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President Obama test drives a Sphero on Boulder visit
President Obama was in the Centennial State last night, hyping up an enthusiastic crowd at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Coors Events Center. Of course, he couldn't help but take some time to check out some some of the local innovation. The President took a few moments out of his busy schedule to play around with the smartphone-controlled Sphero RC ball, declaring "how cool is that," before demanding that the crowd, "give me some space to drive my ball." He also tossed out some superlatives like "terrific," after nearly driving it into a woman's flip-flop. Now that's a solid endorsement, if ever we've heard one. In the end, though, it didn't last long -- the guy's got a country to run, after all.
Orbotix update proves that six Spheros are better than one (video)
It's far more than a pricey cat toy, but should you really shell out 130 bucks of a color-changing robotic sphere? Well, if you make it to the video after the break, you might just be buying six. Sphero's latest app pairing adds some pretty spiffy interactive games, that could prompt early adopters to make yet another impulse purchase. MacroLab lets you design programs for your flashy mechanical ball, enabling the device to roll every which way while also shifting speed and color. And the Android version supports multiple Spheros, letting you create a routine for an entire set to follow simultaneously. The second app, Chromo, tests memory and coordination, prompting you to move the ball every which way to match colors displayed on your iOS device. Both apps, while excellent video fodder, are likely to grow old just as quickly as the gadget's initial offering. So, if your wallet's not as big as your curiosity, the promo vids waiting just past the break should entertain you almost as much as a proper Sphero can.
Sphero goes modular, spins out for a drive (video)
Sphero's hooked up with a new whip, albeit a retro-fitted one. Skylar, a Junior Developer at Orbotix, modded an old RC car with an Arduino board, H-bridge and a few trackball parts, enabling the remote control ball to serve as its brain. Just in time too -- there's only so much fun you can have getting the little orb stuck behind the filing cabinets. Still, it's certainly a leap beyond purposing it to pull an iPhone-toting chariot.Sean Buckley contributed to this post.
Sphero + keyboard + iPad = cacophonous synthy fun (video)
If you're not familiar with Shapesynth, it's a pretty sweet little synthesizer app for iOS that lets you draw waveforms and works with Akai's SynthStation. Its creator, Erik, is also toying with some new code that'll let you use other iOS accessories to control various variables. For example, the Sphero. Sadly, we don't have a ton of details on how it works -- the developer is merely taunting us for the moment. But we can see that by lifting and tilting the interactive ball he is able to manipulate frequency and other parameters. Check out the video after the break to see it in action.
Orbotix Sphero review
It's been just over a year since we first heard about Orbotix's little smartphone-controlled cue ball named Sphero, and since that time, we've seen a couple of pre-production units strut their stuff. Apparently, we weren't the only folks left intrigued -- there were so many folks wanting one that production capacity couldn't meet demand. So, while the company can't deliver every pre-ordered orb by its initial December delivery date, the first few Spheros are going out today and will be in the hands of some owners by the end of the week. Whether you're waiting for yours to arrive or are debating whether to get in on the robotic ball action, join us after the break to find out if it's a techno toy worth $130 of your hard-earned cash. %Gallery-142059%
Sphero shipments delayed due to high demand, won't be here-o until January
Our hearts were aflutter with anticipation when the Sphero went up for pre-order last month, but that excitement has since been supplanted by a big knot of disappointment, because the smartphone-controlled robotic ball won't be hitting the market until after the holiday season. In a letter published yesterday, Orbotix CEO Paul Berberian attributed his company's setback to a fundamental economic quandary. "Demand has been greater than expected and our production capabilities are slower than we planned," Berberian wrote. "What that means is only a handful of orders are going to be fulfilled before the holidays and the majority of orders will be fulfilled in January." Writing on behalf of the manufacturer, Berberian went on to accept full blame for the delay, with rather admirable honesty: "We simply underestimated the number of units we'd need to make and, more importantly, we miscalculated how long it would take to bring up the production line." To make up for it, Orbotix is offering free expedited shipping to all customers who pre-ordered the device in time for the holidays, along with a free Sphero t-shirt.
Holiday Gift Guide: Accessories for all
Welcome to TUAW's 2011 Holiday Gift Guide! We're here to help you choose the best gifts this holiday season, and once you've received your gifts we'll tell you what apps and accessories we think are best for your new Apple gear. Stay tuned every weekday from now until the end of the year for our picks and helpful guides and check our Gift Guide hub to see our guides as they become available. For even more holiday fun, check out sister site Engadget's gift guide. Let's be honest -- while you might plunk down the cash for a MacBook Air or iPad for your loved ones, you're probably not going to go all out on a brand new device for your co-workers and acquaintances. But that doesn't mean you can't still support the various Macheads in your life -- no matter how many Apple devices someone might have, there are many more accessories for those various devices lining the shelves at Best Buy. Cases, plug-ins, covers, and stick-ons, oh my! Let us take you on a quick tour through the Mac accessory landscape, and help you find some really great recommendations of all different prices for all of the Apple devices in your life. Even if there isn't a Mac fanatic around you who needs some of this stuff, no worries. Just bookmark this page, and come back after the holidays, whenever you yourself have unwrapped that big package "designed in California" that's sitting underneath your tree this year. The PlugBug Perhaps the hottest Mac-cessory this year, the PlugBug turned all kinds of heads when TwelveSouth finally released it earlier this month. Yes, it's just a charger, but no, it's not just a charger -- it's a super useful and well-designed accessory that already works with those cords you got in the Apple box. You can charge both a MacBook (or Air or Pro) and a USB device like an iPhone or iPad from just one outlet, and all you need to pack in your bag is the usual cords and this little red adapter. It's a great, smart device that adds just a little bit of color to an already very Apple way of thinking. ($34.99 from TwelveSouth) The iCade There were a few arcade cabinets for the iPad out this year, but the original iCade by ThinkGeek and Ion Audio. It originally started up as an April Fool's joke, and then was made real: An actual miniature arcade cabinet, complete with buttons and a joystick, that you can plug your iPad in to play arcade games on. The list of compatible titles is long and growing, so anyone in the house who loves playing old-school games on the iPad will really enjoy this one.($79.99 by ThinkGeek) TenOne's Fling and Fling mini for iPad and iPhone Again, there have been some very similar competitors pop up in this space, but when it comes to attaching a physical joystick to Apple's touch screens, the Fling is the original and the best. It's suprisingly simple, but feels and works great, especially on games where you'd normally use a virtual joystick, but it provides the tactile feedback that Apple's no buttons policy just can't match. Go ahead and buy a two-pack -- you'll need them both. (Two-pack is $29.95 for the iPad, $24.95 for the iPhone at TenOne Design) Keyboard covers by KB Covers Whether you're typing on a MacBook or a wireless Apple keyboard, a good keyboard cover can keep things clean and make your keyboard last longer and work better, no matter what your fingers have been touching lately. And KB Covers are the best we've seen -- not only are they made of a nice tough, stretchy plastic, but they're extremely useful, providing easy visual access to custom shortcuts for almost any app or International keyboard layout you'd ever want. No matter what Mac or keyboard model you have, or what you're doing with it (from editing in Avid to playing World of Warcraft), there's a KB Cover for you or your gift-getter. (Various prices, at KB Covers) The Peel The Peel system can be complicated, so it's not necessarily for everybody. But for just the right person on your gift list, it might be perfect. The Peel consists of both a "fruit" unit that sits on your home entertainment system and plugs into your television, and then an app that runs on your iOS device, and can be used to not only control your A/V setup, but also find various shows and things to watch according to your tastes. We didn't think the Peel would work as your usual remote, unfortunately, but for the right gadgethead interested in using an iOS device to make their TV watching experience a little better, it would be a great gift. ($99 at Peel) A case! Yes, there will undoubtedly be a lot of iPhones and iPads sold this year, and odds are that everyone who gets a new one under their tree will also need to find an excellent case for it. Many times, this tends to be a very personal choice, so you might want to think twice about getting a case for some one, or at least remember to be gracious when you find out it's not exactly what they wanted. But still, there are plenty of great cases out there, from cases that make your device look like a book, to something you can use with a little more functionality as an actual wallet. Cases can be as individual as the people who buy them, so be a little careful as to which one you pick out, but the right choice for the right person can be a terrific and memorable gift. (Various) Remote-controlled fun Sure, functionality can be important, but sometimes you just want to have a little bit of remote fun with your Mac. How about a remote-controlled USB missle launcher that can even be activated over the Internet? One of those Ar.Drone quadricopters that can be controlled with your iOS device? Or you can even be the first to nab a Sphero, a little remote-controlled ball that's arriving just in time for Christmas later on this year. There's lots of kooky fun to be had with your Apple devices -- sure, it may not be too practical, but if you've already got all of the power Apple has put into these machines, why not put a little bit of it to work in real life? (Various) A hard drive Finally, we'll leave you with a choice that's a little more practical than those toys: Even with the advent of iCloud, the one thing any Mac user will always love getting is more hard drive space. With all of the apps coming out all of the time, and lots and lots of content being made and edited, anyone with a Mac or even an iPhone or iPad could probably use a few more gigabytes (or even terabytes) in their lives. Western Digital has released a few excellent standalone hard drives meant for Mac this year, but especially during Black Friday and the holiday season afterwards, Best Buy or any of the other big box electronics stores are usually running some great deals on external hard drives, so you can easily pick one up for around $50 or even under that some times. If you want to go a little more fancy, you can check out the Iomega Mac Companion, meant specifically to work with a Mac as a high-capacity backup drive. But whatever kind of storage you choose, there's no question that the Mac fan in your life will appreciate the extra digital storage space. Happy holidays! Here's hoping you find just the right gift for the Mac lover in your life this year!
Sphero goes up for pre-order, ready to roll its way into your heart
Our favorite iOS / Android-controlled toy ball is coming soon to an annoyed cat near you. You can pre-order Sphero now for $130 through Amazon, and it'll start shipping in December, just in time to remotely find its way into a stocking or two.
Sphero available for pre-orders now
We got to see Sphero, the remote-controlled ball toy controlled by an iOS device, way back at the beginning of this year at CES, and if you're still interested, it's now finally available for pre-order. The toy's been priced out at $129.99, which is a little high, I think, but then again if you really want to be the early adopter on this one, it's probably worth the cash. Plus, the ball will come with six different apps, including Sphero Drive (the standard remote control app), Sphero Golf, Sphero Blox (where you can set up commands for the ball), and SpheroCam, which will give recordable access to the onboard camera. The company is also promising a puzzle game called Chromo, and an app called "Sphero World," which makes the whole experience social by combining information and results with others around the world. When you talk about all of that functionality, that price isn't too bad, actually. The company says Sphero is shipping as soon as December of this year, so if you've been waiting to get your hands on this thing, the wait is almost over. You can pre-order directly from the Orbotix store, and we're told it should be on Amazon soon.
Sphero boasts new look, launch set for later this year
We saw Sphero in action in January at CES 2011, and the company has released some details on the final prototype and an actual release. The little iOS-controlled sphere is still planned for release sometime this year, but it's got a new design that you can see above. Don't worry, it's still a ball, as that blue base there is just for charging and storage. The design is new, and the shell of the ball itself is different from when we saw it. It's supposed to be a very sturdy polycarbonate material that still lets the LEDs inside shine through. Perfect for playing with cats? There's still no price or actual date for release yet, unfortunately, but that can't stop you from being able to preorder one of your own if you like. Hopefully we'll hear more about this soon. If the short time we had with it at CES was any indication, this little device should be a lot of fun when combined with your iPhone or iPad.
Sphero the smartphone controlled ball gets ready to roll out, we go hands-on (video)
The plucky little white ball that first rolled its way into our hearts back at CES is back, and now it's getting ready to continue its journey onto store shelves. Sphero is a little plasticLED-lit orb that can be controlled using a number of smartphone applications. The toy's makers like to refer to it as a "real-world Wii," letting users control it either via a phone's touchscreen or with gestures, using the handset's accelerometer. The ball itself is palm-sized -- it feels like a standard toy ball, until you give it a bit of a shake, feeling its insides jiggle. At present, the company is showcasing three apps -- one for standard driving in real-time, one that lets the user draw paths with their fingers and a third "golf" app, that offers the most Wii-like interaction, with the user swinging their smartphone like a club to move the ball. The apps are straightforward and let you change Sphero's color. All in all, the company seems to have come a ways since first showcasing earlier prototypes back in January. You can expect to see Sphero start shipping before the end of the year, for $129 a pop. It will be compatible with both iOS and Android. We hand fun with the thing, but who knows how long it will take to get sick of it. Thankfully, it will launch with three to six apps, with more coming soon. Hands-on video after the break.%Gallery-133801%
WWDC Interview: Orbotix
Victor Agreda, Jr. (Editor-in-Chief, The Unofficial Apple Weblog) interviews Brian Smith of Orbotix Inc. at WWDC 2011. You may remember Orbotix from CES. Brian was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward. Orbotix is building a platform, they say, and I'm hopeful hobbyists will embrace it. The Orbotix demo robot, Sphero, is adorable. TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote announcements and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. We'll bring you those videos here, MacTech.com and MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.
iPhone-controlled Sphero ball gets a chariot for roving FaceTime sessions, office races
A tiny robotic ball able to be controlled by a smartphone doesn't exactly need any more selling points, but Orbotix's Sphero now has an extra one nonetheless. It's been outfitted with a chariot that can be used for FaceTime sessions or low-level surveillance -- or chariot races around your office, naturally. Of course, this is strictly a DIY affair, but we're guessing this is one project you will actually want to do yourself once you see the video after the break. [Thanks, Ross]
Hands-on with Sphero at the CES 2011
Sphero is this year's AR.Drone here in Las Vegas. Last year, the Parrot AR.Drone turned heads with an iPhone-controlled quadricopter, and this year, Sphero is creating a little buzz as an iPhone-controlled, well, ball. That's right -- the Sphero is a ball that both glows colors and rolls around at your iPhone or iPad's command. A company named Orbotix is working on releasing the ball sometime this year for no more than $100, and earlier this week at CES' ShowStoppers event, we got a chance to roll and control the ball ourselves. What's the verdict? It's a little tough to control, but then again the AR.Drone was as well, and that sold all right when it was released late last year. Setting up the free, not-yet-released iPhone (or iPad, or Android) app for Sphero is simple, and once it's up and running, you just need to face the ball in the right direction by dragging a little icon around a round area on screen. When the ball's aligned in the direction you want it facing, you just press the screen, and the ball moves the way you drag it -- forward, backwards, left or right. You can also adjust the ball's speed and the screen's sensitivity, and you can dive into another menu that allows you to change the (completely cosmetic) color of the LED inside with a few RGB sliders. It's fun, though, since it's still a prototype, it's tough to make the ball do exactly what you want, and most of the time, you just have to settle for what it does anyway. The dev told us that they're opening the platform up to anyone to make games or create applications, and the team has been working with ideas like turning the ball into a car with augmented reality. Our suggestion: let a cat play with this thing. They'd love it.
Orbotix Sphero iOS-controlled toy ball hands-on
It's not even close to an AR.Drone, but the Orbotix Sphero should find a way to eat up your precious productivity when it hits shelves sometime "later this year." This 4.3-inch LED-lit sphere connects to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch via Bluetooth, and allows you to remotely control it or change its color... and that's about it. There are two different input modes -- one that uses the built in accelerometers and another joystick mode that utilizes a large virtual circular joystick on-screen. The few minutes we spent with the sphere were mildly entertaining, but the lack of cameras or other sensors makes it kind of pointless. Still, we could see young kids going wild for this and refusing to give you back your iPhone to take a call. Orbotix detailed a game dubbed "QuizTug" in which multiple players connect to the same Sphero and try to "score" while the other player completes a math problem or some other type of question -- an interesting idea for sure. Operation definitely took a little bit of getting used to, and we still didn't have it quite down pat after about five or ten minutes but we're sure with some practice we'd be shredding the half pipe like our demo dude was. The existence of an open API makes us optimistic for the future of this little guy, especially given the sub-$100 pricetag. Check it out in our hands-on gallery or in the video posted after the break, and let us know what you'd do with this thing in the comments. %Gallery-113160%
Sphero toy ball rolls itself, you control it with your smartphone
Don't have the airspace required for an AR.Drone? Gearing up for its CES 2011 debut, Sphero is a small, robotic toy ball made by Orbotix, and controlled remotely via Bluetooth and your smartphone's tilt sensor. A ball that moves by itself? Call us lazy (too lazy to roll a ball even), but we think this is a toy whose time has come. Sure, the whole thing is pretty straightforward, although we hope that once iPhone and Android developers get ahold of that open API we'll see plenty in the way of augmented reality gameplay: a maze or a racing game of some sort would make this thing quite coveted, in our opinion. Catch a video of the prototype in action after the break.
