Following in the footsteps of interchangeable-part mobile phone concepts and prototypes, BLOCKS, revealed in detail at CES 2015 in Las Vegas, is designed to let users swap in and out linked hardware modules to add or enhance features, from battery life to cameras and GPS units.

Running on Android but compatible with Windows Phone, each block in the wristwatch can be replaced piece by piece and other companies are encouraged to develop their own blocks to work with the system.

E-ink displays can be traded out for LCD versions as desired, while additional modules can replace other wearables like infrared heart monitors or other fitness trackers. Temperature, altitude and pressure sensors can be added or removed on demand as well, either full-time for those whose lifestyles demand it or part-time for travelers and adventurers.

Beyond the current prototypes and mock-ups, a team is working on enhancing ergonomics and working out details including hardware and connectivity in anticipation of a crowdfunding campaign to be launched later this year.

The post Modular Smartwatch: Rad Open-Platform Wrist Wearable first appeared on Gajitz.

In previous generations, playing with blocks meant building towers and then knocking them down (or, more accurately, watching your little brother knock them down before you had the chance). But a new generation of blocks is getting our immature minds all a-flutter with the possibilities of some super-awesome games. Sifteo blocks are little electronic devices that sense one another and connect wirelessly to your computer. You play games with them by selecting a game from the computer interface and manipulating the blocks in a variety of ways.

Some of the games demonstrated in the above video have the user shifting the blocks around to match up colors, building various shapes, sorting words and numbers (which are obviously kids’ games) and making a path for a digital creature to follow. The cynical person would say that the blocks don’t do anything our computers can’t already do and that the price ($150 for a starter pack of three blocks) is way too high.

But the tactile satisfaction of actually manipulating the blocks by hand is incomparable. It’s actually far more satisfying than simply clicking on objects you see on a screen. Each cube can sense its position and orientation, and in certain modes can interact with the cubes around it.  We love the idea of “smart” building blocks that can be used for so many activities and will appeal to so many age groups.

The post Blocks Go High-Tech: Trendy e-Toys For Geeky Kids + Adults first appeared on Gajitz.