Coding’s now as easy as ABC for small children
Joining the swaths of tech that aims to teach children the art of coding is the Codie. This simple looking robot is controlled by an equally simple smartphone app that introduces the very basics. The app is used to link up series of “action blocks” that tell Codie how to walk and talk (well, buzz actually). As the child becomes increasingly familiar with Codie, new features are unlocked allowing more complex actions to be carried out.
Get in touch with your inner baby, baby
Supposedly, playing music to your baby bump is relaxing for both mother and child.
So of course, there’s a gadget for that. The Ritmo audio pregnancy belt features 4 mini-speakers that strap to your midriff and plug into most modern music players - or you can record dad’s voice to help him bond with the baby if he’s away.At just under $80 (£54), the belt could offer a good return for inspiring the next Paul McCartney.
Rumours also suggest that a new model will be released by the end of the year. This will allow you to live stream the goings-on of your unborn child, logging heartbeats and movements on your smartphone. Because everyone will be as fascinated as you. The unusual device was previewed in London last month and is expected to cost upwards of $200 (£135).
Anyone for baby podcasts? I didn’t think so.
Fancy yourself as an artist? Draw near
If you love the idea of drawing but lack van Gogh’s talent, gadgetry has a solution. mDrawBot, from Makeblock, is a 4-in-1 robot that can put down designs from your computer screen on just about any surface. Currently up for funding on Kickstarter, a pledge of $179 will get you all the parts and software you need to build any of the four robots desiged to draw in different – and innovative – ways.
Here you’ll find lots of USB ports in a storm
Many things frustrate those who love all things tech, and realising that you have too few USB ports to keep everything connected is just one. So what if you had an infinite number of gadgets that need to be plugged in? Thanks to Gonglue Jiang, creator of InfiniteUSB, this is no longer a dream. The cable allows you to connect your devices while also providing you with another port free to use. By connecting all your devices via InfiniteUSBs, you will never run out of space. The makers suggest a limit on how long a chain should be, At $14 (£10) each on Kickstarter, this could prove to be a useful solution.
The team from Hungary are currently looking for funding for the project on IndieGoGo but $199 (£135) will get you one by November.
Become a high-roller on the binary scene
Catering for the digitally-minded who enjoy the occasional board game, binary dice bring tech to where there once was none. Rather than numbering one to six, these dice are labelled in three-bit binary code from 001 to 110. Despite being printed in a pixelated style as a nod to binary’s programing roots, thankfully the dice remain the tactile, lo-tech acrylic blocks we know and love. For those unfamiliar with binary, fear not, the designers have helpfully printed a more obvious guide in the top corner so coders won’t have an unfair advantage. Having smashed its funding target on Kickstarter this month, with prices ranging from $5 (£2.70), the dice will be rolled out to backers this summer.
