Kano has emerged as one of the leaders in the STEAM space thanks to its accessible and technically impressive programming kits. For its latest release, Kano will be bringing the same high quality of educational content, but with a bit of a twist thanks to its newest partnership. Having journeyed to the wizarding world of Hogwarts, today Kano is debuting its new Harry Potter Coding Kit. This time around you’ll be able to assemble your very own wand which will guide you through iconic locations from the films in your pursuit to learning programming skills and coding fundamentals.
Kano’s latest release is very similar to just about all of the other kits it has launched in the past. Just like the company’s Computer set, the new Harry Potter kit is centered around two different learning experiences; first assembling the build-it-yourself wand to get an idea of how it functions and secondly putting it to use as you learn how to code.
The wand itself being the main build, includes a variety of sensors like a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer and pairs with an iOS, Android, Mac and Windows companion app to guide you through its assembly and more. It can track everything from speed, location, and more which all allow it to monitor your hand movement. This lets you navigate through interfaces and more by guiding the cursor around the screen thanks to the wand, but more interestingly, allows you to cast ‘spells’ using motion controls. There’s also a built-in vibration motor to further bring the programmable wand to life.
Once assembled, the wand will then guide you through a variety of exercises to begin learning how to code, customizing its functionality and more. In total, there are 70 coding challenges to work your way through, all of which pack that iconic Harry Potter charm and magic. After all, getting code that you’ve written to run is a pretty magical feeling, so the partnership between Kano and Harry Potter couldn’t be a better fit for an introductory programming kit.
Those looking to be coding wizards will be able to get their hands on Kano’s latest kit later this fall. For now, it is currently available for pre-order for $99.99 directly from Kano, with the new Harry Potter Coding Kit officially releasing come October 1st.
With other companies like littleBits competing for the throne of coding-focused toys, Kano is certainly stepping up its game with its new release. We’ll be eager to get our hands on it later this year and see just how magical Kano has made learning to code this time around.
[9to5-press-release]
LONDON — July 24, 2018 — Kano, creator of build it yourself tech for all ages has announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to launch the Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit, the first-ever Harry Potter STEM product.
The build-it-yourself wireless wand shows fans of all ages how to code and create, as you flick and swish through more than 70 challenges inspired by the Wizarding World. The wand works with software and a connected app to capture movements and turn them into rich effects. It lets you make serpents slither, toads transfigure, fires flow, feathers float, goblets duplicate, Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans enlarge, and more.
Following the step-by-step coding manual, you build a wand, and learn about sensors, data and code along the way. The wand combines a gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer to detect its own location and speed in tridimensional space, making it capable of tracking your hand movement. These sensors allow it to place a cursor on screen exactly where you point it, and also recognize the motions of some signature spells like illustrates classic Incendio, Stupefy, and Wingardium Leviosa. You can also code the wand’s light and rumble pack.
Once assembled, makers download the Kano app to start unlocking challenges across six iconic Wizarding World settings including Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and The Forbidden Forest. The creative challenges teach the fundamentals of coding and introduce the basic concepts of real-world programming thanks to a block-based interface and a JavaScript inspector, guided by simple steps.
The Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit is now available for pre-order for $99.99 / £99 / C$129 at Kano.me. The kit will go on sale worldwide at Kano.me and retailers in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand starting October 1st, 2018. All pre-orders will receive a free Motion Sensor Kit from Kano.
The kit includes a poster that illustrates classic Wizarding World spell motions such as Incendio, Stupefy, and Wingardium Leviosa, which are featured in some special coding challenges. As with every Kano Kit, it also includes stickers, with this kit featuring stickers inspired by the Wizarding World and reimagined in the unique Kano style.
Kano’s unique step-by-step approach makes it easy for beginners to understand coding concepts and principles and helps develop real coding skills. For anyone who already knows how to code, the coding wand is a great tool to create their own art and music all controlled with specific movements.
The fun continues with Kano World, where anyone can make, share, and play with art, music and games made by people of all skill levels from 86 countries. With 247,000+ members, over 620,000 creations, and 55 million lines of code, Kano World is a free, creative community that lets makers see the code behind any piece of artwork, song, game or app and tweak it to make it their own.
“We’re surrounded by technology in our homes, workplaces and pockets, yet only a small percent of people, less than 1% of 1%, understand the happenings behind the screen,” said Alex Klein, Co-Founder and CEO of Kano. “We are thrilled to partner with Warner Bros Consumer Products to inspire people of all ages, all over the world to make their own code, and see how easy it can be to understand, play and create with it.”
“We are extremely excited to partner with Kano a leader in the STEM industry on this innovative and first of its kind item within the Wizarding World product collection,” said Julian Montoya, Senior Vice President, Global Toys. “The Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit is a truly unique product that will spark imagination and creativity while demonstrating to users the remarkable possibilities of coding.”
Kano is a creative coding pioneer which launched the first computer anyone can make and code five years ago and offers a powerful and accessible way to create technology, not just consume it. In 2017, the brand cemented its position as STEM category leader, raising $28M in Series B funding, one of the largest hardware funding in Europe last year. The company also launched a full range of creative coding kits in more than 4,500 retail stores including Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. This year, Kano announced the opening of its new North American office in Boston, Massachusetts.
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