etch-a-sketch
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Toys 'R' Us offers 'buy one, get one for $1' game sale, lots more on Black Friday
Toys 'R' Us' Black Friday ad is 32 pages of red and green deals, and as usual, the toy store's got plenty of gaming deals ready for purchase, including a few deals on consoles.The biggest hook is a big "buy one, get one for $1" sale going on, with dozens of games available for a buck each when you buy one at a standard price. In addition to lots of great DSi games, even modern Xbox 360 and PS3 games are on the list, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more current titles like Dishonored and Need for Speed: Most Wanted. All Wii U games are also "buy one, get one 40% off," so if you want to fill out your library for Nintendo's new console, there you go.Read on for more choice Black Friday offerings. For the complete list of Toys 'R' Us deals, check out the retailer's Black Friday flyer.
Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 hands-on (video)
The Etch-a-Sketch. A standard bearer for childhood, and one that most of us never really mastered. While Yelizaveta Lokshina can't help you create awe-inspiring portraits from aluminum powder, she has managed to update the toy for the digital age. Using an Arduino, a few buttons and a pressure sensor crammed inside a hollowed-out Etch-a-Sketch, the 3.0 version of the doodler is able to draw in old school gray, as well as vibrant colors created by blending an RGB palette. While holding down the red, green or blue button you squeeze the pressure sensor to add more or less of individual hues. The same sensor is used to change brush width when you hold down the black button. There's even a secret mode that automatically cycles through colors and thicknesses for creating vibrant, almost hallucinatory patterns. At the moment, the dual doodle knobs need to be physically connected to a computer so that a Processing script can work its magic and render the virtual Etch-a-Sketch. But, future versions may include wireless for sketching out images from the comfort of a couch and an accelerometer for the replicating the satisfying sensation of shaking the red fram to erase your creation. Basically, it's still a work in progress. Drawing with the Etch-a-Sketch 3.0 is just as satisfying, in a tactile sense, as the original, though we struggled slightly to get the hang of the pressure sensitive selector. One thing's for sure, though, the kids love it even more than the 1960 creation. Check out the video after the break to see it in action on the floor of the ITP Spring Show.
Etcher iPad case works like a real Etch A Sketch
We get to see all sorts of Kickstarter projects here at TUAW. There are the incredibly successful and "why didn't I think of that" projects like the Pebble e-paper watch (now at well above US$10 million in funding) or the Une Bobine iPhone cable (fully-funded, as discussed on TUAW TV Live). And then there are projects like the Etcher iPad case that might be technologically cool, but impractical as hell. The Etcher is an iPad case that looks and works like an Etch A Sketch. Sure, there are other Etch A Sketch cases for iPad, but how many of them work just like an Etch A Sketch? You can turn the knobs, which cause a line to be drawn on an app on the iPad. You can save and share your works of art, and then erase the Etcher app screen with a shake of the case. The Etcher iPad case has been developed by a crack team of tech wizards -- Ari Krupnik, who has developed a number of successful iPhone and iPad peripherals; Maarten Dinger, who was on the design team for the Flip camcorder; and Lee Felsenstein, one of the original members of the Homebrew Computer Club in the 1970s and designer of the original Osborne 1. Now, to get to the main point of my post. Yes, this is very cool. Yes, it's officially licensed by Ohio Art, the folks who make the "real" Etch A Sketch. But is it really practical? The Etcher will apparently sell for about US$45 provided it gets funded. For that amount, you can buy three original Etch A Sketch toys from Amazon and probably have enough change left over to buy a latte. Drop the original on the floor and break it (unlikely, since they seem indestructible), and you just have a mess to clean up -- not a broken iPad. At this early date, the Etcher has about $10,000 of a planned $75,000 goal, with almost a month left to go. And no, I am not going to back this project. How about you?
Insert Coin: Etcher, the fully functional Etch A Sketch iPad case
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Visions of the iPad as a modern-day Etch A Sketch have so far been primarily decorative: they've been more about remembering youth than recreating it. That's why Ari Krupnik & Associates' officially-sanctioned Etcher iPad case project on Kickstarter stands out. Those knobs? They work, and they're Made for iPad certified. And, as the Etcher is a product of the digital era, your creations in the custom-written app can be saved and shared to Facebook, Flickr or even YouTube as a time lapse video. Shaking the Etcher will still erase your image -- it just doesn't have to disappear forever this time. Your pledge level determines not only what variety of Etcher case you get, but how much control you get over the project. Committing $45 is all it takes for the nostalgic red, but if you spend $60, $75 or $100, you'll have the additional options for blue or a special backer-only color. Those at the $100 level get to vote on what color they and the $75 pledge-makers will see. A $175 outlay will provide early access to the software development kit as well as a say in what open-source license the code will use. Moving up to $210 or $360 will give you that control as well as an accordant five or 10 Etcher cases. If you like what you see, you have just over a month to contribute and make the iPad drawing add-on a reality.
Arduino hacker conjures NES and Etch-a-sketch wonderment (video)
You never know when that creative spark will ignite in your brain and compel you to sketch out some ideas. But when that genius moment finally arrives, you might consider grabbing your original Nintendo controller, quickly wiring it up to an Arduino board, connecting that to some motors and then using those to drive the dials on an Etch-a-Sketch. Modder Alpinedelta32 tries it in the video after the break and it turns out to be a breeze -- and so much more tactile than other idea-capturing devices.
Retro iPhone case adds Gordon Gekko style
Miss out on living in the 1980's with the big hair and the white-washed jeans? Don't fret -- now you can bring a little bit of 80's flash to 2011 with this Gordon Gekko-style iPhone case from Thumbs Up. Brought to our attention by Gizmodo, this "80's Phone" iPhone case is carefully designed to make your slim and sleek device a large, bulky conversation piece capable of making your acquaintances believe you are a time traveler from the past -- or simply the exact opposite of an early adopter. While many clever iPhone cases have been making the rounds lately, like this Apple Newton case or this Etch-a-Sketch one, the "80's Phone" case takes the cake for me as a specialty case because it's modeled after phones that people actually used 20-30 years ago. Priced at around US$20, it would be a rather funny gag gift for your favorite iPhone owner. However, after living through the 80's and still having nightmares about phones that big, I myself may have to stick to one of the new iPhone cases that our own Victor Agreda, Jr. saw at CES a few weeks ago. [via Gizmodo]
We know you didn't get this Steampunk Etch-a-Sketch for Christmas, but you probably want it now, don't you?
What you're looking at above is a real, actual object found in the material world. It's an Etch-a-Sketch so modified, as to look like a glorious leftover from a bygone era that never was. What era, you ask? Oh, the Victorian era -- so named for the United Kingdom's longest reigning monarch -- with a great dash of fancy added into the mix. We're talking alternate history, people! A history so wonderful, so beautiful, that a lowly red plastic Etch-a-Sketch could end up both complex and inordinately heavy looking. Made by an industrious youth as a Christmas gift for a chum, we couldn't imagine a better way to make this boring old gadget look so jolly well festive. Hurrah!
Etch-a-Sketch iPhone case draws on nostalgia
The guys at Headcase have created a pretty cool iPhone case that will probably appeal to anyone who's ever completed Kindergarten. Their officially licensed Etch-a-Sketch case is available for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and iPhone 4. The case is made of impact resistant ABS plastic that should protect your iPhone from drops and falls (if you still happen to hold it like a four year old). Sadly though, the case is just a case and doesn't turn your iPhone into a real Etch-a-Sketch. Thankfully, there's an app that does. The Etch-a-Sketch case is available for $24.99 and follows in the footsteps of Headcase's Etch-a-Sketch case for iPad which was released back in September. This case is pretty fun for hipsters, but those high-powered business execs out there might want to think twice before you pull your iPhone out if it's gonna be rocking this bad boy.
iPad Etch A Sketch case: can you handle more magic?
If there's one sure way to get consumers to part with their hard-earned cash it's nostalgia. So check this, the official Magic Etch A Sketch iPad case licensed from Ohio Art. Made from ABS plastic, the case features rubber feet, felt backing, and retractable kickstands for laying the iPad flat or angling it for on-screen keyboard use. And those knobs? Decoration only son, they don't actually do anything. And while it promises to make you the "coolest kid in the conference room," it's more likely to confirm your boss' suspicion that he hired an overgrown baby -- such is the price for wistful affection. Oh, and the $39 required to take this home.%Gallery-102844%
Video: HD Etch A Sketch for giant doodlers
Jeri Ellsworth (who previously fashioned a totally superb, functioning NES purse) has cobbled together a gigantic Etch A Sketch using a 52-inch projection television, some tent poles, a golf tee and gear-reduced motors. The sketcher uses aluminum powder, just like in the traditional toy, and they plan on eventually enabling it for IRC bot control. Check the video after the break to see it in action, and get a glimpse of how it was constructed. [Thanks, Hack A Day]
Etch A Sketch clock automatically draws, redraws time
Automating Etch A Sketch units to pull off all sorts of mesmerizing tricks is certainly not new, but angelabuilds' beautifully created Etch A Sketch clock truly is a notch above the rest. Reportedly, it was built upon the Arduino platform and obviously references a few other EAS masterpieces, but we really can't think of a better wall clock for the true geek. Click on through to check out a video of the unit drawing 11:41 and moving on to 11:42 -- seriously, watching the seconds tick away has never been more riveting.[Via MAKE, thanks Nick]
Mario Etch A Sketch deserves to remain unshaken for eternity
Our Etch A Sketch skillz are limited to jagged representations of dogs with different length legs and houses with no windows, so our only response to this depiction of Mario by the Etch-a-Sketchist is one of hushed awe.If we could manipulate aluminum filings with such faultless precision, the very last thing we'd think about would be erasing this. Heck, we'd be hanging the damn thing on our wall.[Via technabob]
Turn your Nintendo DS into an Etch A Sketch
Haven't you ever wanted an Etch A Sketch right there, on your DS? (We hadn't considered the possibility until today.) For $25, and some familiarity with homebrew apps, you can get a DS motion card, which includes a 3-axis accelerometer and a single-axis gyroscope. Apparently some folks have already cooked up some apps that will work with this card, including an Etch A Sketch-style application and two games. You can plunk down the cash for the pre-order, but if you want something a little more immediate, you could just buy a regular Etch A Sketch for far less, and not have to worry about all that homebrew stuff. Your call, though. [Via DS Fanboy]
World's largest Etch A Sketch unveiled
In an apparent offering to the retro gadget gods, the world's largest Etch A Sketch was unveiled at the SIGGRAPH conference this week in Boston. And, as if a giant Etch A Sketch wasn't cool enough, it actually works. At the conference, some 3,000 people in the audience were able to control the monolith simultaneously by using two-sided paddles that signaled sensor cameras, letting one side of the audience control the right knob and the other side control the left knob. Things took a tragic turn, however, when the audience tried to shake the Etch A Sketch to erase their drawing, causing the entire structure to come crashing down on top of them, injuring dozens. Ok, just kidding about that last part, but the audience could actually shake the Etch A Sketch.
