This new LEGO Star Wars toy is the Castle Grayskull of all LEGOs. Fuck Fort Legorado, this LEGO Death Star is twice as much money ($400) and twice as cool. It comes with 25 Star Wars characters LEGO-style, including the “TK-421! Why aren’t you at your post?” Stormtrooper clad Han and Luke. It even has the trash compactor monster that nearly killed Luke in Episode IV.

You won’t find a better way to relive your childhood by reenacting the final duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the Emperor’s throne room. Oh and remember to always let the Wookiee win.

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We love LEGOs and while we’re partial to the Mindstorms set, Anders Søborg has built and programmed his own NXT scanner comprised mostly of these bricks.  For those not familiar with NXT scanners, they’re a “standalone” scanner that can scan and save images as BMP-files.  The images scanned can be saved in either 24-bit true color, 8-bit color or gray scale.

Although the device isn’t faster than any other scanner on the market (it’s quite slow actually), cut it some slack: it’s made out of toy blocks.  Anders was also nice enough to include DIY instructions on making your own, complete with programming instructions and all, on his website.
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Anyone who grew up in the ’80s remembers Johnny Five of Short Circuit. The perfect killing machine with absolutely no desire to kill after having disbanded its deadly laser beam weaponry in favor of a pocket knife. Yea, Johnny Five’s a robo-boy scout but his redeeming quality is his vast knowledge of pop-culture. As tribute to the friendliest librarian robot around, Brickshelf user rack911 has constructed a Johnny Five model out of LEGOs and other compatible bricks.

Johnny Five says,

“It’s the all-new Johnny Five! Just look at these items! Increased memory: five hundred megabytes on-line! I come with a utility pack and dozens of gadgets for outdoor living, lots of Greenpeace stickers, and even my own Nike swoosh! And, if you act now, I’ll throw in, absolutely free, my all-new, multi-frequency remote control!”

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Messing with LEGOs is good times, even if you’re 53. That’s why some geek in Germany turned a few 2×2 transparent bricks (of a variety of colors) into high speed Bluetooth adapters. On sale in limited quantity, these bricks are priced at about $50 before shipping and handling. They’ll give you that “I’m an 8-year-old!” look and at the same time, sync your expensive top-of-the-line wireless gadgets together. While there are better ways to call attention to yourself, the LEGO Bluetooth Mini Dongle is ultimately more useful than the alternatives.
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Don’t like LEGOs? Then get out of here, you commie bastard. Our man Bram Lambrecht has recreated his very own 1995 Mazda MX-5 convertible in LEGO form. Everything from the windshield, to the tires, to the hood looks dead-on like the real deal (although it isn’t the first car we’ve seen built out of LEGO blocks.)

Seems Bram is really keen on designing things with LEGO blocks. He’s made everything from spaceships to rocket-ships to custom keychains. I wonder if he can make his own ginormous LEGO tower…

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I’m pretty sure anyone who hates LEGOs is a commie bastard. The classic colored bricks have been a staple of everyone’s childhood and that love continues into adulthood. Case in point is the world’s largest LEGO tower, which contains 500,000 LEGO bricks and is 100 feet tall.

Built in Windsor, UK, the huge structure commemorates LEGO’s 50th anniversary. Personally, I haven’t bought a set in a few years, but I will never forget the early-’90s spaceship sets. Those were king. Either way, neither the tower nor those spaceship sets compare to the LEGO Camaro.

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Fans of the Camaro are among the most hardcore enthusiasts, as can can be seen by this Floridian Lego modeler. Crafting a Camaro using nothing but Legos. It sure would have been a chick magnet back in the late 70s.

To make sure the Camaro adopted all of the curves of a modern automobile, the designer seems to use some pieces from the Lego Technic line of brick tools. This model is complete with fake engine and pimped interior. Pretty damn impressive. (more…)

There has been a metaphorical shit-storm of weird products recently, combining odd branding with some of the most obscure of gadgets. And while dropping a brand name on a box in order to sell a few more products isn’t necessarily rare, some of these branding combos are pretty out of this world. The eight gadgets which follow are not only items which have captured our imaginations, but at times have shocked us, made us laugh, and even drawn a tear of joy or two. Regardless of the oddness of the following, well, oddities, they don’t disappoint in the entertaining compartment. So, pull up an Ikea™ lounge chair and take a swig of your favorite Pepsi-Cola® branded beverage and enjoy the show. (more…)

Lego bricks can be put together to accomplish almost any task as long as you have the right parts and mechanics. The Lego Camera Mount is a computer-controlled movable tripod on wheels.

Using some strategically chosen Lego pieces, the creator of the Lego Camera Mount created a way for the mount to take photos on demand, while riding around on mini-treads. — Andrew Dobrow

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Ralph Savelsberg creates scale models using nothing but Lego’s. His most recent creations are two military grade helicopters, made to scale as close as bricks can be scaled.

The CH-46 Sea Knight and the Mi-24 “Hind” are both extraordinary examples of how much can really be done with the little rectangular building blocks. Notice: It’s probably not the best idea to send these models into battle. They’d be just as successful as a tank made out of balloons. Psh, like anyone would ever make something like that. (more…)