on the planet, riding a rocket. This is World of Warcraft at its best. Check out all of the new sets in our gallery, and look for them in stores soon. %Gallery-151889%
Inhabitat's Week in Green: supersonic biplane, urban algae farm and magnetic tattoos
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Energy-efficient transportation soared to new heights this week as MIT unveiled designs for a supersonic biplane that promises to be the successor to the Concorde. Meanwhile Boeing, Airbus and Embraer partnered to develop a new breed of affordable biofuels, and Volkswagen used space foil to make cars safer. In hot car news, Porsche announced plans to release a plug-in hybrid Panamera in 2014, and we brought you sneak peeks of several sexy electric vehicles that will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in just over a week: Fisker's Nina plug-in hybrid and Infiniti's new Nissan leaf-based EV.On the subject of energy efficiency, it was a big week for clean tech as Inhabitat reported that the world's most powerful wind turbine was just installed off the Belgian coast, and the National Ignition Facility flipped the switch on the world's first two-megajoule ultraviolet laser in an attempt to unlock nuclear fusion. Meanwhile, scientists discovered a link between trees and electricity by studying the way they affecty the concentration of positive and negative ions in the air, and OriginOil announced plans for an urban algae farm near Paris that will heat buildings while treating wastewater. The solar industry heard good news this week as a report showed that solar installations in the US more than doubled in 2011, and President Obama toured the states touting his "all of the above" approach to energy.This week Inhabitat also showcased several amazing public infrastructure projects - including a series of gigantic fruit-shaped bus shelters in Japan, gmp Architekten's gorgeous new Hangzhou South Railway Station, the fresh new designs for section 3 of NYC's High Line elevated park, and a soaring 30-storey-tall wood skyscraper in Vancouver.In robot news, a Virginia Tech team created a self-charging robo-Jellyfish that harvests hydrogen fuel from water, and we shared 6 incredible inventions made possible by nanotechnology. F.A.T. Labs released a Free Universal Construction Kit that can connect LEGOs to 8 other types of building blocks, and Amazon purchased a robot company to improve working conditions in its warehouses. As most of you probably know, This American Life issued a retraction of its Apple factory exposé - and while Mike Daisey may lost his credibility, we believe strongly that distrust in the integrity of his "reporting", should not be a reason for consumers to turn a blind eye to working conditions at Foxconn and other electronics ODMs. This week Nokia filed a patent for magnetic tattoos that could vibrate when someone calls, and we learned that free smartphone applications could consume 75% more energy than paid versions. Speaking of mobile phones, new research linked cellphone radiation during pregnancy to behavioral disorders in offspring so we looked at ways pregnant mothers can protect their babies from potential cellphone radiation exposure. Last but not least, we brought you an interesting high-tech clothing concept from Stella McCartney - a sports bra with a built-in heart sensor.
LEGO plus internet spaceships: The scourge of bare feet everywhere
EVE Online players, have you ever wanted to bring your internet spaceships into the real world? Of course you have, but unfortunately we're still a ways away from interstellar travel, so for now you'll have to settle with the next best thing: LEGO! One particularly creative EVE Online player has posted a LEGO model of the game's Minmatar frigate, the Rifter, to the LEGO CUUSOO site. If the model garners 10,000 supporters on the CUUSOO site, it will be reviewed by LEGO for the possibility of being manufactured as an official LEGO product. While the licensing issues involved may make that prospect something of a pipe dream, it never hurts to try, right? So go and show your support and maybe someday you can own a LEGO internet spaceship of your very own.
