Visit my new site
Posted: July 22, 2013 Filed under: Apple, LEGO, Other Leave a commentThis website has moved over to legomac.net, hosted by Squarespace. If you enjoy what you see here, stop by and see more recent material!
UCS Sandcrawler reaches 10,000 on CUUSOO
Posted: August 13, 2012 Filed under: LEGO | Tags: CUUSOO, LEGO, marshal banana, Sandcrawler, Star Wars, UCS Leave a commentCUUSOO is churning out some truly impressive models, the latest of which is marshal banana‘s massive UCS Sandcrawler. This is undoubtedly the epitome of AFOL building, featuring a minifig-scale model with furnished interior, power functions, and light bricks. Not exactly cost-effective to produce, but drool-worthy nonetheless. It’s worth noting that the creator is the first to achieve two successful CUUSOO projects, with his Modular Western Town having reached 10,000 votes earlier this spring.
While I’m not optimistic that LEGO will want to spend so much money on such a huge and detailed set, there’s no reason why they couldn’t scale it down a little and turn a decent profit on another UCS model. I imagine that a halfway-decent Sandcrawler would sell quite well, given the inherent “playset” characteristics of such a large machine.
(I must admit that I have a special fondness for Sandcrawlers due to playing Star Wars: Droid Builder many years ago, in which a lot of time is spent running like crazy through the interior of a Sandcrawler testing new droids.)
LEGO’s 80th Birthday
Posted: August 10, 2012 Filed under: LEGO | Tags: 80, anniversary, cake, exclusive, history, LEGO, video 1 CommentToday marks the 80th anniversary of LEGO’s founding under Ole Kirk Christiansen, although the plastic bricks we know today wouldn’t come until much later. Commemorating the occasion, the LEGO Group has released a short animated video chronicling the company’s history. It’s worth a look – you just might learn something!
LEGO Flash Drives
Posted: August 10, 2012 Filed under: LEGO | Tags: brick, flash drive, LEGO, minifig, usb Leave a commentEver wished you could combine the whimsy of LEGO with technology? Sure, you could go ahead and build your own computer, but an easier way might be to buy a LEGO flash drive. I’m currently in the market for a new USB drive, so I searched around and found a few good options.
First, LEGO has an official minifig flash drive, with 2GB of space for $25. Unfortunately, this little guy isn’t available from the LEGO online store anymore but can still be found on Amazon.
If you want something more creative, Etsy is a good choice. There’s a ton of variety here, but databrick (Stefan Reiling) is one of the best. Unlike the official LEGO version, his minifig drives can store the USB port either in a brick-built stand or inside the body (making them look more like normal LEGO.) Of course, there’s a price for such unique craftsmanship – plan on paying $50 or higher for a decently-sized drive.
Personally, I prefer a more classic look, favoring bricks over minifigs. Stefan has the perfect solution, with drives lodged in both bricks and plates of various sizes. My personal favorites are the 2×1 brick with LED or the tiny plate drives. Again, they aren’t cheap, but the workmanship is top notch.
legomac gets an upgrade
Posted: July 30, 2012 Filed under: Apple, LEGO, Other | Tags: legomac, new, Squarespace Leave a comment
Today I’m re-launching as a “real” website at legomac.net! It’s hosted on Squarespace 6, so that means I’ll also be leaving WordPress behind. Feel free to peruse the new site and offer any suggestions, and I hope you come with as I transition over to a new platform. Since Squarespace 6 is very new, there are still a few bugs to work out; only once everything is working perfectly will I start redirecting to the new site and retire this one. So fear not, all the archived posts are still available at the new site, and I’ll be keeping up with both sites over the next few weeks until everything’s settled.
Arizona!
Posted: July 27, 2012 Filed under: LEGO | Tags: Arizona, Bruce Lowell, cactus, LEGO Leave a commentI’m attending grad school in ASU now, so it’s goodbye Wisconsin and hello Arizona! After a lengthy car ride across the US, my fiancée, my LEGO bucket, and I have safely arrived in Phoenix. It’s a nice city, but I miss the trees from back home, and I wish the city wasn’t so spread out. I’m not sure yet how grad school will cut into my precious blogging time, but I’ll find a way to keep it up!
Since I’m now living with a saguaro cactus in my front yard, I figured I needed a photo of one! Bruce Lowell is happy to oblige with his creation from last year. Notice the clever modification of his classic Lowell Sphere technique to create such a fluid shape.
Some pertinent advice from Shawn Blanc
Posted: July 10, 2012 Filed under: Apple, LEGO | Tags: Shawn Blanc, writing Leave a commentFirst of all, I have to apologize for the lack of posts here recently. I’ve been very busy working, preparing to move across the country, and getting engaged. But that’s no excuse for neglecting my site, and Shawn Blanc inadvertently cranked up my guilt yesterday.
His list of 50 things he’s learned about publishing a weblog really got me back into the writing mindset. The first piece of advice: Show up everyday. So here I am, and I’ll be back again tomorrow. I’ve missed a lot of interesting news over the last couple weeks, and I’m eager to catch up.
Junior
Posted: June 11, 2012 Filed under: LEGO | Tags: Bionicle, Bohrok, Kohrak, LEGO, Reticence Leave a comment
I’m impressed by Mike Nieves’ towering Kohrak – I was a Bionicle kid and collected all of these little guys when they were released back in 2002. Mike’s remake (styled as the original Kohrak’s son) is a massive improvement, easily capable of squashing any Toa. I’m pleased to see that he chose to remake the white one, since they were always my favorite. Don’t miss his sharp new name tag at the bottom either.
legomac 