Posted 01.19.2010 at 6:00 pm
12 Comments
Sifteo Blocks: via Sifteo
Siftables, which you may have already seen featured on PopSci's Future Of on the Science Channel), are computerized blocks that can communicate wirelessly, sense their orientation and proximity to other blocks, and display an image. Those seemingly simple attributes enable a nearly endless range of gaming and other interactive possibilities.
Siftables blocks can transmit music cues to each other to become musical instruments, display letters or numbers for educational games, or interact with a console to become the controllers for a larger gaming system. By giving physical form to abstract data, the blocks bridge the gap between physical and virtual. It's best explained and demonstrated by creator David Merrill himself at last year's TED conference:
You can follow Sifteo's developments at their newly launched site, but frankly, there are only two questions I need answered: where can I get them, and how soon?
[Sifteo]
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Hi Stuart,
Nice post, but you spelled Siftables wrong in the title!
Best regards,
-David Merrill
Great post, but there's a typo in the title. It's "Siftables" not Shiftables. The rest of the article spells it correctly.
Thanks guys! My fault. -Ed.
By the way, you're sending some over to PopSci HQ, right?
Absolutely Beautiful! I hope Ill be good enough for TED one day. Ah man, beautiful.
This sounds like one of those innovations that there is a use for, but not great enough for it to catch on. Nonetheless, I find these types of things an interesting read. One question though, How do you feasibly recharge all of these blocks? Wireless induction?
Thanks for the fix! Oh, and the link in the article seems to not be working either. You can fix it by changing the link's "hef" attribute to "href".
My guess is that they recharge from the USB minipin ports in the picture.
Would be nice to have some kind of a price estimate. I mean, they're cute, but they are toys.
Let's remember that to a small child, the ideal playthings are anything you can pick up, or move, or get underneath of. Save your money! Infants don't need computers! They need YOU! But YOU are too busy shopping! Go home and PLAY WITH YOUR CHILD!!!
Sign me up for the first commercial shipment.
looks like a lot of fun in a small package. just the learning aspect for children would be worth the money.
Beecher Bowers
www.desktopgaming.com
hurry HURRY Hurry !!!