Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

Dev.SN ♥ developers

littleBits: Circuits Meet LEGO Blocks

posted by mattie_p on Wednesday March 12 2014, @04:29AM   Printer-friendly
from the play-into-our-hands dept.

skullz writes:

"Much ado has been made about SXSW and the resurgence of hardware hacking as apposed to software. Even NPR is getting in on the action, airing a story about littleBits SXSW demo, including some videos. LittleBits are small circuit modules which snap together using magnets, much like LEGOs would if they were held together by magnets. The company pays homage to an open source mentality and hosts example projects, such as this LEGO and littleBit soundmachine, on its website, even though it seems to be missing several (or all) of the actual assembly instructions."

From their website:

littleBits (spelled lower case L, upper case B, all one word) consists of tiny circuit-boards with specific functions engineered to snap together with magnets. No soldering, no wiring, no programming, just snap together for prototyping, learning and fun. Each bit has a specific function (light, sound, sensors, buttons, thresholds, pulse, motors, etc), and modules snap to make larger circuits. Just as LEGO (TM) allows you to create complex structures with very little engineering knowledge, littleBits are small, simple, intuitive, blocks that make creating with sophisticated electronics a matter of snapping small magnets together.

If you followed SXSW, please share your favorite discoveries or insights gleaned from the conference.

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
littleBits: Circuits Meet LEGO Blocks | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 1000 moderator points   | 22 comments | Search Discussion
Display Options Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by wonkey_monkey on Wednesday March 12 2014, @05:46AM

    by wonkey_monkey (279) on Wednesday March 12 2014, @05:46AM (#15129)

    much like LEGOs would if they were held together by magnets.

    So not at all like actual LEGO bricks then.

    I'm all for making stories accessible to all, but to assume people won't understand what magnets do without a LEGO analogy is going bit far.

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Insightful=2, Funny=1, Overrated=1, Total=4
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  
    Total Score:   3  

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by skullz on Wednesday March 12 2014, @10:48AM

    by skullz (2532) on Wednesday March 12 2014, @10:48AM (#15295)

    Actually I was referring to the way the bits snap together. They don't use friction like LEGOs but magnets. Its the snappy part. *snaps fingers*

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by wonkey_monkey on Friday March 14 2014, @05:17AM

      by wonkey_monkey (279) on Friday March 14 2014, @05:17AM (#16240)

      Perhaps you should have paraphrased Douglas Adams:

      They snap together almost, but not quite, entirely unlike LEGO bricks.