Kano's New Harry Potter Coding Kit Lets Fans Build a Wand to Learn Coding

[MacRumors]

Kano today announced the launch of the new Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit, which was developed in partnership with Warner Bros.

Using the coding kit, Harry Potter fans will be able to follow step-by-step instructions to build a wand, learning about sensors, data, and coding along the way. The wand includes a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer, which lets it track location, speed, and the position of your hand.

The sensors allow the wand to recognize the motions of signature spells in the Harry Potter world, and the completed wand can be used to complete Harry Potter-related challenges in the accompanying Kano app.

There are scenarios and challenges to complete at Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and The Forbidden Forest, with each challenge teaching the wand user the fundamentals of coding and real-world programming.

According to Kano, the wand's movements will be translated into rich effects in the app, making serpents slither, fires flow, toads transfigure, feathers float, goblets duplicate, Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans enlarge, and more.

A block-based interface and JavaScript inspector walk users through the different coding lessons included in each challenge, and more advanced users can code the light and rumble pack included in the wand. A poster is included to illustrate classic Wizarding World spell motions like Incendio, Stupefy, and Wingardium Leviosa, all of which are featured in some of the coding challenges.

Kano says the Harry Potter Coding Kit is a great way for beginners to understand coding concepts and principles, and for more advanced users who already know how to code, the wand is a useful tool for creating art and music controlled with specific movements.

The Harry Potter Coding Kit has been designed with tablets in mind, and it is meant to be used with the iPad or an Android tablet, along with PCs and Macs.

You can pre-order the Harry Potter Kano Coding Kit from Kano.me for $99.99, with pre-order customers receiving a free motion sensor kit.

Article Link: Kano's New Harry Potter Coding Kit Lets Fans Build a Wand to Learn Coding

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I anticipate this being a popular product for tech savvy parents of kids 8-12.

 

[BillyBobBongo]

She can't have run out of money already, can she!?

 

[mikethemartian]

I thought wands were suppose to work with magic?

 

[Porco]

Seems like a great idea to me.

I thought wands were suppose to work with magic?

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” - Clarke

 

[omihek]

I thought wands were suppose to work with magic?

Only if you're a wizard, Harry.

 

[itsmilo]

I admire people who understand how to code. It took me 5 attempts to finally pass Prog 2 (Java) and i still dont understand any of it

 

[lostngone]

I wonder if you will somehow be able to use that wand with the Niantic Harry Potter game that is due out?
[doublepost=1532473344][/doublepost]

I thought wands were suppose to work with magic?

But Swift IS Magic

 

[fairuz]

It sounds cool. TBH I doubt the advantages of visuals-oriented coding education like Snap and Scratch vs starting with Python or assembly (depending on whether you do software or hardware), but I haven't tried this product ofc. Maybe if you love Harry Potter but don't like the idea of plain coding yet.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

I thought wands were suppose to work with magic?

A lot of coding is magic, especially when you're debugging .

"Hey I changed a variable and I don't know why but it works now"

moments later

"I reran everything and it's broken again"

 

[Supermacguy]

I am all for anything that makes learning to code easier, and more visual (as a graphic designer turned programmer myself). Though, equating code with magic seems to defeat the purpose (admittedly not sure how exactly thing works).