One a Penny

Skateboard fanatics and designers alike will be glad to know that you can very easily make your own personalized version of the penny board now thanks to these free downloadable files from MyMiniFactory courtesy of designer Simone Fontana, who shows a perfect tutorial of how to print and assemble you're very own replica Penny Board. 

Of course because of the limited printing capacity of the 3D printer, this means that Fontana's download comes in five pieces that need to be put together using steel bars to give the board a bit of stability, but other than that it's pretty much a simple process that's a lot cheaper and more original than you going out and buying yourself a brand new board.

You can mix and match your Penny Board by picking your own wheels and printing each section in different colours etc; go mad with it because this is an awesome free download for the creative boarders out there. And whilst you're over at MMF don't forget to tip the designer, give back to the amazing creators out there. 

The Micro Bit

BBC's Micro:Bit is probably the greatest contribution made to IT students up and down the UK in history. It's all very well teaching British children how to use Word and other Microsoft programs, but ICT cirriculum's up and down the country should be pushing to teach children code and the work that goes in to making the interfaces we're used to using with our PC's. 

The Mirco Bit educational initiative is set to show year 7's all over the UK by giving away them away for free to every year seven student, helping them to get creative with the technology they spend so much time playing on. 

The miniature computer measures 4cm by 5cm, has 25 LED's, comes in a range of colours and can connect to mobiles, raspberry pi's and even plant pots, with the ability to connect to other kits and allowing for children to develop on the basic skills they learn. BBC mirco:bit will help children easily program with a easy-to-use software on the mirco:bit website that can be accessed on mobiles and tablets too. It's powered by a mirco usb cable put if you're wanting to make your micro:bit portable then you can pick up a battery pack for a couple of quid on the internet. 

I won't go in to the specs of the BBC micro:bit but a couple of the awesome features are the on-board motion detector that will allow the micro:bit to be turned in to a spirit level, a built in compass and the Bluetooth smart technology which means that the BBC micro:bit is more than well equipped for getting the kids hands on with their pocket sized computer. 

I just had a vision

Everyone loves a good old nostalgic moment and with Projecteo you can keep your happy memories close at hand in the form of a miniature slide projector that with the click of a button will display your favourite Instagram pics for a personal slideshow. 

How does it work? Well, you sign in with Instagram and pick nine of your favourite Instagram pictures, which then gets developed on to a single cell of 35mm slide film and is inserted in to a small black wheel. Then all you have to do is wait for your Projecteo and wheel of images to arrive in the post. It is that simple. And once you've got your Projecteo you can project your photos on to any surface as a homage to the retro days of projecting. 

And there's endless possibilities as to what you can use a Projecteo for; its not just a way for you to keep your photos in a nostalgic way, Projecteo would make an awesome and very personal gift for a friend or family member. You could give Projecteo as a wedding keepsake or a customized valentines or birthday gift. Projecteo is so small and cute you could keep it in a pocket, on a desk or even on a necklace. 

Projecteo costs £23 for the mini projector itself and the wheel of nine images and comes with free worldwide delivery, and for roughly £6 for each new wheel of nine images you can have as many old memories as you want. 

P.S. if you're interested in getting your hands on the tiny Instagram picture then look online for people's 'friends codes' so that you can get $5 off the total. 

Tiko

It seems to be the case that 3D printers just aren't practical in size. They're bulky, and loud and give off god awful fumes, and don't even start on all those cables sticking out of the back. You see how I haven't even mentioned price yet? But what if someone made a 3D printer that's silent, compact, tidy and costs just $179? Well thank heavens for Tiko. 

Tiko is the unibody 3D printer that does it all and more; despite it's compact size of 39 cm tall, it has a relatively large printing space, with the electronics and mechanics behind all the hard work being shrunk in to a tiny compartment that looks both attractive and clean. It supports all the usual 3D printing materials; PLA, ABS, Nylon, Hips etc... With a spool chamber in the top that easily fits the average one kg roll of plastic. 

Rather than having tons of runners that control the movement of the printing head, Tiko consists of three sets of arms that move easily and freely without the shaking movements of many 3D printers, that lets you get high precision and accuracy with your printing. 

And because Tiko is enclosed, the wind and a slight breeze won't blow the arms about and mess up your design, and in corporation with Tiko's wireless function this means that you can take Tiko anywhere. Great for printing on the go and ace for repairs when you're miles from civilization, as Tiko can connect straight from your laptop to the device without any internet connection!

Tiko is flexible; which means that you don't have to fight to get your 3D printed item off of the bed, or leave it in a wash to dissolve the excess plastic over night, all it takes is one little bend and you've got your printed item ready to go.

It's so easy to use too with it's super friendly and easy software, meaning you don't have to fiddle around finding the right tools on the creation platform; making it fun and effortless. Tiko is light and strong, and after listing all these awesome features I'm wondering why I haven't headed on over to Kickstarter to get my pledge in?

Libre

I've sent so many typo's in my texts and emails all because of the size of my thumbs; these thumbs just weren't made for mobile phones. Which is exactly why I've pledged for Libre, a wireless keyboard that lets you connect via Bluetooth to several different devices at once; giving the option to seamlessly connect to three different Bluetooth profiles; Windows, Android and IOS all with a tap. 

Libre is an awesome mobile keyboard from CaseStudi that's thin, light and includes all the features you could possibly want in a wireless keyboard. Libre is only 5mm thin and weighs just about 200g, making it a perfect, compact carry around companion. CaseStudi seem to have thought through the functionality in depth as Libre Keyboard has a very useful back light, illuminating the keyboard at four different strengths and letting you work in various lighting conditions without disturbing others. The polyurethane material keeps the keyboard light and thin, not sacrificing any durability or aesthetics in this choice as the wood grain pattern keeps the Libre looking natural and sleek. 

If you've got an iPad then the Libre Folio set is perfect for you; using a series of strong magnets, Libre can be an iPad case, a cover and a Keyboard cover, letting you customize your iPad accessory to suit you. Even if you don't religiously worship Apple then the standalone keyboard is the Libre for you; just as spill proof and sturdy as the iPad Folio set. 

And if you're interested in learning more about Libre, then head over to Kickstarter to see the campaign they're currently running, and to get involved and pledge. At roughly £30 for the wireless keyboard plus delivery to the UK, it is definitely worth it.

My Retro

Gaming is in our blood; our father's did and our forefather's probably didn't do it, but that's only because they didn't have electricity in those days!

But now we do have electricity, and more games consoles than we know rightly what to do with, so why not stick your game head on and get your thumbs at the ready to punch those 'A' and 'B' buttons like mad? Because My Retro Game Box is sure to put you in the mood to fire up your old GameBoy Colour's, NES's and Sega Megadrive's. 

Much like a magazine subscription, My Retro Game Box is a service which sends you out at least three awesome new games for your console every month; but rather than ending up in your recycle pile, these games become your lifelong companions. My Retro Game Box don't rent games, oh no, they let you keep 'em. You tell them which consoles and games you have and they select games for you to work your way through each month on your retro gaming systems. And you won't end up with something you don't like; instead you tell them what sorts of games you do like and they'll do their best to meet your standards. 

And if you don't own the necessary consoles then relax a little, because they also sell the systems so that if you're not a retro gamer you can get in to it. At roughly £20/month it saves you from having to troll through Ebay looking for games you might like and waiting for them to be shipped from who knows where; so get on My Retro Game Box and subscribe! 

Time is short

This stellar looking two-in-one watch uses the power of 3D imaging to make you do a double take. In one instance the image on the watch appears to be that of a regular watch on a wrist, but with a twist of your wrist it's suddenly an x-ray image of a watch on a skeletal watch. 

The 'Time-is-short' watches is a constant reminder that time is, well... short, and that you're not going to live forever (morbid as that message is) so you better get a move on and change things up. 

What's amazing about this watch is the graphical splendor of it and the way in which there's a watch in a watch; Time-is-short uses clever technology to seamlessly change from living colour to x-ray. 

An excellent present and fashion accessory for any radiologist or orthopedic doctor! 

Insta-tat!

If you're the sort of person who can't commit (or isn't allowed to more likely) to a permanent tattoo, these cute, square shaped Instagram temporary tattoo's are the ideal replacement to abate the need to show off the things that both represent and matter to you. 

Picattoo is a quirky company that lets you select 12 of your stylish Instagram pictures which they'll then turn in to temporary tattoo's, ship to you and let you plaster them all over your friends, family and self. And they last up to a week! Picattoo will make an ace personalized gift for a friend, or are a cute way to immortalize a memorable event and bring back nostalgic days. At £9.99 for 12 Instagram pictures, it'll make a sweet present. 

It's alive! It's ALIIVVVEEE!

Creepy crawlies and prancing unicorns! Who doesn't want to watch 2D tattoos come to life? 

It's well known fact that kids (and adults alike) love stick on tattoos, and you're sure to impress with these awesome spiders, gorillas and dragons (oh no!) Magic Tattoos that come to life on your arm. 

Using clever augmented reality, the tattoo's work by using the camera on your phone to make a wicked 3D experience. The app lets you make your kittens play and your butterfly's flutter. 

Magic Tattoos are the perfect companion to any child's party, packs for both boys and girls contain over eight different designs and 24 tattoo's per pack! It's both freaky and cute and a great add on item to jazz up a kid's gift bag (especially now that it seems every kid has a smart phone). You just download the free app on the Apple Store or from Google Play and your tattoos become interactive; genius!

Hyper gaming

If you're feeling nostalgic every time you look at your broken NES console and the stacks of games you used to slave over in the heydays, then the Hyperkin RetroN Gaming system is for you. This rocking console is 5 gaming systems in one, allowing for you to play a variety of different prehistoric cartridges such as; NES, SNES, Super Famicom, Genesis, Megadrive, Famicom, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Colour & Gameboy. 

It's more than just a way to play all the old school games in one place; the console also includes a wireless remote (sweet!) and better audio and better visual than those crappy 80's graphics you're used to; it converts the graphics to clear and crisp HDTV standards for better colours and clearer images. 

However, having read some reviews this gaming system seems to be great in theory but no where near up to par in real life; some people complaining that many of their games aren't compatible and that the makers aren't at all helpful when something breaks or starts bugging. So my advice would be to buy with caution if you're still dead-set on gaming hipster style, and it'll cost you a tidy £95. 

Current Local Time:

For the travel happy out there or those who have family abroad, the World Clock by ElevenPlus would be a great companion to keep on your desk. Asides from having a sleek cylindrical body with a glossy transparent plastic head, the World Clock can do much more than your average clock, as with a simple rolling motion you can find out the time in a different country. 

Independent working hands make this whole function possible, and by easily rolling the clock until it displays the name of the desired country on the top, the hands will be manipulated so that they correctly display time down to the last second. 

It's an inconspicuous and functional desk aid for the travel dreamer out there and World Clock comes in three matte colors of crimson, navy and slate grey, so you can know the time in all 24 different time zones.  It'd make a perfect gift for a loved one who's moving away, so they know what time to call.

Bringing books back to life!

Goodnight Lad is the genius book that merges technology with paperback to create an augmented reality story that allows a child to explore a book in the third dimension and to interact with many features of the story. 

The story follows young Logan who refuses to go to bed, so his parents hatch a plan to help him go down. Now what makes this story different from others is the fact that the book is compatible with smartphone devices and with the use of the Goodnight Lad app, the book comes to life with beautiful animations that let you really get stuck in to the book. And with 32 pages there is plenty of room for exploration. 

This augmented reality story is amazing as it helps bring back the dying tradition of reading to a child by melding it with technology. Goodnight Lad is a happy medium where technology use is not excessive, and the use of animation and hidden secrets inside the book mean that your not at risk of nodding off.

Goodnight Lad is available on Kickstarter for backing at as little as £19 (including postage to the UK), so why not get your hands on the chance to bring back the bedtime story? 

BeachBot

We've been wowed by the miraculous sand art drawings of artists such as Jim Denevan and Andres Amador, and we've longed for the ability (not to mention the patience) to be able to do this ourselves. Well, now with the BeachBot, it looks like a real posibility.

The BeachBot gets to brag that it's the 'worlds first autonomous sand art robot', that uses motors and rakes to cleverly sketch your intended patterns out onto a sandy surface. Using smart software it transfers images into sand art, and manages to look amazing as it performs your task. It's raking feature has the ability to change the thickness of your image lines, therefore adding to image detail.

With a shape similar to a sea turtle and the eyes to match, it's cute and great for livening up a miserable day at the beach. Sadly though it is still in it's concept and testing stages, but with funding and support from Disney Research Zurich, it's bound to go far and be ready for distribution some point this year and would be a perfect advertising tool for the new Finding Nemo film.

If you're interested in finding out how it looks in motion and to see some of their earlier prototypes in action, then watch this youtube video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBRrQBPtdak#t=47

Fancy'd

Hands up we're always on the hunt for the newest and trendiest items out there, and if you get overwhelmed with all the sites out there and are tired of flicking thorugh websites to find the next big thing, then why not delegate the task to Fancy. 

Fancy is the app that gives you a mix of goods and products that you can add to your list, buy, or gift to someone else. They update daily with new items from various global sellers, so you're always spoilt for choice. And one of the many benefits of the app is that you're rewarded with email notifications of offers and discounts for the products you've fancy'd.

With products such as the Micro Luggage Scooter and Mini Pallet Coasters, they bring you the quirkiest of what's out there and are linked directly to the merchants so you can get next day delivery on your order.