Lego Mindstorm EV3 Available September 1
We finally, finally have a date. The retail version of the EV3 will ship on September 1 for a price of $349, but if you shop around online, you may be able to pre-order sometime this month.
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Tag: robots
BookExpo 2013: Great Books for GeekKids
From Pokemon to Pride and Prejudice, BookExpo America 2013 was loaded with books to please your GeekKids.
Continue ReadingLearn Robotics With GeekMom Kathy’s Simple Projects Book
What are robots? How are they being used in the world today? How can kids make their own working robots? Where can you find parts? All this and more is covered in the book Robotics: Discover the Science and Technology of the Future by GeekMom Senior Editor Kathy Ceceri.
Continue ReadingGeek Burlesque is Like Nothing You’ve Seen Before
If you have never been to a burlesque show, maybe now is the time to go. Still not convinced? How about if it incorporated a Ghostbusters parody, a Star Wars vs. Star Trek battle, steampunk, or maybe a zombie hunt?
Continue ReadingThe GeekMoms Podcast #25 First Lego League Global Innovation Award Winners Interview
This week I’m joined by two members of the First Lego League team Moderately Confused which recently won the Global Innovation Award. Arjun Kumar and Jacob Hoylman talk about how they got involved in First Lego League and the process that led to their team winning the $250,000 award to bring the team’s product to market.
Continue ReadingGiveaway: Neato XV-21 Pet & Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner
Win a Neato XV-21 Pet and Allergy Automatic Vacuum Cleaner!
Continue ReadingThe Periodic Tables of Everything but Elements
Geeks love the periodic table. They love it so much, they’ll apply it to almost anything. Go ahead–Google “periodic table of [your favorite thing]” and somebody’s probably done it. Or, you can save the effort and enjoy these that I gathered for you. The Periodic Table of Sci-Fi Film and Television Order a poster-sized version […]
Continue ReadingSilly Dragon, Robots Are for Toddlers
I noticed the trend starting at Toy Fair last year: robots for kids. Booth after booth featured our future overlords, and I thought my six-year-old daughter would love most of them when she got her hands on them. About six months passed, and then the robots found their way to our house for us to […]
Continue ReadingMuse of Nerds: College Physics, Innovative Robotics, Homeschooling — Dr. McColgan Can Do It All!
For my Muse of Nerds this month, I’ll formally introduce you to someone I have talked about in the past: Dr. Michele McColgan of Siena College. I met her through our homeschooling group (she has two elementary-aged children) and she has introduced my kids to science, math, robots, computer programming, alternative energy, a Lego Robotics […]
Continue ReadingRussian Robot Google Doodle
The Russian Google page currently has a marvelous interactive robot doodle. From what I can tell, it’s for Stanislaw Lem, the sci-fi writer who brought us Solaris.Thanks to my colleague who managed to find this!
Continue ReadingMy Personal Connection To Real Steel
If you look at a map of Michigan, you will notice that it is in the shape of a hand. You will know if someone is from Michigan if they will hold out their hand to point out where they live. My inlaws live in the thumb of Michigan, very close to the tip of […]
Continue ReadingTime to Play: What Tech Can Do For Toys
Every year around this time, Time to Play Magazine starts thinking about the hot holiday toys and invites bloggers to see their recommendations. I love having this chance to get hands-on with new toys, and toys that have come a long way since Toy Fair back in February. One of the most exciting thing to […]
Continue ReadingRay Bradbury: More Afraid of People Than Robots
For those of you who wouldn’t know, the Guardian Reading Group began with Ray Bradbury’s dystopian classic, Fahrenheit 451, by readers’ choice. That’s a great, revolutionary choice (so they said), that will especially appeal to us geek people in love with classical sci-fi, and to us parents looking for books to discuss with our children. […]
Continue ReadingNASA, Shuttles and Space for the Future
One of my favorite memories of this summer is the day I sat with my daughter snuggled in my lap and watched the final space shuttle launch. As Atlantis took to the skies, I wiped away tears and tried to explain to her why Mommy was crying over a spaceship. This is a little girl […]
Continue ReadingRobonaut: NASA vs Lucasfilm vs Stark Industries
Robots are cool. The first robot I remember was Gort from The Day The Earth Stood Still. I thought he was amazing. An alien robot who didn’t talk, he guarded his master’s spaceship with fierce devotion and shot a laser beam from his head that destroyed puny Earth weaponry without hurting anyone. I wanted a […]
Continue ReadingDisney Store Vinylmation Robots
I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m a sucker for all things Disney. That adorable little mouse with his giant ears and cute clothes and happy laugh. How can anyone not like The Mouse? It’s impossible. If you don’t like him you’re either a replicant or a Cylon. I love him, which secures my place in the human race. There […]
Continue ReadingYouTube Geek: Buck the Trends
If you’ve spent much time on YouTube, you may have noticed that the company maintains a blog devoted to viewer trends on the video site. That’s a handy link to follow if you’re interested in watching natural disasters and revolutions unfold around the world, but if you spend as much time on YouTube as I […]
Continue ReadingTransformers 3: Why It’s the Best Movie I’ve Seen This Summer
I did what any red-blooded American did over our holiday weekend. That’s right, I went to see a movie. This was after consuming roughly my own body weight in hamburgers and hot dogs while hanging out with friends all afternoon. I almost didn’t go to see Transformers 3 because it was getting a love it/hate it response […]
Continue ReadingNews From the Stacks
How late is too late to return a library book? When I was 6 or 7 I held onto a Postman Pat book for six months thinking I had already returned it; it had been hiding under the mattress in the crib I had for my twin dolls. Recently in Maine a book was returned […]
Continue ReadingBuilding a Robot With My 5-Year-Old
When I was at Toy Fair earlier this year, one of the booths that caught my eye was the robot-filled one of Robotis. I was interested in their Ollo robot kits, which are similar to Lego. There’s a booklet with visual step-by-step instructions showing how to put robots together, plus all the parts you need […]
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