VIDEO REVIEW: LEGO Mixels Series One

Mixing it up.

Always happy to check out something new from LEGO, we jumped for joy when three chunky little bags of happiness fell onto our doormat: the new LEGO Mixels range. We got building, dusted off the camera, and made this for you...

REVIEW: HMDX Jam Splash Bluetooth Speaker

Make a splash.

We all love a good tune, and thanks to today's mobile musical technology, we can have music wherever we go. Except the shower. That is one thing that has always bothered us, as we wash and prepare for another busy day of playing with toys – why does the music have to stop in the bathroom?

That annoyance is now a thing of the past, and its all thanks to the Jam Splash Bluetooth Speaker from HMDX. This nifty little boombox is fully waterproof and modelled to make it extremely easy to fit into your morning bathroom routine. We pumped up the volume and got testing.

NEWS: Final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars to air on Netflix

Thankfully.

As you might know we're big fans of the tragically cut-short animated series The Clone Wars. For the past few months we've been waiting with baited breath to hear whether or not the final few episodes, those already made prior to the takeover by Disney (who then immediately cancelled of the show), would air.

But now we have the good news that the episodes will indeed be released - along with all the other seasons - on Netflix. The release date has been fixed for March 7th, and we hope that date relates to the international release, and not just for the US.

NEWS: Samsung Galaxy devices to get Android KitKat

Take a break.

Those innovative chaps at Samsung have announced that the lastest version of Google's Android OS, 4.4.2 KitKat, will be rolled out to the company's Galaxy range of Smartphones. This is good news for all Galaxy owners, especially those who bought the recently released Note 3 and S4 handsets, and were probably wondering why the phones just didn't come with KitKat in the first place,

The roll out will vary depending on the model of the phone and also whose network you're on, but the aforementioned models will of course be first.

REVIEW: Personalised iPad Bluetooth Keyboard from Photobox

Easy key-sey

For some people, touch keyboards on tablets and smartphones are just a pain in the bum. Sure, if you're sending a simple tweet or replying to an email from your mum with "Yeah, okay", they're fine. But what about if you need to type something longer and bit more precise - that is when a Bluetooth keyboard can come in handy.

But which one? With so many choices of Bluetooth keyboards out there for the iPad, choosing one can be just as annoying as all those emails from your mum. So how about getting one that you can truly personalise and make your own? That's just what we did thanks to photobox.co.uk

NEWS: Back to the Future power laces on the way!

Great Scott!

It's already 2014 and we still don't have Hoverboards, flying cars or giant 3D sharks that leap at us from the front of cinemas - we're starting to believe that the documentary Back to the Future 2 wasn't very accurate.

But lo and behold, it's finally happening! We're getting a little slice of what was promised us in the future, all thanks to Nike. According to Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield, by 2015 (the year in which the film was set) humanity will be able to enjoy power assisted laces, just like the ones that impressed our dear time travelling friend, Marty:

COMPETITION: Win LEGO Legend of Chima on DVD

No witches, no wardrobes.

With the recent release of The LEGO Movie in cinemas there has been a lot of people wondering just how exciting films populated with little plastics figures can actually be. After watching all ten episodes of LEGO Legends of Chima: The Lion, the Crocodile and the Power of the Chi on DVD, we can answer that question with a resounding VERY! And here’s your chance to own the first season of the new animated show on DVD.

FEATURE: iArmour – Three ways to defend your iPhone

Suit up.

Right now, your phone is probably the most expensive thing you have on your person. So unless you've got pound and dollar signs in your DNA you’re probably going to want to take care of it. After all, who wants the embarrassment of using a smartphone with a cracked screen? Oh the shame…

With that in mind we searched high and low for a few sexy phone cases to protect our iPhones in the most manly and useful of ways. We recommend you buy all three. Just in case.

REVIEW: Maui Jim Switchback Sunglasses

A shade cleverer.

As you might have discovered by the low and glaring winter sun, summer isn't the only time to pop on a pair of shades. Regardless of if you are skiing, snowboarding or driving the kids to school, a good quality pair of sunnies are essential – all year round. But what happens when the light changes, when it suddenly gets brighter or dimmer? In the past you were stuffed; either make do with inappropriate shades or carry around a second pair. Those days, my friends, are over – all thanks to the Switchbacks from Maui Jim.

NEWS: Star Wars: Rebels poster art released

Your Empire needs you!

Lucasfilm (or, lets face it, Micky Mouse) has just released a slew of interesting looking poster art for the forthcoming Star Wars TV series, Rebels.

Due for release at the end of the year, and taking the place of the now-cancelled Clone Wars (Boo! Bring it back, you stupid mouse!) the animated show will take place between Episode III and Episode IV and feature the growing Rebel Alliance.

REVIEW: TP-Link Wireless N Mini Pocket Router

The router of all goodness.

It is more than obvious that here at The Test Pit we love a multi-functional gadget. If one bit of tech can perform several useful tasks then it's okay by us and will get a welcome review in these pages. That is why we're really happy to talk about the N Mini Pocket Router from TP-Link – and not just because it includes the words Mini and Pocket in its name.

NEWS: Three cool-looking new blasters coming from Nerf

Worth the wait.

At last week's UK Toy Fair, Hasbro announced the forthcoming release of several new Nerf Blasters. Although other announcements have been made for blasters we can expect far sooner, these three really caught our eye - its just we'll have to wait until the autumn to get our mitts on them.

NEWS: Practice your LEGO skills with Google's Build with Chrome

Building a better world.

If you thought you needed millions of bricks and thousands of pounds to build your own LEGO house, think again. Thanks to Build with Chrome, the Google and LEGO partnership that allows you build virtual structures on Google's maps, you can do it with just a click of a button.