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The best coding kits for kids
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Part of the reason I write about technology for a living is that I couldn't cut it as a coder. It's not that I regret my career choice (I definitely don't), but I do regret having never really learned the art of programming. And it's not because I want to build apps or games or anything. It's because you pick up a lot of peripheral skills. This is the primary reason I want my kid to learn to code. I don't necessarily want him to become an engineer (though I certainly wouldn't be upset if he did). Instead, I see coding as a great teaching tool. It's a way to teach cause and effect and problem-solving skills. And mastering the logic behind simple routines can even make your kid a better and more convincing communicator.
The best toys and coding kits to give as gifts
Last year, we included a kid-focused section in our holiday gift guide for the first time, and this year we've brought it back. We have all sorts of options sure to please any kid on your list, including interactive robots from Anki and Ozobot, games like Root and Disney Villainous and educational choices such as the Harry Potter Coding Kit and the latest batch of LittleBits' Inventor Kits. From Augmoto (for the kid that loves racing) to Pomsies pets (for those that want something cute and cuddly) there's really something for everybody.
How humans will learn to love the robots of tomorrow
For the Perfect Strangedroids discussion panel on Wednesday, Engadget hosted a trio of robotics experts. Sabri Sansoy, CEO and chief roboticist of Orchanic; Nader Hamda, founder and CEO of Ozobot; and Stu Lipoff, IEEE Life Fellow and president of IP Action Partners all took the Engadget stage at CES 2018, with senior editor Andrew Tarantola moderating. Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.
12 gifts for tireless tinkerers
They say the best gifts are the ones you make yourself. But that doesn't necessarily mean you, the gifter, needs to be doing the assembly. Sometimes the giftee will enjoy building their own present. Over the last several years the maker movement has really taken off. And whether you're shopping for an accomplished builder or someone just looking to get their toes wet, we've got a few suggestions. If there's someone in your life that's super into making everything themselves (and you love them enough to drop $1,000 on a gift for them) consider a 3D printer like the Replicator Mini+ from MakerBot. If a grand is a little extreme for you, consider a simple driver set, like 64-piece one from iFixIt. They'll be able to open up and (hopefully) put anything back together with it. If the creator in your life is more into coding than building, consider a tool like RPG Maker, or for the wee one in your life Ozobot's Evo is an excellent place to start teaching programming skills. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
Ozobot's Evo is a smarter, more social coding robot
Ozobot's Bit impressed us a few years ago with its simple take on programming education: kids just need to draw lines on a piece of paper or mobile device to program the tiny robot. As they get more comfortable, they can start to program on mobile devices and computers. Now Ozobot is taking a major step forward with the $100 Evo, a new robot that has sensors to interact with its environment, lights, a speaker and social capabilities. Basically, it's like a tiny Star Wars droid that you can program on your own.
Crowdfunded Project News: The best of Kickstarter, Indiegogo and the rest
Every week, TUAW provides readers with an update on what new or significant crowdfunded Apple-related projects are in the news. While our policy is to not go into detail on items that haven't reached at least 80 percent of their funding goal, this update is designed to give readers a heads-up on projects they might find interesting enough to back. Note that we're not covering those "projects" on Indiegogo where people are trying to get someone else to cough up money for a new computer or tablet... From Kickstarter Everydisk, the roll-your-own-secure-cloud solution from Avatron Software, squeaked by at the last minute and is now fully funded. Avatron says that they had 654 backers and will be shipping the app (at least in beta form) to backers in June. That's sooner than you think. Bringrr is funded as well! The location tag project has reached 114 percent funding with five days to go. Before you know it, you'll be able to start attaching those little tags to everything in sight and pinging them with your iPhone. Torso is a bendable and oh-so-portable cable for iPhone. It's got a really cool sideline job -- it can work as a little tripod when you're not using it to charge or sync your phone. Oh, and your Apple EarPods? When you're not wearing them, you can wrap them around the Torso to keep them from getting tangled. Very cool, and very funded -- 117 percent funding with a bit over two days to go. Ozobot. You've always wanted a really tiny robot rolling around on your iPod screen; you just didn't know it until now. Think of this as an intelligent game piece that works with specially written game apps, and you've got the idea. It's about 45 percent funded with about a month to go. StrongVolt SmartCharger is an intelligent solar charger for your devices that solves an issue -- you no longer have to unplug/replug your devices when you're out of direct sunlight for a moment. Apparently a lot of people liked this idea, as StrongVolt is 531 percent funded with 12 days to go. HiddenRadio2 Bluetooth MultiSpeaker is another recipient of funding this week. It's at a whopping 751 percent funding with a week to go in its campaign. The speakers are pretty cool -- multi-speaker Bluetooth, with an elevating cap that creates deeper bass sound and hidden touch controls in the cap. And last but not least, the PowerUp 3.0 Smartphone Controlled Paper Airplane project ended up getting funding about 4 days ago. They asked for $50,000, but apparently hit a nerve with nerds -- this project has $1,232,612 in funding! And on Indiegogo The Thin SoftTouch Waterproof External Battery isn't an original name for a project, but it certainly describes what this new project is all about. Think of a drop-resistant, IPX65 water/dust-proof, 8,000 mAh, fabric-covered power pack, and that's what this project is. I Do Move is a pendant-shaped smartphone-connected activity tracker that can be worn as a necklace or put on a keychain. Along with a motivating app, you're ready to get out and exercise ... hopefully. With 39 days left in the campaign, this project is about 3 percent funded. Cloaq Apparel is looking for money to begin making clothing to protect customers from the electromagnetic fields emitted by electronics and mobile devices. And just when I though that my tinfoil hat was good enough... Almost 18 percent funded with 45 days to go, Cloaq Apparel has a good chance of reaching its goal. If you're aware of any other crowdfunded Apple-related projects, be sure to let us know about them through the Tip Us button at the upper right of the TUAW home page for future listing on the site.
Ozobot is a tiny robot that uses your mobile devices as a playground
All right, we've officially figured this one out. It's definitely the sort of thing it helps to see in-person, which is why we weren't able to really do it much service the first time out. So here's the quick explainer: Ozobot is a tiny robot (roughly the size of a twist-off bottle top) that is capable of recognizing codes and sensors both on a mobile device and a more analog surface. The company has developed a handful of games that create patterns, which serve as paths for the 'bot. Ozobot also has built-in lights, which flash in different colors, to let you know what it's up to. The company pulled out a couple of add-ons and stuck them on an iPad, extending the robot's course -- a race track kit runs around $120 and ships with two robots, so you can have the little guys compete. Ozobot can theoretically work with non-digital board games, and the company tells us it's looking to build partnerships with folks like Parker Bros. It's also looking for third-party app developers to create more games for its system. From what we saw, the selection is pretty limited at the moment, but there are certainly some cool potential applications for a little tablet-friendly robot like that, should the right developers come on board. In the meantime, the company is set to launch later this year, with the diminutive 'bot priced at around $59. Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.
Ozobot is a tiny robot that lives on your tablet, wants you play with it
The good news is that we'll be seeing Ozobot in action shortly. The bad news is that we're not entirely sure what it does or why we should want one in the meantime. Here's what we do know: It's a 1-inch sized "intelligent game robot" that hangs out on smartphones, tablets and board games and recognizes codes, lights and other patterns. It also knows what surface it's on. We know that it's intended for gameplay. Beyond that, the press material is thus far filled with explainers like: A pocket-sized robot with the ability to operate on physical and digital platforms, Ozobot melds the worlds of robotics and gaming into one, making it distinctly playful and uniquely creative. There will be a Kickstarter launching this month, with retail availability aimed at the 2014 holiday season. And, um, more info to follow.
