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littleBits

littleBits goes big, closes $3.65 million funding round

littleBits, makers of the eponymous educational circuitry kits, has announced the close of its series A funding round this morning, having taken in $3.65 million from various investors. True Ventures, funder of companies like MakerBot and FitBit, leads the group, with Khosla Ventures, O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, and Lerer Ventures pitching in.

Along with the funding, littleBits has also announced that supply chain and manufacturing firm PCH International will be helping to scale up production.

littleBits kits are made up of a series of electronic modules that connect together with magnets, with a color-coding system to guide assembly. Each … Read more

Crave giveaway: littleBits starter kits

First off, congrats to Robert C. of Atlanta for winning last week's prize, two DeskPets TankBots toy robots and a Griffin Helo TC remote-controlled helicopter.

Now, onto this week's giveaway. I had a blast last week creating a robot using littleBits, and now you have an opportunity to build a robot of your own, or whatever you please, with these magnetic circuit boards.

As promised, we're giving away two littleBits starter kits this week. There are 11 modules in a box, and each part has a specific function, such as power, motor, light, or switch. They snap together via magnets, so there's no need to solder or program anything, and all you need to create a working circuit board is a power source and some kind of output, which are all provided in the kit.

Since only one person can win this giveaway, be sure to register for CNET Exclusives and check this page next week to get littleBits for a special price.

littleBits was created by engineer and interactive artist Ayah Bdeir, who wanted to come up with a way to get kids (and adults) interested in learning how electronics work, so it's an educational tool, as well as a great source of fun.

Normally, a littleBits starter kit costs $89, but the winner will get two for free. How? Well, there are a few rules, so please read them carefully. There will be a test. And since only one reader can win this giveaway, be sure to register for CNET Exclusives and check this page next week to get littleBits for a special price.

… Read more

Big fun with littleBits circuit boards

I like to think I'm pretty young at heart, but even I forget sometimes how fun it was to be a kid, when being entertained took something as simple as a cardboard box and a lot of imagination. Thankfully, littleBits reminded me.

littleBits is a set of circuit boards that can be snapped together to form whatever you want. Created by engineer and interactive artist Ayah Bdeir, littleBits was designed in part to help kids (and adults) understand how electronics work and get them interested in building their own devices, instead of just consuming them.

Each littleBits module has a specific function, such as power, motor, light, or switch, and they attach to one another via magnets, so there's no need to solder or program anything. To create a working circuit board, all you need is a power source and some kind of output, and each part is color-coded (blue, green, pink, or orange) depending on its function (power, output, input, or wire). … Read more