Year: 2017

Brickvention 2018 is coming January 19-21. Win a Double Pass

ramblingbrick Lego , , ,

EHI320595-011017060101It is almost January.  This means that Brickvention is just around the corner.  Brickvention is Australia’s premiere LEGO® Fan Convention and Public Exhibition. Starting on Friday, January 19th with a fan convention, there are two days of public exhibition running on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st. As in recent years, the event will take place in the beautiful heritage listed Royal Exhibitions Buildings, just a few minutes from the central business district of Melbourne. LEGO fans from around the country come to exhibit their LEGO Models,  catch up with old friends and to make some new ones.  All while sharing their passion for LEGO Bricks. Continue reading →

Happy Holidays One and All

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As I write this, we are somewhere between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. In Australia, this period of time is characterized by alternating between retail discounts, blockbuster cinematic releases and spending time with friends and family.

For the rambling brick family, we have been blessed by bright sun, warm days, and many opportunities for extended napping. We have been staying away from the family LEGO collection, but not entirely brick free. I was fortunate to discover NINJAGO City lying on top of my Christmas Stocking. It was never going to fit in. My wife and I were also given the wedding topper, by way of commemorating our 20th Wedding Anniversary during this period. I am currently writing in secret… Continue reading →

Building up: day 24

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For the last 23 days we have been putting models together and pulling them apart. Some have been related to Christmas, some to winter, and some totally out of left field.

I have really enjoyed it, but there is one conspicuous element in this set which I have not seen before, and not yet used: the Ehite Croissant. I expect that now that it is Christmas Eve, all will be revealed!

You’d better watch out,

You’d better not cry,

You’d better not pout,

I’m telling you why Continue reading →

So, I was wrong: Boost iPhone App now Available

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When I first encountered LEGO Boost, I expected that mobile phones would not offer a big enough screen to be readily usable and as such would be unlikely to eventuate.

I was wrong: today the Boost App for iPhone has become available from the App Store. An Android app has been available for a short while now.

I look forward to giving the phone app a spin over the Christmas break, and comparing it to the tablet experience. This is great news for people unable to decide which tablet to buy, as they may already have a compatible device.

Boost requires iOS10 or higher. The App Store will tell you if your phone is compatible. The download is over 150MB and will require a WiFi conntection.

The critical feature is low power Bluetooth. Boost was released for windows 10 last week.

As we approach Peak Gifts season, it is good to know that perhaps extra hardware may not need to be purchased. On the other hand, what will happen when your phone rings while controlling the Boost? Time will tell.

Until next time

Play well

I Just Need a Little Space/ You Light up my LEGO II

ramblingbrick Lego , , ,

Last week I wrote about revisiting an imaginary childhood with a classic space set that I never owned, the One Man Spaceship 918.  While it has brought me great joy, I have had the feeling that it is missing something.  Lighting.

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While I have written about simple lighting solutions previously, this is likely to need something more complicated.  My vision is to provide lighting in the cabin, put running lights under the transparent plates on the thrusters and have lights on the wing tips flashing intermittently.

Over recent years, there have been a number of lighting solutions come onto the market. These feature a microprocessor controller chip, with connections for multiple LEDs. LEDs may be powered by an onboard coin cell or external penlight style AA or AAA batteries. The board itself might be enclosed within a brick sized housing, or the board might be uncovered, but dimensioned such that it can be easily built into your MOC.

A quick word on the ‘purity’ of 3rd party lighting.

Continue reading →