Image by Profound Whatever
From a new world-record setter to a serious study on the role of females in Lego’s history, this week’s top stories in Legoland are must-reads:
World’s Tallest Lego Structure
This record-breaking 105-foot tall Lego tower in Seoul, South Korea beat the previous record by a slim margin – 31 centimeters. Made by a group of kids over five days, 50,000 bricks were used and the Crown Prince of Denmark (a nod to the birthplace of Lego) added the final piece.
Lego Feathered Friends
One amateur builder combined his love for bricks, birds, and Britain into an impressive flight of Lego creations. If you’d like to purchase the set some day, help the British Bird Series get 10,000 votes on Cuusoo.
History of Gendering in Lego
Those who were offended by the release of Lego Friends, the female-friendly line of plastic bricks, will love this report on the role of gender in Legos. The two-part study (with more to come) includes a review of the many “token females in otherwise male-dominated action-centric themes.”
WIRED’s making Father’s Day just a little bit cooler. National GeekDad Day will fall on June 17 this year, and we want all the maker-minded fathers to get involved on the big day in a big way. Here’s how you can get in on the action:
Attend an Official Event
Museums around the country are hosting official GeekDad Day events from San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry to the Queens’ New York Hall of Science. Find the list of official events here.
Plan Your Own Event
Never thrown a party before? Download this handy guide to hosting and planning a GeekDad Day event. It includes ideas for themes, decorations, and food, plus tons of fun projects and experiments for you and your guests to complete.
Buy the Kit
If you’d rather order a ready-made experience, pick up a DIY electronics starter kits. They come with 10 electronic modules and step-by-step directions for official GeekDad activities developed just for the occasion.
Image via swishphotos
I recently was the cause of a party foul: the music was too quiet. AWKWARD. My perfectly-planned Spotify playlist barely left a two-foot radius of my laptop, and I didn’t have speakers to amplify the sound. I downloaded the Spotify app on my phone, but couldn’t log in for some reason. My iHome sat in the corner looking sad. FAIL. Hopefully, I will be better prepared next time with these tips:
In a Pinch
A cell phone seems like a pathetic sound system for a party, but if you have a glass container it can make all the difference. Drop the phone in a vase or a pitcher and the sound will magically amplify. Seriously, try it.
With a Little Planning
Do you have an mp3 hookup in your car that plugs into your cigarette lighter and plays your music through the radio? Well you can do that with your house. All you need is streaming music, an FM transmitter (about $60), and a few FM radios.
With a Lot of Work
Port-a-party anyone? If you want to move your party indoors to outdoors and back again, build your own solar powered boom box for under $75. It’s extreme party flexibility–no batteries, no plugs.
Image via WIRED
There’s something fantastically simple about a good old-fashioned racecar game. Mario Kart is one of those Nintendo standards that can never get old. Well… maybe it’s a little dated… which is why the following projects are a must-read. Ready to give a new spin on an old classic?
Build Your Own
One MIT student spent three weeks building a real-life Mario Kart from scratch. He had many of the parts to begin with, but between the motors, batteries, and other materials, this project could set you back almost $2,000. Watch him ride it around and you’ll know it’s worth it.
Hack Your Own
And if you don’t need to literally feel the wind blowing in your hair (and you’re on a budget), this virtual option might be a better fit for you. Rig up an old stationary bike to a Super Nintendo controller with an Arduino microcontroller and other materials and your bike will become the controller. Game and exercise at the same time!
Image via Kickstarter
If you’re still on the fence about crowdfunding, check out this stat: In 2011, sites like Kickstarter raised $1.5 billion for about one million different projects. That’s quite a feat. And that number is expected to double this year.
It’s not much of a surprise considering projects like this. Pebble, a customizable watch that connects by Bluetooth to your cell phone, is the first campaign to raise $10 million. So far, more than 67,000 people believed in this project and there’s still a few days left to go.
Not everyone can win at crowdfunding, but it’s worth a shot. You never know which projects will go gangbusters (like Hickies, the attachments that turn your lace-up shoes into slip-ons). If you’re looking to help others make their dreams a reality, check out Etcher, which turns your iPad into an Etch A Sketch, or the limb.al, a USB attachment that transforms your cell phone from a useless paperweight to an easily-accessible extension.
Image via YouTube
People are so awesome. This Google-powered beer tap is not only fun to use, but it’s practical. Really practical. As in bars and festivals across the country should start putting these on-site immediately. Here’s why:
The KegDroid is made up of an Android tablet and a tap–and it can’t pour beer until an NFC badge is used to authentic it. An NFC reader connects to an Arduino microcontroller and also pulls up the potential beer drinker’s Google+ profile. Bars and beer fests could easily use this to validate that visitors are over 21. See where I’m going with this?
From there, the Android tablet offers today’s selections of beers where users can then select a one, eight, or twelve ounce pour by tapping the tablet. Flow censors count the number of pulses per ounce and distribute the beer from the keg into the glass. Ta-da!
Watch the KegDroid in action now.
Image via VentureBeat
If there’s any space that needs a little upgrade, it’s a dorm room. And one student at UC Berkeley took note. The result? Berkeley Ridiculously Automated Dorm.
B.R.A.D is a combination of motion detection, automation, and voice control plus a little help from iOS apps. For only a few hundred bucks, freshman Derek Low programmed B.R.A.D. to open curtains at 7 AM, automatically turn on all lights when he enters the room, and even enter into party mode on command. What’s party mode? Let’s just say it involves laser lights and a fog machine. This is college after all!
The voice control is my favorite part. Low programmed simple commands like “Sleep Mode,” “Homework Mode,” and “Romantic Mode” where a disco ball and Elton John instantly transform the space–talk about impressing the ladies. We give this freshman an A+. Watch B.R.A.D in action here then learn the logistics on Low’s website.
Image via WIRED
They’re definitely not just for kids. While all of the race cars mentioned below are a throwback to the toys of our childhood, there’s an adult spin that will make you feel better about acting your age. (But you still might look ridiculous.)
For the Show Off
RC vehicles keep getting better and better. The latest race car from Hot Wheels can drift, do stunts, and compete at the skate park with even the coolest skateboarders–no matter how young they are.
For the Daredevil
These pedal cars are anything but old school. The figure-eight race provides the ultimate test: the crossover. If you’re up for the challenge, you can join the race at Maker Faire Bay Area 2012.
For the Kid at Heart
Pow pow Power Wheels! Dust off your pink Barbie Jeep and start stretching–how else are you going to fit in that seat? The Power Racing Series will hit three cities this summer: Kansas City, Detroit, and Chicago.
Image via Tajunta Media
The 3D printing business is picking up speed and with news of a fully-assembled 3D printer for $499, who doesn’t want to get in? The possibilities are literally endless. Industrial design will never be the same.
The latest projects that have blown our minds include 3D printed guitars that are completely playable–and completely customizable–along with this treat: a 3D chocolate printer. It retails at more than $3,000 but it’s gotta be worth every penny.
Head on over to WIRED to read 10 Amazing Things 3-D Printers Can Do Now from printing a dollhouse-sized version of your dream home blueprints to printing pharmaceutical drugs to printing a bikini.
Do you plan on investing in a 3D printer? Comment below or tweet us @WIREDInsider.
Image via Official Star Wars Blog
The force is with Star Wars. Not a day goes by without a cool new Star Wars prototype, meme, or craft appearing online. This week, they were too good to pass up. Here’s your weekly dose of Star Wars:
The R2DJ
A little bit of custom framework and a personal paint job turned this turntable into a nostalgic nod to the past.
Lego Star Wars Organ
A gigantic hand-crank organ made of Legos would have been impressive enough. But this maker took it a step further–it’s made completely of Lego Star Wars and plays the Star Wars theme song.
Star Wars Miniland
The Miniland experience has been popular in Legoland California, but now Lego Master Builders have recreated the models in the UK. See scenes from every movie and the Clone Wars–in Lego form.
