New Products Launched in Lego.com

Update on 2 Jan 2011: Another new review of the 9349 – Fairytale and Historic Minifigure Set by Silentmode from EB can be found HERE. 

Update on 31 Dec 2010: Very informative review of the 9348 – City Community Minifigure Set by Silentmode from EB can be found HERE. 

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Brickset highlighted 2 interesting sets that I didn’t know about previously… the minifig collections for city and ‘historic’.   Below are the new Dacta sets (set names link to Brickset so you can conveniently add to your ‘want’ list), and the links to USA and UK new product sites as well.  Also spotted are some Valentines Day sets in case you need to start preparing some gifts for your partner in 2011.  Enjoy! 🙂

• USA – Products Launched in 2011
• UK – Products Launched in 2011

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9348 – Community Minifigure Set GBP39.99 (On UK but not USA site)

Bring your LEGO® town to life!

Add even more life to your bustling LEGO® town! This set features important people from everyday life in a community, such as a postman, hospital staff, a mechanic and many more. Includes 22 minifigures, plus a variety of accessories, such as food, animals, a laptop, a bicycle and a backpack!

• Includes 22 minifigures: postman, hospital staff, mechanic and many more
• Features a variety of accessories including food, animals, a laptop, a bicycle and a backpack
• Explore all of the roles in a real community!
• Provides endless hours of creative play!
• Teaches functions of community workers and their responsibilities!
• Promotes the development of expressive language and social skills

 9349 – Fairytale and Historic Minifigure Set GBP39.99 (On UK but not USA site)

Build a fairytale!

This set features a variety of minifigures that enable children to create and act out beloved fairytales and popular themes. A great addition to any LEGO® brick set, characters include pirates, a witch and wizard, a king and queen, mine workers, a mermaid and merman and many more. Includes 22 minifigures and great accessories!

• Includes 22 minifigures: pirates, a witch and wizard, a king and queen, mine workers, a mermaid and merman and many more
• Features a variety of accessories
• Explore the differences of real life, make-believe and historic roles!
• Provides endless hours of creative play!
• Teaches storytelling through characters and their functions!
• Promotes the development of fantasy, imagination and imitative skills!

 40015 – Heart Book

Build a keepsake for your valentine!

Build the love this Valentines Day with the LEGO® Heart Book! This buildable hinged book with heart design holds a wallet-size picture inside. Makes a perfect desktop display frame and gift for your sweetheart.

• Holds a wallet-sized photo inside!
• Makes a great gift!
• Stands over 3” (7cm) tall and nearly 5” (12cm) wide when open

40016 – Valentine Letter Set

Say “I Love You” the LEGO® way!

This Valentine’s Day, build a special message to your valentine. Say “I love you” in bricks! Each letter comes on its own red base plate. Makes a special keepsake for LEGO® fans.

• Build this special keepsake for your valentine!
• Makes a great gift!

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Unfortunately I couldn’t find any hi-res pics of the 2 new Dacta sets, but they look great from what I can see… yeah, and added both on my ‘want’ list on Brickset. 😛

Are they must haves for you too?  Actually it’s like getting another 2 advent calendars huh? 😀

Pharaoh’s Quest Coin Bank

 Slayerdread shares his find at the LEGO store (set 853175).  

More Star Wars Alarm Clocks

News of new Star Wars alarm clocks reported by FBTB:  http://www.fbtb.net/2010/11/28/more-cool-alarm-clocks-yoda-anakin/

Originally blogged via iPhone

Update: Picture added

Star Wars LEGO Alarm Clocks

The inner geek in me really want these clocks, not that I need one – isn’t that what phones are for? 🙂

As noted on Firebox where they are sold, “each characterful clock’s snooze and backlight function is activated by pushing down on a behelmeted head. You can even move their arms and legs”.

Product Features:

• Officially licensed LEGO Star Wars Minifigure
• Digital clock with alarm feature
• 5 minute snooze feature by pressing head down
• Illuminate the clock face by pressing head down

Please Note:

• Requires 2 x AAA batteries – included
• Suitable for Ages 6+

Dimensions:

• In Packaging: 15.8cm x 13cm x 23cm

Source: Firebox via FBTB

Some New LEGO Related Products

I’ve been suffering some withdrawal syndromes of sorts – no access to internet in the evenings and mostly too busy in the day to do my usual surfing and posting.   So until I’m back home mid next week I guess I’ll just have to adjust to the deprivation.  😦

Some interesting new Lego related products like a glow-in-the-dark LEGO brick USB drive, a wii-mote with LEGO (but looks horrid for playing tho, imagine the stud marks!), a LEGO letterpress and being able to control your Mindstorms with Android app. 

That’s all, a quick dash and post really. 🙂

A Couple of Lego Related News

I’ll just do a round-up since it’s too much to post one-by-one…

1. First, a new Star Wars set reported on ToysnBricks (news originally from Imperium Der Steine). The 7868 Mace Windu’s Jedi Starfighter Attack is expected to be an exclusive in North America.

2. Next, LEGO Star Wars ZipBin Dioramas Carry Case/Playmats (news originally from StarWars.com) – I wouldn’t think about carrying them around plus I prefer boxes if I do want to carry my stuff around but yeah, here it is.

  

3. Brickset had reported some sort of Ninjago game using spinning tops made from technic parts. I saw the PDF file before it got yanked and it looked really strange. Once again, I don’t think this is meant to appeal to the 5% AFOL population out there…

4. Engadget reports that Microsoft sent out some really strange looking Windows Phone 7 mock-ups –  my 1st reaction on seeing that LEGO-built phone was “hey, I can do better than that” – hopefully the actual product is a lot nicer than the brick counterpart.

5. Wired News reports a visit to the Netdevil studios for a closer look at Lego Universe.  Loads of pics and an amazing office (Herman Miller chairs, loads of Lego and cool props), but this time no interesting minifig pics that have to be yanked. 

Harry Potter Key Chains – Old vs New

Here are the 2010 Harry Potter Key Chains:

Since there were a few HP, Hermione, Dumbledore, Snape & Hagrid key chains released over the years (Ron, Dobby is new), I thought it’ll be nice to do a quick comparison of them here…

Starting with the boy himself, Harry Potter:

Release years from L to R: 2006, 2004, 2006 & 2010

As you can see, hairstyle hasn’t changed much, but expression-wise I prefer the 2006 version. 2010 HP’s face seems too scrunched up.  The winner of the bunch for me is definitely HP2006 Quidditch version.  *wub*

Hermione Granger:

Release years from L to R: 2004, 2007 & 2010

Hairstyle has evolved with the movie version methinks, but face wise the 2010 versions seems to be too cartoony, but partly redeemed by double sided head (based on magnet version). Still, 2007 smirk-face wins based on realism.  Torso wise, 2010 wins cos of the back printing and House badge.

One more important point is that earlier key chains all came with a Harry Potter printed tile (different between years), some with only the HP tile and some have both HP & LEGO tiles. 2010 version only has LEGO tile.  😦

So from that perspective, Ms 2007 wins.

Dumbledore 

Release years from L to R: 2004, 2006 & 2010

Actually the 2010 Dumbledore should have a reversible head, the other side being a be-spectacled face. I would have preferred the reverse side rather than the non-spectacles side.  While back printing and all is nice, 2004 is fairly unbeatable with the interesting purple color and printed legs.  Plus the previously mentioned HP tile of course.

Severus Snape

Release years from L to R: 2004 & 2010

2010 hair definitely looks better, but the 2004 glow-in-the-dark face is quite unbeatable.

Hagrid

Release years from L to R: 2007 & 2010

Well… no particular favourite here, but based on the printed tiles then 2007 wins.

Group Photo

I do not have the complete collection… I’m missing a few variations with different Harry Potter printed tiles and two of the Hagrids but I’m not too hung up over those.

Hope you enjoyed the comparison! 🙂