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When a Rubik’s Cube just isn’t frustrating enough, pick a Clover

Actually, the standard Clover Cube is apparently the more frustrating version of a Rubik’s Cube, and this Clover Icosahedron D1 IQ Brick takes the standard Clover Cube to a new level.  Brando says a core feature of Clover Cubes are the two locations on each edge that allow the puzzle be rotated freely.   This Icosahedron has 20 sides and 72 axes of rotation.  That’s more than enough variations to make me decide to use this Clover Brick as an attractive paperweight, but it would be a great challenge for the person who never met a puzzle they couldn’t solve.

Brando describes it as designed for both left and right brain training, creative thinking, and for improving both your IQ and your EQ.  The Clover Icosahedron D1 IQ Brick is $98.00 in Brando’s Lifestyle collection.

Photography: The old school way

Sometimes I miss the good old days of film photography.  Knowing how to set the f-stop and shutter speed along with picking the right ISO for the film was an art and not something you just did by pointing your phone and clicking.  I ran across a great project on Kickstarter for a 3D printed Box camera that uses 120 film spools.  The basic black box version will run you $79, but if you want it in a weathered red, blue or yellow it will run you $119.  It comes with a 1/200 of a second shutter and apertures from f5.6 to f32 and a 95mm lens.  It comes with spools where you will manually wind the film and manually advance each picture.  They plan to offer additional lenses in the future to allow for standard, wide angle and telephoto pictures.  Unfortunately, this project is already closed, but you can still follow along and find out when you can get one of your own.  You can check it out on Kickstarter.

Add a secure AirPod holder to the Apple Watch band

If you ever take out your Apple AirPods while you’re working out or while you’re at work and want someplace safer than a shirt pocket to store them, look at the AirPod holder from the SuperheroDIY shop at Etsy.  The holder is custom “3D printed in PLA plastic at high resolution to meet the designed tolerance“.  The shop owner describes the holder as “tight enough to hold them in, but easy enough to get the AirPods out!  It is also small enough as to not interfere with your movements and stays in place on your watch band!”

The holder is available now in your choice of black, red, or green plastic, but the owner says you can request a custom color.  The AirPods holder for Apple Watch band is $9.00 at the SuperheroDIY shop.

Hasbro’s Star Wars Ultimate Co-pilot Chewie might just be the most adorable thing in the galaxy

There were a lot of cool things unveiled at this year’s New York Toy Fair, but Hasbro may have topped them all when they introduced the galaxy to the Star Wars Ultimate Co-pilot Chewie. As the newest addition to their FurReal line not only is the 16” tall animatronic fuzz ball cute to look at he also comes complete with 100 different sound and motion combinations. If you touch his stomach he’ll laugh, say hello and Chewie will raise his arms and respond with a roar. And he even has a number of surprising facial expressions. Chewie also has a built-in accelerometer which allows him to react to different kinds of movement. Picking him up, flying him around or shaking him will all elicit a different reaction. Possibly the best thing, or, at the very least the cutest thing is when you rock him in your arms he closes his eyes and goes to sleep complete with a loud Wookie snore.

Hasbro’s Star Wars Ultimate Co-Pilot Chewie is for children ages 4 and up and will cost $129.99. The bad news is the galaxy’s favorite furry smuggler won’t be available until the Fall.

Jamee Miller takes on the challenge of dyslexia and hits a homerun with the Read ‘n Style Pen

Jamee Miller is a small town girl who grew up with dyslexia. She came up with the idea of the Read ‘n Style pen while in college and struggling to read assignments.  She then partnered with the startup company Hidden Abilities to turn the concept of the Read ‘n Style pen into a reality.

It is the first digital pen that is designed to assist with the challenges of reading and comprehension, and it is very easy to use. Once it is fully charged, simply press the button near the top and scan the text that you are reading. The text is then converted into audio and transmitted to the user via a small and comfortable Bluetooth earbud. The earbud along with the charger is included in the package, and ensures privacy, convenience and no disturbance to others. The designers were very careful to make sure that no data is saved on the device. This is an important feature since it allows the pen to be integrated into any testing or a confidential environment, without the risk of cheating or theft of data.

While the Read ‘n Style pen was initially designed to address the challenges of dyslexia, it can be used in other ways such as teaching kids to read, including word and sound association. And for those with failing eyesight, the pen may add some level of comfort and convenience to their lifestyle.

The Read ‘n Style pen is available at Indiegogo for $396.00 with a $70 discount for early pre-orders.