littleBits’ new Rule Your Room kit helps kids protect their piggy bank without breaking yours

With school starting up, it’s no surprise that littleBits has announced a new kit that expands its line of STEM-friendly products. The Rule Your Room bundle has eight different inventions for just under $100, which is a price drop from it’s other offerings. Head below for more.

LittleBits’ Rule Your Room Kit is focused on helping young inventors make all sorts of fun projects. There are booby traps designed to keep valuables safe (like diaries or a piggy bank) and a programmable pop-up puppet. Like previous releases, this kit is built around tiny ‘bits’ that are snapped together to create a larger project.

It ships with a guide book that provides 76-pages of step-by-step instructions and tips for creating any of the eight projects. Of course, inventors are not limited to these plans. LittleBits also allows kids the freedom to create unique inventions, whether using existing kits or just the Rule Your Room bundle. The beauty of staying within this ecosystem is that building blocks can be interchanged as needed.

The new Rule Your Room Kit comes in at $99.95, which is cheaper than most of littleBits’ other offerings. On the flipside, that means there are fewer components in this bundle in comparison to its pricier options. This new kit is available for pre-order today direct with an estimated ship date of August 15th.

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[9to5-press-release]

littleBits Announces the Rule Your Room Kit, Empowering Kids to Master Their Domain by Transforming Everyday Objects into Awesome Touch Activated Contraptions

New York (August 2, 2016)—Now any kid can defend their domain against the stealers of stuff, the bringers of boring, and even the most annoying little brother. The award-winning littleBits, an easy-to-use platform of electronic building blocks that empowers invention large and small, today announces the launch of the littleBits Rule Your Room Kit, an exciting way to create touch-activated inventions to control your stuff. The Rule Your Room Kit will give kids the opportunity to create the coolest room ever and transform dull, ordinary objects into awesomely interactive inventions powered by the Makey Makey Bit, which turns anything that conducts electricity–a hand, a carrot, or a paw–into a touchpad. From a top secret safe that protects valuables from snooping siblings to a dresser drawer rig that fires paper wads on command, to artwork that brings walls to life, the littleBits Rule Your Room Kit offers endless hacks for a kid to personalize their universe and make their domain the envy of siblings and friends alike. The Rule Your Room Kit is designed for kids 8 to 13 and will carry the equally awesome price point of just $99. The littleBits Rule Your Room Kit comes with seven Bits, accessories and a step-by-step guide to create eight touch-activated inventions right out of the box, with thousands more online. Further fueling the endless possibilities, The Rule Your Room Kit marks the first littleBits kit to include its ever popular Makey Makey Bit. This powerful, fun-filled Bit allows users to create touch-activated control pads to control your stuff, like using a banana to move your computer cursor, or high-fiving grandma to turn a light on (yep, it’s now OK to play with your food!). Kids easily progress from creating guided inventions to remixing them into something new, then coming up with their own ways to transform the stuff in their room into awe-inspiring, interactive contraptions. They can download the littleBits app or visit littleBits.com/invent for inspiration on countless additional inventions and hacks using the kit, as well as share their original creations with the huge littleBits online community. Kids will also be developing key skill sets as they have fun controlling their computer with their food and building booby traps to keep annoying siblings away. With problem-solving, iteration and design-thinking at its roots, the Rule Your Room Kit is a great way to introduce kids to the kind of 21st century skills they will need to succeed in higher education and STEAM (Science, Technology, Art, Engineering and Mathematics) careers. Ayah Bdeir, CEO and founder of littleBits said, “In developing the newest kit we took inspiration from our youngest inventors, who love the idea of creating protected hiding places, pranks, and other cool hacks for their rooms. This kit was also inspired by the generation of kids who used to break open their VCRs and dismantle their parents’ radios. We are looking to bring this spirit to today’s young boys and girls by giving them the coolest toolbox imaginable, to encourage them to build what they dream up without being fettered by any kind of limitations.” The Rule Your Room Kit inventions include: ● A Burglar Buzzer to catch would-be thieves in the act of grabbing your most prized possession. ● A Domain Defender that automatically launches projectiles if someone tries to break into the item it is defending. ● A Top Secret Safe that is trigger activated when the right book is pulled from a bookshelf. ● Unusual, interactive wall art that literally pops off the wall. ● A Programmable Pop-up Puppet to prank mom, dad, or your best friend. ● Fruit and vegetable control pads designed to control your favorite computer game. The Rule Your Room Kit is available online at littleBits.com and at retail partners such as Amazon, Macy’s, Barnes & Noble Stores, Marbles and Microsoft Stores. In addition to the littleBits Rule Your Room Kit, other award-winning littleBits kits currently available include the Gizmos & Gadgets Kit, the Synth Kit in partnership with KORG, the Smart Home Kit, the littleBits STEAM Student Set, the Arduino Coding Kit and more. All images and video assets can be downloaded at www.littlebits.cc/kits/rule-your-room-kit littleBits Rule Your Room Kit Available: Now Available MSRP: $99.95 Recommended Ages: 8-13 Available: littleBits.com, Amazon, Macy’s, Barnes & Noble Stores, Marbles, Microsoft Stores As announced this July, littleBits was recently accepted into the prestigious Disney Accelerator program, in which cutting edge technology and media companies are invited to receive the creative expertise, mentorship and resources of The Walt Disney Company in order to develop innovative new entertainment experiences and products. Previous Accelerator participants include Sphero, which created the BB-8 droid toy, the number one Star Wars toy in 2015. Over the next three months, littleBits will be working to brainstorm, prototype, and develop ideas for amazing new products, culminating with an exhibition at the Disney Accelerator Demo Day in October. About littleBits littleBits is the New York-based hardware startup that is on a mission to Democratize Hardware by empowering everyone—of any gender, age or technical background—to Create Inventions, large and small, with its innovative platform of easy-to-use Electronic Building Blocks. The company’s innovative building blocks snap together with magnets to allow anyone to build, invent, and prototype with electronics independent of age, gender and technical background. From classrooms to homes, littleBits is driving excitement for invention-based learning through design challenges and in-classroom curriculum. The company is also dedicated to successfully bridging the gender gap with its gender-neutral platform, inspiring young girls and young boys to unleash their creativity and embrace STEAM (Science, Technology, Art and Mathematics) through the invention cycle. littleBits is being used by more than 12,000 educators across the world as an engaging tool for making STEAM more accessible to all students and preparing them for the jobs that haven’t been invented yet. The company was founded in 2011 by MIT graduate, TED Senior Fellow and cofounder of the Open Hardware Summit, Ayah Bdeir, and has grown to be a global leader in hardware. Bdeir was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, one of one of Inc.’s “35 Under 35” and “Entrepreneurs to Watch,” one of Entrepreneur’s “10 Leaders to Watch,” one of Popular Mechanics’ “25 Makers Who Are Reinventing the American Dream,” and one of MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35. The littleBits platform includes more than 9 kits and 67 interoperable modules with millions of products sold to over 150 countries around the world. The littleBits invention app takes inventing to new levels with thousands of additional invention ideas and challenges. The company was named in CNN’s “Top 10 Startups to Watch”, one of the CNBC Next List, and has been profiled by the BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Wired, Popular Mechanics. To learn more, visit littleBits.com. ###

[/9to5-press-release]

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