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Sphero's Mini app-powered robot is its smallest one yet
Over the past year, Sphero has been busy teaming up with Disney on connected toys for film franchises like Star Wars, Spider-Man and Cars. But today the company is launching a product that takes it back to its roots: a mini version of its original app-controlled robot. The new rolling ball, aptly named Sphero Mini, is about the same size as a golf ball and comes with a removable shell, which you can get in white, blue, green, orange or pink colors. As is to be expected given the different frame, it does come with a few tradeoffs compared to models like the SPRK+. Mini isn't waterproof and connection range is limited to 10 meters, as opposed to 30 on its higher-end sibling.
Engadget UK giveaway: win an Ollie bot and spine ramp courtesy of Sphero
The leftovers have been eaten and the games put away, but don't let your festive spirit dwindle just yet. We know all too well what Christmas can be like for big kids. Sure, everyone likes a nice scarf and fresh underwear to see in the new year, but functional presents just aren't the same as fun ones. Well, lucky for you, our friends at Sphero have supplied us with four of their smartphone-controlled bots to send out as belated Christmas gifts. We've got two of the white Ollie bots and two Darkside models up for grabs, with each winner also receiving an Ollie Spine Ramp for getting their trick on. As per usual, you can enter the competition up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below, but don't forget to give the rules a quick scan first.
Ollie, the newest member of the Sphero family, can be yours today
It feels like CES 2014 took place an eternity ago. To be more specific, it's been roughly seven months since we were in Las Vegas for the madness that is the Consumer Electronics Show. So why are we telling you this? Well, because that's how long it has taken Sphero, formerly Orbotix, to bring its newest robot, Ollie, to market. But, as the saying goes, better late than never. As of today, Sphero's beginning to take orders for the $99 connected device on its website, while general availability at third-party retailers (such as the Apple Store) is set to be a few days later, on September 15th. Ollie, which was originally known as Sphero 2B, isn't meant to replace the original Sphero. Instead, the company wants to make it clear that Ollie is here to expand the family, not to replace its rather popular, first- or second-generation robotic spheres.
