coding Archives - Dad of Divas

Kano Pixel Kit is a Fun Addition & Teaches So Much!

July 15, 2018 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

You might remember that I have been having fun with my girls in using the Kano and learning coding in fun ways. I share my experiences with the Kano Screen and Computer Kits as well as the add-on Motion Sensor in the past and today I am sharing the new Kano Pixel Kit with you!

Kano has added a pixel kit to their line of kid’s computer and coding products, bringing yet more fun and potential to this unique learning experience. For those that already own a Kano system and have been enjoying the experience of watching your children become more adept at creating games and creatures through the actual manipulation of code language, the Kano Pixel Kit is a natural next step.

The Kano Pixel Kit is a fun way to learn how to code, simply connect it to any computer and follow the step-by-step challenges to get started. Creators can create characters, make them run and jump, make spaceships swerve, balls bounce and keep track of scoreboards. You can also make your own drawings and see them lit up on the pixel kit.

At first glance, a Kano Pixel Kit seems little more than an extension of the computer monitor itself, bringing to life creations on an LED panel that could, just as easily, be viewed on a screen. However, the benefit of the Pixel Kit has less to do with the “extra dimension” that the peripheral provides and more to do with expanding the user’s thinking about how coding can be applied to devices beyond their monitor.

Designing and transferring digital creations to the Pixel Kit, and then maneuvering those creations around the pixel kit with an independent “joystick” reinforces in the user the more hands-on, real world applications of computer coding. Creating code that will be capable of manipulating a robot arm or a CAD (Computer Aided Design) device will be the next logical step, and something they will certainly look forward to. The Pixel Kit is the gateway to recognizing these possibilities.

Young coders will love being able to use this device to make flashing signs, manipulate coded characters, and become acquainted with some of the landscape algorithms that have made games like Minecraft and Roblox popular. It also comes with a few lightshow modes that allow the user to experience a sound visualizer as well as an interesting and stimulating “particle flow” simulation. Rudimentary games can also be created and played, such as the classic Breakout and Super Snake. Much like the Kano computer itself, the excitement of the Pixel Kit isn’t derived from any incredible graphic capabilities but rather the straightforward way it is able to take the user from basic coding steps to a simple creation that is all their own. As an add-on, the Kano Pixel Kit represents the next progression in your child’s coding adventure.

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Move Your Hand and Start Coding With The KANO Motion Sensor

October 28, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

About the KANO Motion Sensor Kit

The KANO Motion Sensor Kit($29.99)is the world’s most affordable creative coding kit. A sensor captures motion in the real world—a hand waving, a face approaching closer – and sends this information to the computer. From there, it can be used to make games, music, animations and art. It works with any Windows, Mac, Linux, or KANO Computer Kit, and does not require any previous Kano product in order to function.

The experience begins by assembling the Motion Sensor Kit.An illustrated storybook teaches you about motion, sensors, and data along the way. Then, you connect it to any computer and get started coding with step-by-step challenges: Wave a hand and simple code to make a game, a musical instrument, draw with motion. The Motion Sensor Kit comes with over 50 creative projects and challenges suitable for beginners of all ages, with many more available online. The software experience is driven by the Kano App. This visual coding tool allows control of the Motion Sensor Kit and serves as the learn-to-code platform. It also connects to Kano’s online community, Kano World, where any one can share and view other creations, see what others are making, and remix creations from the community into new projects.

My Take on the KANO Motion Sensor

As you might remember, my daughter and I built a KANO computer last year. This was an amazing experience and the computer really does an amazing job at teaching you how to code. While the KANO is built for younger kids I still find that when I use it I learn a ton about coding myself too.

Recently, KANO has started to come out with new items that will add-onto the existing computer. Not only can you build a computer, monitor, but I recently just tried out their new motion sensor kit that was recently introduced.

The KANO Motion Sensor Kit is the world’s most affordable creative coding kit. At only $29.99 the sensor captures motion in the real world. Thus, you can wave a hand, kick a foot and by doing this you will be able to inform the computer and you can use the movement to make games, music, animation or even art. The sensor will work with a Mac, KANO Computer Kit and best of all it does not require any previous KANO product to be able to work.

As I built the Motion Sensor Kit I found it to be very easy to build. The instructions are set up like a storybook and as you set it up it you learn so much about motion, sensors and more. By connecting it to the computer you will use the sensor to start to code games and more that with the swipe of your hand you can control the computer and what you have created.

I have loved using this and my daughters and I have enjoyed making games and more with this Motion Sensor Kit. If you have a child that loves computers or wants to learn how to code then this is a great system!

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Osmo Turning Physical Play into Learning

September 1, 2017 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

In a world where kids spend over eight hours a day in front of a screen, parents need new ways to ensure that such time is interactive and educational. That’s why Osmo, the award-winning platform transforming the way kids play and learn, announces today that it is expanding to the iPhone.

Osmo iPhone and iPad Bases expands the reach of educational and fun experiences that teach lifelong skill sets with technology that naturally captivates kids’ attention. Using its proprietary Reflective Artificial Intelligence, it turns the area in front of the iPhone into a physical playspace that controls the screen. The result is a magical experience that reinvents timeless activities like drawing, storytelling and spelling.

The Osmo iPhone and iPad Base is required before purchasing any of Osmo’s games and will support the full Osmo universe of experiences, including:

Coding Awbie ($49) Introduce kids to computer science in a fun adventure where physical, Lego-like blocks of code guide a friendly monster on an adventure
Monster ($49) Osmo’s ‘Pixar studio in a Box,’ teaches storytelling and creative thinking as kids become the directors and illustrators of an animated short whose main character is a loveable monster that literally pulls drawings into his world
Masterpiece (Part of Featured Osmo Bundles) Learn to draw anything as Masterpiece turns pictures into sketchable templates; artists choose from endless drawings in Osmo’s library or snap an original photo to draw and share with family and friends
Words (Part of Featured Osmo Bundles) Practice spelling and increase vocabularies in this competitive game that has kids racing to guess what word is hidden inside a photo
Pizza Co. ($39) Run a pizza shop to practice math skills, learn financial basics and how to please customers

“Our computer vision team has been working overdrive for months to make Osmo capable of running on an iPhone – this is no small technical feat. And beyond the tech, it had to be fun; we had to ensure the same Osmo magic was still there. Together, these two things made Osmo iPhone Base one of the hardest things we’ve done.” explained Pramod Sharma, CEO and co-founder of Osmo. “But it’s such an important thing to do, because, the power of hands-on play has no limits and we should give kids as many opportunities for it as we can.”

The new Osmo iPhone Base comes on the heels of other notable achievements for the company. It was recently named one of the most innovative companies in 2017 by Fast Company and has partnered with Mattel to combine its Reflective AI with the company’s iconic American brands. The company continues to reach hundreds of thousands of households and over 22,000 classrooms globally.

The new Osmo iPhone Base is compatible with iPhone 6 and up. It is available for preorder for $29.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com.

My Take on Osmo Coding

Over the past week I have been trying out the new Osmo platform and coding kit. This system is one that is set up as an iPad game system that provides you with physical objects and combines this with digital play.

As with all Osmo sets, with Coding, you need to have an iPad or an iPhone 6 with a camera – I read that the iPad 2 up through the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will work. (I have a 9.7-inch and this fit the base, but I could see that the 12.9-inch iPad Pro would be too wide to fit in the base.) Speaking of this, you do have to have the Osmo base and reflector to use Coding or other such games provided by Osmo. Some of the other great sets that I found available included the Osmo Starter Kit (which also includes the components for Words, Numbers, and Tangram), the Osmo Genius Kit (which adds Osmo Numbers to the other three sets). Finally, you’ll need the Osmo Coding Kit. The apps themselves are free downloads, but they’re not useful without the peripherals. There are also some other kits like the Osmo Creative Set, and the Osmo Pizza Company Game,

In the box that you receive for coding itself you get:

8 Quantifier (number) tiles
4 Walk tiles
2 Hand tiles
1 Jump tile
1 Repeat tile
1 Magic tile
1 Caution tile
1 Play button

All of the tiles that you receive in this are magnetic so the action blocks attach to each other and even stack if you would so choose. The tiles fit nicely together whichmakes the actions that you need to follow easy to do as well.

Osmo Coding Jam uses characters and physical blocks to help children learn block-based coding through music. and play.

This latest addition to the Osmo line takes things in a musical direction. Osmo Coding Jam lets your kids use coding to create looping music.

At $59, Osmo Coding Jam isn’t the least expensive way to build music on an iPad. However, it offers amazing value both with the design and interface but also in how it integrates the wider Osmo system. Osmo is getting to have so many interchangeable parts with all of the different add-ons you can get which is even better.

My kids seemed to get this game. My oldest did not need a lot of instruction (she is almost 13) but my youngest needed some (she is 9.5). Osmo Coding Jam is recommended for kids from ages 5 to 12, so my oldest is a bit older than they recommended but she still had fun with this. I can be honest and say that even I enjoyed the game too!

I will say that Osmo Coding did a great job at bringing in fun to make cool music. Once you get into this you somewhat forget that you are learning while having fun in my opinion. I have to give Osmo Coding Jam two thumbs up in bringing together the physical and digital world as it gives kids something tangible that they can use, see and touch while learning the fundamentals of coding itself!

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Kano – Giving The Gift of Technology & Education

December 15, 2016 by dadofdivas Leave a Comment

I know that in today’s world, knowing about computers is SO important. With the rate at which technology is changing, educating my daughters on current trends, but also providing them with the skills to build this technology for themselves is something that I strive to do. To do this I have tried to start to teach them some basic coding skills, but I know there is more that I can do and Kano is a great gift that takes the questions out of this and makes learning coding fun for all ages.

You see Kano allows you to work together, or individually, build a computer. Yes, I said build a computer! It is not as hard as you might think. My daughter and I built our own computer using the screen kit and computer kit that Kano provides and we found that in less than 30 minutes we had a working computer.

While this was fun, the power in Kano though is what it does after you build your device. The interface and applications are built around the premise of teaching people how to code. Once our computer was built we started to explore the story mode of the Kano, and in this you can learn a lot about technology and how computers, sound, circuits and more work. There are also connections to other applications within the story mode and in these you are taught how to code in a step-by-step incremental way.

Kano is a London-based company that empowers people of all ages to make, learn and play with computing, with its system of kits and open coding platform. Its first “computer anyone can make” has shipped to 86 countries around the world to people, ages 6 to 81, who have used it to make PCs, screens, radios, artwork, music, games, Minecraft hacks and more. More than 19 million lines of code have been shared in its online community, Kano World, where anyone can try out Kano’s apps for free. Kano was founded by Alex Klein, Yonatan Raz-Fridman and Saul Klein and has raised $19 million in funding, from its initial record-breaking Kickstarter campaign to investors that include Jim Breyer, Marc Benioff, Martin Sorrell, Index Ventures, James Higa, Troy Carter and Shana Fisher, among others.

My daughter loves to make art through coding and after creating her masterpieces she is able to share them virtually for all users to see. The fun part of this is also that it challenges the user to not only follow their instructions to create the art, but also to experiment and change the art after they are done to see how slight changes in the code will change what they are creating. While my daughter may not be aware that she is learning, she definitely is, and I can tell that she is having a blast doing it too!

If this sounds like something that you or someone else that you care for would love, for the holidays, Kano is offering a special promotion on the Computer Kit for $124.99 (save $25), and a Computer Kit Bundle for $259.99 (save $40), available online at kano.me. Also available on and through Kano’s retail partners Toys “R” Us and Barnes and Noble for $149.99.

To learn more about Kano, please visit: http://kano.me.

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