I would say that it is great to have a toy that not only the kids enjoy but I also like, but that is nearly all of them! I should probably say that it is great when I get a toy and the kids enjoy playing with it also – at least when I let them play with it. So is true with my latest acquisition, Sphero!
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Here’s a look at the Zoomer Dino Jester and Zoomer Kitty, follow-ups to TIA’s Toy of the Year.
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A new pair of robots will teach your kids how to program … and grow more advanced as your kids age.
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We just had our son’s second birthday party. He’s already a geek-in-the-making, so the theme we decided on for him was Robots and Rocketships. He already loves both, thanks to a bounty of robot and rocketship toys he’s received in the past two years plus my own collection of both that I willfully share with him (yes, I’ve even let him play with vintage Transformers).
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The Lego Mindstorms EV3 robot isn’t just a useful tool for teaching children about robotics. Read about how scientists are using it to explore artificial intelligence using the nematode worm connectome.
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Big Hero 6, an animated feature from Disney opens in theaters nationwide today. But before you run off to see it, here are six things every parent should know about the movie.
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All new Remote-Control Machines DLX building set enables you to construct remote-controlled robots.
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Disney’s Big Hero 6 is set in an alternate reality that differs from our world in two major ways: the culture is a melding of American and Japanese influences, and the technological development is slightly more advanced than ours. Let’s take a look at some of that technology.
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Now that summer has ended, I’m staring at a stack of books that I’ve finished at various times and need to share with GeekDad readers. I read a LOT more books this summer, but not all of them grabbed my attention or were even finished. One of the problems I have reviewing books for GeekDad is the sheer volume of books that show up in my box. I wish I had time to read them all. I wish all of them appealed to me. And I certainly wish I could devote lengthier discussions to all of them. But I’m a geek dad… meaning I have two boys who are now putting a much higher demand on my time. This means less time for me to read MY books, and even less time to write them up in a timely fashion.
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I’ve come to rely on Shout Factory for a lot entertainment-wise, most specifically for my robot-related home video needs. Their most recent offerings are particularly noteworthy, especially to the geekily inclined.
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Last week I had the opportunity to conduct a camp titled Beginning Electronics and Robot Building (BERB) to a group of 21 kids, ages 8 to 12. It went great, and I’ll be holding the camp again for another group in late July. In addition to learning some basic electronics skills (such as soldering and breadboarding), the kids also got to build a full-fledged Arduino-based robot that they took home. It was a great week, and it also gave me an opportunity to introduce the kids to some other concepts and tools, including 3D printing.
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Yesterday, Google announced that they have been actively developing prototypes of self-driving vehicles. We weigh in on what that means to us.
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Axl and Tuna is a new “Endless Runner” game for the iPad from the creators of the excellent Bobo Explores Light.
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A Litter-Robot handles the dirty work around here.
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A rare look inside Disney Television Animation’s workspace art gallery, featuring a new technology-themed exhibition.
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LEGO, inspired by a 7th grader who combined his love of LEGO with the genuine desire to do something good for people, issued the Build for Good Challenge to seven companies in Seattle.
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There is heartening news for pro-humanity partisans. In at least one field of endeavor, human beings still reign supreme over our would-be robot overlords. A human ping pong champion has triumphed over an agile robot. But how long will it be before robots surpass us in every field, and what sort of world will that create for our grandkids?
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Annette Simon’s robot buddies return in their game of one-upmanship in Robot Burp Head Smartypants.
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Life-hacking is brought to a whole new entertainment level with this interactive air-hockey robot you can make at home.
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Robots. Say that word to kids and watch their eyes light up. Mine still do! I’ve had a fascination with robots since 1977 when I decided in the first five minutes of Star Wars that I wanted my own R2 unit. Now my workshop is full of them, and I’m even getting to teach a camp this summer for 20 lucky kids who are going to learn to build, program, and take home their own robot. My camp does have an age limit, however — we’ll be using breadboards, lots of small electronics components, and some coding will be necessary. I have an almost-7 year old son who is a bit upset that he can’t take the class, but I’ve got some other ideas in store for him this summer, and one of those includes reading through the latest book in the Nick and Tesla series from “Science Bob” Pflugfelder and Steven Hockensmith.
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Playing with Duplo is serious business in this geek house. Join Sarah as she gets to grips with their plethora of 2×2 blocks.
Continue ReadingGeekMom Rachel and her family go hands-on with this smartphone-enabled robot.
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Science fiction makes a lot of predictions about the future — that’s really the point, isn’t it? The best science fiction looks at the future, trying to see where we are headed and what it will be like when we get there.
Continue ReadingToys that push, toys that inspire art, toys that look like famous geeky characters, and more!
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I love good robotics and electronics Kickstarter projects. I recently had the MOSS Dynamic Robot Construction Kit come along my desk, and I have to say I am impressed by what I see.
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Extrageektacular Activities: Encouraging your child’s interest in STEM at Rolling Robots.
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Maker Faire New York this year had more than ever to do with (and buy for) kids.
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According to the Guinness Book of World Records, this fire-breathing dragon is the world’s largest walking robot.
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Today is a happy day, because Squeeze, a fantastic glow-in-the-dark robot T-shirt is available again as part of the Woot Specialty Inks Woot! Plus.
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The World’s End is the final movie in Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s loosely connected “Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy”, which started with romcomzom Shaun of the Dead and continued with cop buddy action movie Hot Fuzz. Here are 12 things parents should know about the movie.
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