Oh! Gizmo

By Andrew Liszewski

Many moons ago we told you how you could virtually explore Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house using the Half-Life 2 Source engine, but now you can build your very own miniature replica thanks to the LEGO Architecture series. Designed by Adam Reed Tucker, the model is constructed from 811 bricks, so it’s way too small to give your minifigs a guided tour, but it can be taken apart to reveal the layouts of the different floors, showcasing Wright’s genius. Just be prepared to drop about $100 on this bricktastic work of art.

[ LEGO Architecture: Fallingwater ]

By Andrew Liszewski

There’s been a lot of LEGO this and LEGO that on OhGizmo! recently, and instead of giving you a break, I figured I’d just keep it coming. I mean is there anyone on Earth who actually dislikes LEGO? The obvious answer is no, but I have to say I’m less than impressed with this official LEGO clock radio.

Sure it’s got the LEGO logo plastered everywhere, and a couple of giant knobs on top that serve as volume and tuner dials, but it appears to be completely incompatible with actual LEGO bricks. I mean the top of the radio couldn’t have been made brick-friendly so that ‘kids’ could accessorize and personalize it with their own LEGO creations? I’m all for the company branching out with gadgets like this, but LEGO isn’t about the brand name, it’s about the building blocks! $29.97 from Walmart.

[ LEGO Clock Radio ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]

By Andrew Liszewski

While this might look suspiciously like the same LED LEGO minifig keychains we brought you last week, I can assure you it’s not. For starters, this one stands over 7-inches tall making it completely incompatible with any LEGO set on the market. And while it does include a set of white LED lights in its right foot allowing it to be used as a flashlight, they’re not powered by disposable batteries. Instead, there’s a dynamo inside that can be used to charge a set of rechargeable batteries by simply cranking the LEGO fig’s left arm. ~$23 from Play.com.

[ LEGO: Dynamo Torch ]

By Andrew Liszewski

As a kid I remember getting a LEGO fire truck and police truck that had working LED lights and an electronic siren. But oddly enough they were both trucks and not smaller cars because the design had to accommodate a rather hefty battery compartment. So it’s nice to see that LEGO has embraced the advancements in electronics over the years to create this keychain-tethered minifig that features a white LED light in each foot. He’s posable just like your standard minifig, but unlike the rest he can be used as a flashlight at night, and with some custom body work, could even serve as a pretty great start for a flying LEGO Iron Man figure. About $9.15 from Play.com available in mid to late September.

[ LEGO: Mini Torch ]

This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net

If you haven’t gotten around to playing one of the games in the recent Lego franchise (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman) I really do advise it. Those games might be aimed at kids, but they’re still a blast to play. Later this year, we will have another addition to the series which, despite the rumors that were floating around a few weeks back, caught me a bit by surprise. I’m talking about Lego Rock Band.

That’s right, we had Lego games based on movies and comics, and now we have one based on another game. Crazy. There aren’t a lot of details out just yet, but we know that it will be “Family-Friendly” and you can “Build a Band and Rock the Universe.” The release date is a hazy “holiday 2009” with consoles being listed as Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS.

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By Andrew Liszewski

Wow! I am totally impressed by this LEGO NXT 3D scanner created by Philippe Hurbain, but what would you expect from one of the co-authors of Extreme NXT? The scanner was built to get models of irregular shaped LEGO pieces (like the small frog seen here) into the LDraw 3D software, and besides the sewing machine needle used as the probe, it’s entirely made from LEGO Technic and Mindstorms. The key to the scanner is apparently the new and highly-accurate linear actuator that’s included with the more recent version of LEGO Mindstorms, but there’s also quite a bit of clever coding done by Philippe that deserves mention.

As you can see in the video I’ve included after the jump, the scanning process is very slow and noisy thanks to the Mindstorm’s motors, but having to leave it running in your garage over night like Philippe does is a small price to pay, particularly when you consider what a real 3D scanner would set you back.

[ Philo Hurbain's LEGO NXT 3D Scanner ] VIA [ MAKE: Blog ]

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By Andrew Liszewski

Looking for a way to spice up daily life in your meticulously constructed LEGO town? How about introducing a zombie infestation? Or why not let the Joker and Two-Face from The Dark Knight run amok for a couple of days? That should keep the local fire department, police station and The Watchmen’s Rorschach busy for a while right?

Over at The Big Toy Hut they’ve got a pretty large collection of LEGO minifigs you can buy to populate your town, but it’s the hand-customized figures that really stand out. The attention to detail is perfect, and the custom figures could easily pass as real LEGO minifigs which is important since I’m pretty sure you’re never going to find an official Watchmen LEGO collection at your local Toys”R”Us.

And like anything that’s custom and awesome these figures aren’t cheap at $11.99 a piece, but they’re well worth it if you’re a serious LEGO collector.

[ The Big Toy Hut - Custom LEGO Minifigs ] VIA [ YoKiddo! ]

By Luke Anderson

In the last month we’ve seen a digital camera and mobile phone that appear to have been constructed of LEGO bricks. While we’re not exactly sure why LEGO is venturing into the gadget world, it appears that the company has more bricked-out products up its sleeve. This time they’ve crafted a video camera.

The camcorder looks a little less like it was actually constructed of LEGO bricks than the camera, but it still isn’t half bad. I guess I’m just a little stumped as to why they are making these. Sure, it’s fun to mod your own gadgets and recreate them with LEGOs, but to actually buy a device that looks like it’s made from those colorful bricks isn’t nearly as cool. Not sure if this is actually going to end up on store shelves, or if they just made it for kicks.

[ Hobbymedia ] VIA [ Dvice ]

By Andrew Liszewski

Because regular LEGO bricks are only so big, it limits the types of technologies that can be crammed inside. So while LEGO flash drives are not uncommon, that’s where the innovation has kind of stopped. But everyone seems to have forgotten about DUPLO, those giant, hard-to-swallow, kid-friendly LEGO bricks that most of us probably started with as a toddler. Everyone except Etsy seller 123smile that is. They’ve managed to retrofit a DUPLO brick with a 4 port USB 2.0 hub that includes 3 x USB type A ports and 1 USB mini port for good measure. And just like DUPLO, the hub is available in blue, orange, yellow, red, green, white and black colors. But unlike a single DUPLO brick, it will set you back $49.95.

[ Etsy - DUPLO USB Hub ] VIA [ 7Gadgets ]