Create an inflatable version of yourself because why not?

When was the last time you wished you could have a 25-inch inflatable replica of yourself? Only every day right? Well, your dreams can now become a reality because Italian company 25INCH.me allows their customers easily create a 25-inch-tall inflatable doll of themselves or anyone they like. Just head over to their website, upload a headshot and then choose a shirt, pants, shoes, and other accessories like watches, jewelry, and tattoos.

The inflatable doll is made of high-quality materials with high-resolution printing that is water resistant and designed to be inflated and deflated many times.

Your 25-inch mini me can be easily inflated with a few seconds of blowing into the air valve which is located in a sensitive area.

Each doll is priced at 29,99€ plus 12-22,00€ for shipping which comes to about $64 US. Be aware that import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. Head over to 25INCH.me for all the details.

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Create an inflatable version of yourself because why not? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 21, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Meccano Erector M.A.X. Robotic Interactive Toy with A.I. review

I have two young sons, 7 and 5, who are obsessed with building.  Legos, old sets of Lincoln Logs, boxes, whatever.  They are constantly building and creating things.  Recently my 7 year old started getting into robots so when I saw the Meccano M.A.X. robot erector set I knew it would be a hit.  I was correct.

What is it?

Well, the product name and title of this review pretty much says it all.  MAX is an artificial intelligence robot erector set.  There is a 66 step instruction guide to assemble MAX and there are a lot of parts, motors, bolts, nuts, etc. everything you would expect in an erector set.  What makes MAX different is that once assembled, it is a fully interactive toy for your kids.  Or for you if you end up not wanting to share it with the kids, or for those of you who just love building things and robots, no judgment here, this thing is pretty cool!

Hardware specs

  • 12″ tall when assembled
  • 332 parts
  • 2 hand tools
  • 1 AC/DC wall mount charger (10.4W)
  • 1 rechargeable Ni-MH 1800mAh battery
  • Recommended for kids 10+ (like I said mine are 7 and 5 so they needed my help but it was a great project for us)

What’s in the box?

332 pieces, 2 hand tools (all you need to assemble), instructions, stickers for decorating MAX and a wall charge

Design and features

The build process is like most any other erector set or similar project.  The pieces are dense plastic so I don’t worry about it breaking after a week of play like other products.  The instructions are actually very well thought out and easy to follow, which is a great thing when you are looking at a pile of 332 pieces!

 

Once assembled you have to download MAX’s brain software onto the brain module.  Then MAX comes to life.  Once your child (or you) brings MAX to life he starts asking you questions to learn about you.  This process takes about 10 minutes.  After that, MAX begins to learn.  It has commands that are in the instruction book that allow you to interact with him, some of which are unlocked after a period of time of interacting with it.  It has built-in infrared sensors to help it avoid obstacles when it is moving around.  You can ask MAX questions, ask it to deliver something using its gripping hands, ask it to tell you something interesting and a number of other things that my kids have just loved.

MAX is a great project to challenge young minds interested in S.T.E.M subjects and a great introduction to engineering and robotics projects.

What I like

  • Great project to work on with my kids
  • A toy that learns as you play with it
  • The sense of accomplishment my children (and I) got when MAX was built
  • Very reasonable price (on Amazon for $119.99 with a MSRP of $149.99)

What needs to be improved

I am not sure why you have to download the brain software after receiving it rather than it coming preloaded with it.  That was a little annoying but not an issue, just delayed play time a little after building it while I installed software.  Maybe Meccano is making changes to the A.I. software so when you download it you are getting the latest version, but I don’t know.

Other than that, I don’t have any complaints.  We really enjoyed the build process and the fun playing with MAX and watching it learn.

Final thoughts

As with any erector set, building it is part of if not most of the fun.  In the case of MAX, building it was a blast to work with my kids on but seeing MAX learn and its abilities grow has been really fun in the time we have had with it.  I work a lot so I am always looking for fun projects to work on with my kids so we can spend some quality time together.  When that quality time also engages their minds and imaginations and nurtures their interest in building, robotics, and science, well that’s a home run for me.

I definitely can recommend this product for kids of any age who this product fits their interest but would definitely recommend sticking with the 10+ age recommendation if they will be working on it alone.  With adult supervision, it can be fun for kids of all ages but you may have to take a lot of breaks because 332 pieces is a lot for one sitting with a 7 and 5 year old!

Price: $119.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Meccano.

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Meccano Erector M.A.X. Robotic Interactive Toy with A.I. review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 6, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Build your own VW Van before summer

The VW Bus T1 Campervan 3D puzzle from Ravensburger won’t be big enough to drive to the beach this summer, but it will decorate a bookshelf nicely.  It’s designed after the Samba, in the United States also known as Sunroof Deluxe, which Ravensburger says was the most luxurious version of the T1.  The puzzle is made of all plastic pieces that fit and stay together without needing glue.  You’ll build the body on the included wheeled base, and you can assemble by eye or by checking the numbers on the back of the pieces if you run into a snag.

The design is printed directly on the plastic pieces, so there are no glued on papers to get damaged or peel off.  Building the van is a great family activity for children ages 10+.  Once it’s completed, the van measures 11.75″ x 5.5″ x 6″.

You can purchase the Ravensburger Volkswagen T1 Campervan-162 Piece 3D Puzzle for $29.99 at Amazon.

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.

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.