If there is one place Sphero fits in, it’s an Apple Store. There, the little white robot is among his good friends – iPods, iPhones, iPads and the techy crowd he likes to roll around with. That’s why we’re excited to announce that Sphero is now available in select Apple stores across the nation! Check our interactive map to find one near you, and keep posted for more updates as Sphero rolls out to even more locations. If you just can’t wait, you can also buy online at Apple.com.
The highly celebrated app, Last Fish, has officially paired with Sphero to become the first third-party game to utilize Sphero as a controller. Filipe Lemos, the apps’ creator, decided to incorporate the use of Sphero because “using Sphero as a controller for Last Fish really enhances the game play.”
Last Fish is an absolutely beautifully crafted game, where your goal is to survive as a tiny fish in toxic water. Today’s update allows you to use Sphero to help your fish to eat food, avoid toxic goo, and escape the shadowfish. Simply hold Sphero in your hand and tilt or turn it to help your fish navigate through the deadly environment. Your objective varies based on 45 different levels, ensuring hours of action-packed game play. Check out the trailer below for a look at Last Fish in action and then go download it!
“Within 15 minutes of downloading the game I was hooked.” – AppAdvice
This stylish black and white game is available for download on the iTunes store for iPhone and iPod touch for $0.99. Check out our apps page for a full list of apps available for Sphero.
And if you don’t have Sphero yet, what are you waiting for?! Purchase Sphero online or in a Brookstone location near you today.
Every Friday, our team gets together to discuss the week’s activities, accomplishments, and random mishaps (karate fights and snake eating included). And whenever you get us in a group, swarms of Spheros are bound to be speeding around. But this past Friday, an orange went rolling by. And not just any orange, but an Orange-Sphero hybrid capable of wiggling and zooming around on the floor. This gave us the ultimate prank idea – attacking unsuspecting grocery shoppers with moving fruit.
Here is proof that the possibilities with Sphero are as limitless as your creativity, and that surprising people with Sphero will never get old.
How to make your robotic orange.
The robotic orange in action.
Before we get down to business, we just want to make sure you heard the big news from yesterday. President Barack Obama was in town and took Sphero for a drive! What did he say as he reached over to borrow Ross’s iPhone? “Let me drive this around for a second. Excuse me, give me some space to drive my ball.” Ending with “that’s terrific!” A pretty good endorsement from the President of the United States!
In other news, we’ve announced our Sphero Hack Tour! We’ll be taking the Sphero SDK on the road, stopping in seven cities, and giving away over $12,000 to developers of the best hacks in each city. All information is located on our developer page.
Now, what you’ve all been waiting for – new Sphero apps! Get ready to experience Sphero like never before. Chromo and MacroLab are ready to roll to your device. For iOS users, Chromo is available on the iTunes store, and MacroLab will follow in the next couple of days. For Android users, MacroLab is available on Google Play. Why are we so excited to let these two new apps into the wild? We’ll tell you why!
Chromo allows you to play with Sphero in a whole new way. While our other apps allow you to control Sphero from your device (kinetically and via a digital joystick), now Sphero is the controller. Chromo has six different modes for you to test your coordination and memory. Match the color. Beat the clock. Initially, Chromo is available for iOS only. Don’t worry Android users, we have another app up our sleeves that will make the wait worth it. Keep posted for announcements!
MacroLab lets techies and aspiring programmers unleash Sphero’s inner robot by creating easy, repeatable programs and macros for Sphero. Arrange commands and settings in any combination you choose. Play your commands, save favorites, and even share them with friends. We’ve even given you a handfull of pre-loaded macros to get you started. Multiball capability, like that shown in the video, is available for Android devices. If you need help getting started, check out our MacroLab Tutorial Videos. We can’t wait to hear what you think of these two new apps. Game on!
There is even more good news. To keep Sphero the smartest, quickest robotic ball possible, we have released a new firmware update. Sphero’s firmware is a complex program that provides all of the features that makes Sphero what he is – how he communicates, how he drives, etc. It is technically software, but we call it firmware because it’s a bit more involved to upgrade. If you’ve ever updated your iOS or Android operating system on your smartphone, then you’ve updated part of its firmware. Every time Orbotix releases new firmware for Sphero, it contains improvements in stability control for driving, new features to support more complex games and smartphone apps, additional tools to help with technical support, and tweaks that our users have requested.
So what does this new firmware mean for you? We have done a massive update to the driving system that makes Sphero much more stable, with improved turning. You might notice Sphero rolls smoother, especially on tight turns, and is less likely to get “stuck” on walls. Also, the low battery warning is easier to see, and we’ve added collision detection! Expect some really cool apps that use this functionality in the future.
Installing the new Firmware
1. Turn on your Sphero by giving it a hard double shake.
2. (iOS) Be sure your Sphero is connected in the Bluetooth settings or (Android) make sure your Sphero is paired.
3. Launch the main “Sphero” app and it will prompt you to update the firmware. The firmware update should take about 20-30 seconds to complete.
We’re on a quest to make your Sphero into the smartest and most capable robot ever. Now go have a ball. Yes you can!
Quick Left. Orbotix. Two of the most dynamic and fun-loving startups in Boulder are joining together for the ultimate hackfest. In two short weeks on April 25th, local developers will battle it out for the best hack using Sphero and our SDK. A team of three judges will decide the top five – and each will win a free Sphero. If you’re into beer, robots, and hacking, be sure to jump on board.
UPDATE 4/25: Developers at tonight’s hackfest will now be able to compete Android vs. iOS vs. Web. That’s right, for the first time ever, Sphero’s PhoneGap plugin is up and running, and ready to roll. Be there tonight to be the first to develop for Sphero in an entirely new way. More event details can be found at Quick Left’s blog. We can’t wait to get hacking.
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