Random post about Smart Phones & LEGO

The photos used in today’s weekly ‘digital’ supplement in the local newspaper, The Straits Times, caught my eye. Thought it shows how popular both the featured items are in Singapore, i.e. smart phones and LEGO. Hey, Singapore is ranked #1 for smart phone penetration rate if you didn’t know:

http://www.wired.com/beyond_the_beyond/2011/12/42-major-countries-ranked-by-smartphone-penetration-rates/

Totally random. Ha.

Win the special edition LEGO Super Heroes Captain America and Ironman minifigures

Over at thebrickblogger contest HERE.

All you have to do is to provide a simple review of the LEGO Super Heroes Movie Maker App. Chances increase if you include a video made with the app. Contest ends on 30 June 2012 so don’t wait!

 Should have ‘outsourced’ this to my niece and nephew when they were having school holidays! Darn…

LEGO Inception Video is too good not to share

An academic team project, spanning 12 weeks, representing approx 1000 hours work.

All content originated by BA(Hons) VFX : Visual Effects + Concept Design students, Pedrom DADGOSTAR, Hollie PRICE, Jack MILTON, Simon STIRRUP, Sam SERRIDGE, Jack BOSWORTH and Sidney THIBAULT.

More LEGO Friends videos

A few Friends videos. Pity about the Friends Advent calendar if it’s really been cancelled.

3185 Summer Riding Camp 

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3184 Adventure Camper

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“Andrea We can do it” music video

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And the designer is kinda cute too…

LOTR sets deal on BN, & coupon code

Hey, if you are going to order the LOTR sets on Barnes & Noble (now at 10% off), you should also use this Barnes and Noble Coupon Code T4T8J4A to get 15% off one item. It automatically applies to the highest cost set, so that’s almost another $17 off the 9474 Battle of Helm’s Deep (reg.$129.99, discounted $116.95 and with coupon at $99.41).  The other 2 sets aren’t too bad too – 9472 Attack on Weathertop at $44.95 (reg.$59.99) and 9473 Mines of Moria for $71.95 (reg.$79.99).

BN Shipping Charges

• United States: FREE Shipping on orders above $25
• Canada: First Item $6.48, Additional Items $2.49 each
• International: First Item $12.98, Additional Items $5.49 each

Credits to Toys N Bricks for news about the LOTR sets, Brickset for the box pics and me for Googling the coupon code from HERE.

So that’s my little workaround to being peeved about delays in getting new sets.

Just peeved at the delay

As excited as I was to FINALLY get the 10224 Town Hall set, I am just as peeved that it took more than 3 months for AFOLs in Singapore to finally get the official release (parallel imports were brought in by some retailers).  Seriously, 3 whole months?  That’s like one entire season.  Not to mention the latest LOTR sets. They won’t be in Singapore for another few months. Grrr…

So apart from the sky high prices we face (Town Hall retails at S$379.90, equivalent to US$296), there is this unbearable delay that we face too. Sucks to be an AFOL in Singapore right?

I do hope that with LEGOLAND Malaysia opening later this year, Asia fans get their sets earlier. It’ll be so ridiculous if the LEGOLAND store doesn’t get new sets along with the US/worldwide release dates.

Update on 10 June: Ok, we got 4207 City Garage, 9448 Samurai Mech and the new Mining series in June over in Singapore too.  We are not THAT left behind.  And my Jabba’s Palace & Gungan Sub sets are happily sitting in the LEGO room being admired (such lovely minifigs!).  So I feel slightly less miffed that we are months behind others for the exclusive sets.  I really really hope that we get the gorgeous 10228 Haunted House in time for Halloween tho. Methinks my town needs some spooky inhabitants.

LEGO Stealing Nerd Assembled Mini Legoland Inside His Mansion

Reblogged from Betabeat:

Remember Thomas Langenbach, the SAP executive who used his tech chops to steal and resell thousands of dollars worth of LEGOs? Turns out he was--unsurprisingly--a bit of a LEGO hoarder, even going so far as to build what "looked like a mini Legoland,” Cindy Hendrickson, Supervising Deputy District Attorney with the Santa Clara County D.A.’s office, told Wired.

Read more… 183 more words

So sad to read about AFOLs who resort to criminal acts to fund (?) their hobby. In this case, the guy seems to be doing well career wise so I really wonder why he would risk his career for petty theft.