Awesome Pixels

Creative Mindstorms built a LEGO machine that creates pixel art portraits based on text instructions. He used DALL-E 3 to generate an image and wrote custom Python code to transform it into pixels and control a machine that picks and places 1×1 pixels on a 32×32 baseplate. It needs frequent pixel refills, but that could be fixed with bigger storage bays.

When you start to play this video, you’ll see a line bouncing around the screen. But if you pause it, the line vanishes. Chris Long explores this strange persistence of vision effect, which occurs when a line of pixels changes state between black and white. The method can also be used to share hidden text that can only be seen when the video is playing.

Govee specializes in RGB LED light kits. Their curtain lights can display patterns on a grid of 520 teardrop-shaped light beads. The Govee mobile app includes more than 80 scene presets, music sync, and the ability to upload animated GIFs. They’re also rated IP65 waterproof so that you can use them outside. Chris Maher’s in-depth review shows them in action.

The Tidbyt is a desktop screen that can display a variety of useful information on a grid of colorful LED dots. It has a large library of apps including clocks, weather, stocks, news, sports scores, animations, and more. Built on an open ecosystem, you can create your own custom apps, or even flash the firmware for custom projects.

The upcoming game Retro Gadgets from Evil Licorice challenges players to create virtual electronic gadgets in a digital workshop. The game will test your creativity and improve your electronics skills as you invent, build, and solder together your projects, then write code to make them work. Coming to Steam.

Brandon James Greer is a master at creating pixel art. In this tutorial video, he explains some tricks and techniques for working with the most rudimentary of color palettes. 1-bit art embraces the limitations of a low-res monochrome image to focus on composition, patterns, and textures.

Woodworker Lignum shows off another fantastic build – a sculptural lounge chair crafted from bits and pieces of wood cut into small slats, glued together, then sanded smooth to reveal an eye-catching pixelated pattern.

You’ll shoot your eye out, kid! The guys from 8-Bit Cinema retell the oft-quoted holiday classic as a pixelated console adventure game. They really should have had a minigame where you have to glue the leg lamp back together.

Door Kickers: Action Squad is a simpler yet still somewhat tactical spinoff of the original Door Kickers game. It’s a side-scrolling action game where you take one of four SWAT characters and complete mission objectives. It’s best played with a buddy via online co-op.

A companion piece to The Verge’s profile of eBoy, arguably the world’s most popular pixel artists. Watch the Berlin-based trio talk a bit about their backgrounds, their arduous dot-by-dot process and their sources of inspiration.

Bradley Hart’s imaginative pixel portraits are created using ordinary syringes and bubble wrap; he injects each individual bubble with acrylic paint in an elaborate and time consuming process.

PIXEL is an interactive picture frame. It has 1,024 LEDs , perfect for displaying 32×32 pixel art. You can upload an image or animation using an Android app. It acts as a mirror when turned off.

A side-scroller action RPG by LarryPixel, to be released serially like a comic book, as you take on a variety of tasks to survive life on the Moon. For $40 or more, you can be immortalized in the game.

Designed by Maria Herrera Vicálvaro and Jamie Vicente, Pixel Cards are a Spanish deck of playing cards with pixelated graphics. Add this deck to your pixel art playing card collection.

Animator What Pixel You On takes the retro pixel art style and breathes new life into it by popping it into the third dimension. If our old Nintendos could have done this, we’d probably still be playing them.

Don’t know about everyone else, but Winter’s been kind of mild for us. Seems like a perfect chance to give Ted Martens’ pixelated fireplace app a go. We just wish the marshmallows were real.