The mini sorting plant boasts 7 NXT Intelligence Bricks, 28 motors and 22 sensors. It will sort any 2×4 or 1×2 block that it comes into contact with. After it sorts your bricks, a bot comes along to retrieve the full palette and move it, replacing it with an empty palette. It’s hypnotizing to watch this thing in action.

With the real LEGO factory featured on a recent episode of Ultimate Factories, it’s only appropriate that someone would build their own mini LEGO-powered factory.

[via Make: via Geek]

LEGO-master Ronald McCrae’s incredible Brick Bank ATM can accept an ATM card and store account balances in its internal customer database. Just like the real thing, it can check for a correct PIN number, and hold onto your card if you enter the wrong number more than three times. It can even make change from paper money, and be calibrated to accept any currency.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Amazingly, this thing is almost entirely constructed from off-the-shelf LEGO bits. Ronald only added a HiTechnic IRLink and a Codatex RFID sensor to read the ATM cards. Funny thing is, I trust this ATM with my money much more than the ones that run on Windows.

[via Brothers Brick via Make:]

Created in collaboration with audio manufacturer Parrot, the oddly-named Zikmu (bless you!) speaker system features a pair of 2.5-foot tall black columns each reminiscent of the business-end of a trumpet. As a matter of fact, Starck ships the system in a recyclable package that’s designed to look like a certain brass musical instrument’s carrying case.

The Zikmu system offers not only iPod and iPhone docking, but can stream music from any PC or Mac over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth A2DP wireless technology too. The whole system can be operated by an included RF wireless remote, so line of sight isn’t required for operation.

Sound is pumped out using flat membrane NXT speaker elements, and are designed to radiate out a 360-degree sound field regardless of where you place the speakers in the room. While this is something you might want for listening to music, I don’t know if you’ll want to play The Dark Knight through these if you want to preserve the originally-intended sound imaging. The class-D amplifier is rated at 100W RMS, and the speakers can output frequencies from 50Hz up to 20kHz. So while the highs and mids should sing, don’t expect a really deep bass boom.

That said, a traditional sound profile wasn’t Starck’s intent. “We were not aiming to create just another speaker,” says Starck. “Our design focused more on making the air vibrate. There is actually a three-dimensional feel to this vibration, meaning that the air is palpable, almost humanlike in presence, like a fragrance.” Of course some perfumes are best left on the shelf. You hear me Drakkar Noir?

Priced at $1600 (USD) for the set, the Zikmu system definitely isn’t for those on a tight budget. The design sensibility and audio aspirations strike me as something that would look great in a high-end boutique hotel room more than the average living room. The Zikmu is available for pre-order now over at both Parrot and The Conran Shop, and should start shipping later this month.

For more on Philippe’s outspoken design sensibilities, here’s a brief clip of the designer shot by Fast Company during the Zikmu press roll-out:

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The flat speaker/microphone is perfect for use with the iPhone or any other phone with Bluetooth wireless headset connectivity. The SurfaceSound Compact has a built-in rechargeable battery which can run for up to 15 hours (or 22 days standby) on a single charge. It can be charged using an included car charger or via a USB cable connected to your computer.

SurfaceSound Compact’s $100 MSRP seems a bit high to me, but I was able to find them for under $70 over on MobilePlanet.

These TDK Xa-10 flat speakers measure just 3.15″ (w) x 4.6″ (h) x 0.63″ (d) and weigh just 2.43 ounces each. They come in silver, lime green and orange, and run on USB or a remote battery pack. While they may not blow you away at just 1.2W per channel, in my experience, NXT-based speakers don’t require a tremendous amount of power to push out a decent volume level.

The speakers should hit shelves in Japan next month for

Now his clean, minimal designs will be showing up in a new desktop speaker system. Art’s new Sonicum speaker system is a 2.1 system featuring two satellite speakers and a powered subwoofer. Power specs aren’t overly impressive at 5w per channel for the satellites and 15w for the subwoofer, but the speaker’s flat NXT drivers are known for quality sound reproduction at relatively low power levels. The complete system will be released in April 2007 for appx. $152 USD, but a pre-order special is being offered for appx. $126 USD.