The latest episode of LAML Radio hosts an interview including content about Brickarms. Learn more about this great customs minifig weapons shop and listen to the podcast.
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Category Archives: News
LEGO brick 50th-birthday roundup
The worldwide response to the 50th birthday of the LEGO brick today has been amazing.
As Nathan posted late last night (our time), Google LEGO’d their home page. Naturally, somebody (namely Antonio Manfredonio) had to build it with real brick:
- Neatorama has a list of the 10 Neatest LEGO Facts and Links.
- LEGO Ambassador Peter Reid and fiancee Yvonne Doyle showed off their LEGO room on Sky TV.
- Another LEGO Ambassador, Tânia Baixinho, posted another cool video.
Finally, LEGO Certified Professional Sean Kenney made a cake:
LEGO brick 50th-anniversary timeline on Gizmodo
Jesus Diaz over at Gizmodo has put together a fantastic LEGO timeline:
Click the pic to check out the larger version in Jesus’ post, along with a whole bunch of cool facts and figures about the LEGO brick.
Happy 50th birthday, LEGO brick!
Today (Monday, January 28) is the 50th birthday of the LEGO brick as we know it today.
You’ve come a long way, our favorite little plastic brick! Happy birthday.
Exciting new podcasts from LAML Radio
LAML Radio has produced several episodes recently. James has been such a prolific host that I’ve not managed to keep up with the headlines! Here is the latest episode, featuring Aaron (Darkspawn) and me for the first time. We had an interesting discussion about the latest LEGO news and our observations and opinions regarding sharing MOCs online. Click here for this episode of the podcast.
Don’t miss the other recent episodes in January, with content including YouBrick, Blockland, minifig customization, and the book The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide.
LEGO open-sources Power Functions RC system protocol [News]
LEGO has released various components as open source software in the past, including MINDSTORMS firmware back in 2006. The latest to receive the open source treatment is the protocol for the Power Functions RC (remote control) system:
Here’s the word from Billund:
Last year we introduced a range of products using our new electric building system: LEGO Power Functions. This new electric building system will open up a lot of possibilities now and in the future.
One of the new things we offer now is modular remote control. In the process of designing the Power Functions RC system we did a mapping of different RC functionalities. This mapping formed the basis of the Power Functions RC protocol and most of this is build into the Power Functions RC Receiver.
The RC Handset launched now provides direct ‘bang-bang’ control, but the RC Receiver supports much more functionality like PWM speed control and single pin operation.
Now that the Power Functions elements are available at the LEGO Shop online we have decided to release the Power Functions RC protocol as open source.
Please feel free to use any information from the protocol document for personal, non-commercial use only, provided you keep intact copyright, trademarks and other proprietary rights of the LEGO Company – have fun.
Gaute Munch
Technology Product Manager
LEGO Company
You can download the protocol document as a PDF, kindly hosted by the good people of Hispalug.
Naturally, various Power Functions products are available from the LEGO Store online:
- Power Functions IR Remote Control
- Power Functions IR Receiver
- Power Functions Battery Box
- Power Functions M-Motor
- Power Functions XL-Motor
- Power Functions Extension Wire
10185 Green Grocer, new addition to modular street [News]
It’s only a thumbnail, but it sure is pretty…
UPDATE: Green Grocer is now available from the LEGO Shop.
Kudos to Anthony Sava.
What set would you want for the 10th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars?
EDIT (2/4/08): Thanks for all your input, everyone! I’m compiling the list of your ideas and will be passing them along to LEGO shortly.
UPDATE (1/24/08): One quick point of clarification. As some of you may have already seen in posts from other Ambassadors elsewhere, the price range for this set will be 150 USD/euros.
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2009 will be the 10th anniversary of LEGO Star Wars. To celebrate this anniversary, LEGO is considering the release of a special 10th-anniversary set, and they want to know what you’d like. LEGO has asked the Ambassadors to pass along the following four questions:
- What model do you recommend that LEGO Star Wars launches in October 2009 as celebration of LEGO Star Wars 10th anniversary?
- Should it be a model in minifigure scale or a big display model?
- Which key characters / minifigures should be included, if the model is minifigure scale?
- What key functions should be included?
Please leave your answers as comments on this post, and I’ll pass them along to LEGO. (If you’ve already responded to this question elsewhere, please refrain from providing duplicate answers here.)
As always, LEGO doesn’t make any promises about future sets, but the company does value fan input, so answer away!
Thanks!
Andrew Becraft
LEGO Ambassador
BrickArms scalpel and syringe prototypes [News]
BrickArms creator Will Chapman has been hard at work developing designs for his mystical “third mold.”
We’ve already seen prototype weapons, but the latest designs include a scalpel and syringe. Click the picture and check them out in a couple new vignettes by corran101:
LEGO appoints Tormod Askildsen head of community development [News]
News from Billund:
The LEGO Group is boosting its support of the LEGO Community by appointing Tormod Askildsen as the new dedicated Head of LEGO Community Development. Tormod takes over from Richard Stollery who will now focus on the LEGO Club and other consumer loyalty programs. Richard says ”I’ve only been the Head for one year and I hope I’ve kept the seat warm for Tormod who is the greatest ambassador for the Community. It’s good news that we are identifying more dedicated resources to developing the Community. It’s been a privilege to attend, meet and speak with members of the Community across Europe and the United States at a variety of events in 2007 and I would like to thank organizers and attendees alike for being so welcoming. I will continue to attend Community events and support Tormod in developing the Community as part of the CED (Community, Education and Direct) Division within the LEGO Group.
Tormod, who has been heading up the LEGO Factory project for the past year, has previously been responsible for interaction with the many LEGO Community groups as well as the LEGO Club and programs like the FIRST LEGO League. Going forward his focus will be fully dedicated to stimulating the growth and exposure of the LEGO Community. Tormod says: “The LEGO Community is quite unique – it consist of people of all ages from all over the world who have one thing in common; they like LEGO for what LEGO is”, – and continues “the community of Adult LEGO Hobbyists has a special status with the LEGO Group as a source for creative inspiration among LEGO employees as well as among LEGO loving kids and families who are exposed to their events and innovative LEGO creations”. Together with Tormod, Jan Beyer and Steve Witt makes up the LEGO Community team. Jan and Tormod are based in Billund, Denmark and Steve is based in Enfield, CT, USA.
Tormod Askildsen and Richard Stollery
Noone’s Fortune
I present you another black fantasy creature, this time in a post-apoc setting. There’s gold on the ground, but gold is worthless when there’s no one to spend it.
Interested in building something similar? I’ve just announced a black fantasy contest over at Classic Space, but you don’t have to be a member of the forum to participate. There will be prizes!
New LEGO Agents theme pictures leaked [News]
Preliminary pictures of the new LEGO Agents theme are surfacing. Click on the picture to see all the sets in this theme.
FINAL UPDATE: LEGO Agents sets are now available from the LEGO Shop online.
EDIT: Image removed from Eurobricks at the request of The LEGO Company.
UPDATE: The LEGO Agents sets were revealed officially at Toy Fair New York 2008. Ace Kim of FBTB was there to capture lots of great photos (click for photoset):
