There are a few sets we hadn't seen before, (Batman Drag Racer?) and not all the sets are yet released, but there's a Batmobile, and we know that's the one everyone wants to start with.

Batman Sets [Shop.Lego]

Posted by at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Congratulations to the 100 chosen members, who were notified on Friday that they are eligable to purchase the $250 Mindstorms NXT kit.

Lego said participants are divided into three groups: Software/Hardware Development, Inventions and Creations, and Community. Developers have access to a secure Web forum where they communicate with one another, learn more about the project, debate issues, decide on solutions and help shape the community that supports the Lego Mindstorms NXT launch.

Lego Picks 100 Techies For Robotics Toyland [Yahoo]

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Mike (CountBlockula on Flickr) has taken some photos of the minifigs from the new Batman sets. We are green with envy; these are so new we suspect the plastic is still warm.

First impressions are very good. We've known for a while that the minifigs were great, but seeing actual digital photos of the real product is still exciting, especially as it means they are now available for sale, in some stores at least.

Posted by Roo Reynolds at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're playing a bit of catch-up here, so forgive any lack of freshness to our news. There's little lack of freshness to these new Eggo toaster waffles, thankfully, as one of the new varieties are (finally!) Lego-shaped. A commentor on the Strange New Products blog says, "They're interesting because they cook a little slower because there is less "waffle" to the texture, and they don't build all that well, but they are very cool."

We happen to have a soft spot for Eggo waffles anyway, so these are on our grocery list for sure. Finally, Lego elements that are supposed to have teeth marks!

LEGO Shaped Eggos [Strange New Products] (Thanks, Drew and Bridgitte!)

Posted by at 7:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Although Nextbrick got off to a great start, I ran into a huge time-sink when I accepted a promotion at my new job. That's not much of an excuse, I know, so I apologize for the lack of attention.

The good news is that the initial ramp-up period is over and I have a few minutes here and there that I can begin to apply back to Nextbrick. It's caused me almost literal pain to see some great Lego news go by and not to blog it.

On a related note, if you or someone you know is interested in blogging about Lego and other construction toys, I'd be willing to bring in someone else in a (very) part-time role. I'll even pay in Lego.

If interested, send an email to Nextbrick@gmail with a short writing sample.

— Joel

Posted by at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

With just a few days left before the Lego Mindstorms NXT Developer Program Sign-Ups close forever, we present to you this Q&A with Karen Lynch of Flashpoint, the PR firm helping Lego manage the program. If you haven't signed up and want to know more about the program, read on.

Nextbrick: If you could, just a short explanation about Flashpoint's role in the Mindstorms NXT project.

Karen: Flashpoint PR is a boutique public relations agency; we support all product publicity for LEGO Systems, Inc. and have therefore been involved in the PR programs supporting this exciting new product. Members of our team, in previous lives, contributed to the launch of the original LEGO MINDSTORMS, so this is an exciting project for us.

Nextbrick: We noticed there are lots of questions in the Mindstorms NXT Users Panel (MUP) sign up, but not very many places to offer specific, personal information. What's the best way for an applicant to get noticed?

Karen: MUP members are selected based on their proposed contributions to NXT rollout – be it in software, hardware, community or inventions/models areas.  Some people want to write books, others are looking to help create curriculum or transition guides, others have suggested hacking protocols and amazing creations they’d like to achieve.  We’re less concerned with personal information and more looking for the big ideas.

Nextbrick: Will Lego be granting access to the private forum where the original MUP community helped to develop the NXT project. If so, will the past interactions between Lego and the MUP be retained? It would be interested to read through the threads that lead to NXT's development.

Karen's response and more questions after the jump.

Continue reading "Lego Mindstorms NXT Developer Program Q&A: Karen Lynch" »

Posted by at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

While we certainly hope that no one ever really does commit suicide using Lego, we have to cop to being pretty entertained by this photoset on Flickr. Remember, Lego are a choking hazard!

The Lego Suicides

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Nextbrick had the pleasure to correspond with Allan Bedford, author of The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide, currently available from No Starch Press (and Amazon, of course).

We purchased a copy sight unseen a few weeks ago and were very impressed, so thought it especially serendipitous when we got the opportunity to speak to Mr. Bedford. If you'd like to get an idea of what The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide has inside, there's a nice introduction with samples on Mr. Bedford's blog.

Now, the interview!

Nextbrick: What inspired you to write a book about how to build Lego? Doesn't that imply there's a 'right way' to build?

Allan: My inspiration for the book came partially from the fact that there wasn't one out there already. Let me back up a bit. When I get interested in any new hobby or pastime I usually look for the equivalent of a 'Dummies' style book to get me started. I like getting a good grounding in the lingo, the background and the conventions of anything that interests me. In the case of LEGO building there really wasn't a book on the market that filled this need. So I wrote one. :)

Lots more from Mr. Bedford after the jump.

Continue reading "Nextbrick Interview: Allan Bedford, Author of The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide" »

Posted by at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tom Johnson, creator of the Working Technic Knitting Machine is back with another fun creation: a real, working orrery.

What's an orrery? As any fan of The Dark Crystal knows, it's a device with which to impress gelflings. Tom's orrery exists, "to help explain to my children why we have so much light in the summer and not nearly enough in the winter (we live in Alaska). No attempt was made to get relative sizes, distances, or the orbit periods correct. Rather, this model shows the inclination of the earth's axis and why it causes the seasons."

Lego Orrery [Mac]

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While this isn't an actual product—just a mocked-up proposal by a Chinese company hoping to find a distributor—these Lego-style silicone rubber memory card keychains are kind of nifty. The apparently even clip together so that you could store multiple memory cards all together.

Problem is, we don't think we'd trust even Lego bricks to stick together indefinitely in our pockets along with our keys. But for just a single memory card we might go for it—especially since they should be super-cheap.

Lego Style Silicone Rubber Memory Card Case [I4U]

Posted by at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)