Tomato Cube

Lastly the CH32x033 based WCH mcu version of the X’mas SnowGlobe TableTop Toy.

Original main post:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BedyrKm7d/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🍅 Tomato Cube

The Raspberry Pi Pico version of the X’mas SnowGlobe TableTop Toy.

Original main post:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BedyrKm7d/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🍅 Tomato Cube

The micro:bit V2 version of the X’mas SnowGlobe TableTop Toy.

Original main post:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BedyrKm7d/?mibextid=wwXIfr

🍅 Tomato Cube

It's been a whirlwind these past two weeks with endless back-to-back meetings facing different organizations, different locations, each with its own agenda and focus. Quiet moments to actually sit down and do some "engineering" work have been rare 😅.

But it's all good, picking the brains of various leaders & champions across education, whether it be in early STEAM, in engineering, or in computer science, both at the undergrad to postgrad level has been genuinely invigorating💡.
Hearing their perspectives and aspirations after sharing our challenges, gave us a broader sense of the education landscape. And most importantly, it's reassuring to know that there are still people and organizations out there willing to collaborate, and opportunities that small businesses like ours can tap into 🤝.

Now, putting all those aside... It's December once again, and guess what's just around the corner? Christmas!!! 🎄✨ And then New Year!!! 🎆

Despite being put on such crazy schedule, we somehow managed to squeeze out one final project just in time for the festive season. The previous Christmas-themed fun we had was our PCB Rudolph, and believe it or not, that was two years ago. Gosh, how time flies! 🦌

This year, we wanted to create something even more meaningful. Because every learner needs a moment of wonder, a spark that could turn curiosity into the courage to make 🔨✨.
X'mas SnowGlobe TableTop toy was born from a simple observation: when students build something that feels special 🪄, they stay engaged longer, ask deeper & more profound questions, and take greater pride in their learning. A real-world snow globe captures that feeling perfectly - shake it, and a quiet world 🌏 comes alive (Well, shake it wildly, and you get a Blizzard). Build one, and you create your own tiny universe 🪐 of possibilities.

Our Multilayered X'mas SnowGlobe TableTop Toy takes that magic and turns it into a holiday hands-on STEAM adventure. In this adventure, students aren't just assembling parts, No(in the best Consuela voice)...they're crafting a piece of decorative art worthy of a place on top of your fireplace powered by their own code. They see how a single line of logic comes alive becomes a swirl of colorful light, how sensors respond to their touch or environment, and how learning STEAM - in particular coding - can transform something dull into something spectacular 🌟.

The SnowGlobe becomes a symbol of what they can build when imagination meets engineering. It isn't just a project; it's an invitation to create something meaningful, memorable, and a little bit magical. In the end, treat it as a keepsake, a reminder of that moment when a learner proudly realised:
"I made this myself." 🎄❤️

The SnowGlobe TableTop Toy will come in three different variants, each carefully thought out to align with various coding/maker skill level:
micro:bit for beginners,
Raspberry Pi Pico for intermediate makers, and
WCH MCU for the advanced tinkerers looking to stretch their engineering muscles 🔧💡.

A little festive workshop magic, just in time for Christmas ❄️🎅✨

🎥 YouTube Assembly Guide:
https://youtu.be/-vwsVRtAr5w

📘 Getting Started Guides:
https://github.com/TomatoCube18/Docs/tree/76a811e823d0558ebc6c1f61e2d6d3c0f9065c9b/Box08%20-%20Xmas%20Snow%20Globe%20Tabletop%20Toy

🛒 Get Your SnowGlobe from Cytron Here:
https://my.cytron.io/amp-p-xmas-snow-globe-tabletop-toy

🍅 Tomato Cube

Introducing the Diet Pico MakeCode Arcade Console! ❤️ 📣

Some of you remember our original console, launched right before the 2020 lockdown. We were exploring ways to make coding fun for kids and stumbled upon Microsoft’s amazing platform. 🎮

Today, I’m thrilled to share its spiritual successor! Leaner, easier, and much more affordable.

This new console is powered by the same chip used in the Raspberry Pi Pico, replacing the previous STMicro’s F411 MCU. Why the change? We believe this is the most economical way to start your game-coding journey. 💡

Unlike the Display Shield announced in our previous post, which still requires purchasing a separate micro:bit v2 board for the brain. This “Diet” edition is fully self-contained. Just unbox, plug into USB, open MakeCode Arcade, and start creating your own game! 👾

But there’s more. Because it’s based on the Pico, it opens doors to the microPython ecosystem 🐍. Students can seamlessly transition from blocks to text-based Python - a vital, future-ready skill.

Want to explore physical computing? With crocodile-clip eyelets 🐊 and a Grove connector, you can jump from coding games to wiring sensors. 🌱🚀

Now for the fun detail! Remember that mysterious N*ntendo-style joystick from our June post? This is where it ended up! We’ll be randomly including a free joystick cap with early shipments as a small surprise to celebrate creativity & play! 🎉

Interested? Comment below or reach out! 🙏🏻
Educators, we offer an academic discount—just tell us! 🎓

“Old dog, new tricks” 🐶. The 2025 refresh of our MakeCode Arcade Shield (aka Display Shield) is here! 🎉”

Back in 2022, we launched our very first micro:bit MakeCode Arcade Shield, a compact console that brought game coding to classrooms across the region 🎮. Fast forward to today, we’re giving it a well-deserved refresh, and we’re excited to share what’s new! ✨

One of the key highlights of this refresh is that we have moved the micro:bit to the front of the console. This small but “thoughtful” tweak will make a big difference, especially for students using the shield with MicroCode (see our post back in July 👀). The change lets them make full use of the micro:bit’s 5×5 LED matrix and the 2 tactile buttons directly from the front.

Another change in this refresh is the introduction of an “Advanced-Mode” that enables I²C communication via an on-board Grove connector 🔌. This feature was actually brought back from our UK Edition MakeCode Arcade Shield, which we co-developed and released with a brilliant STEM school teacher in Britain 🇬🇧 (see our post back in March 2023 👀), a small but powerful addition that unlocks new creative possibilities for classroom projects.

The last notable change happened on our Boxes. During our recent visit & conversation with the amazing folks (the “brains of the gods of micro:bit” 😄) at Lancaster University, we also learned the proper naming convention for this line of product — it’s officially referred to as the Display Shield.

The best part? 💚 The price remains unchanged. 💪.

We hope this continued commitment to affordability will help even more students, teachers, and makers to experience the joy of coding and creativity through MakeCode Arcade, MakeCode Microbit, and the newly introduced MicroCode & MicroData environments.

Here’s to making learning fun, more accessible, playful, and inspiring - one Display Shield at a time 🌱💡.

🍅 Tomato Cube

✨💻 Our first CircuitPython workshop was an absolute BLAST! 🎉🎨

We just wrapped up our very first trial run using our brand new Raspberry Pi RP2040 Macro-Keypad, and wow... what an awesome session it turned out to be!

👨‍💻 The students got hands-on with CircuitPython, learning fundamentals such as blinking LEDs, making sounds, and controlling neopixels — then building up to cool functions like media controls, volume adjustment, emoji panel triggers, copy-paste shortcuts, and more. Super practical and super fun! Plus, that smooth aurora-style RGB glow under each key? *Chef’s kiss* 🌈💡

🎨 Then we got artsy! The second half was all about custom keycap making using UV resin, molds, glitter, charms, and pigments. Everyone crafted something totally unique and cured their creations with portable UV lights. The results? Simply amazing — check out the photos!

🎂 And just when we thought the day couldn’t get sweeter… the students surprised us with cakes to say thank you. 🥹 So much heart, talent, and appreciation in one room!

💡 Missed this round? Don’t worry — more sessions are coming soon! Whether you're into coding, digital art, or love tech with a personal twist, this workshop is for you.

🎥 Stay tuned — we’re dropping a demo video of the macro-keypad doing its thing right out of the box!

📅 Keep an eye out — registration opens soon!

Wishing everyone a joyful and blessed Hari Raya!!! May this special occasion bring happiness, togetherness, and prosperity to you and your loved ones. 💛

Let’s celebrate with gratitude, kindness, and plenty of delicious food! 🍽️

Maaf Zahir & Batin. 🌙

🐍🎉 新年快乐! 🎉🐍

Wishing everyone a prosperous and joyful Chinese New Year! May 2025 bring you happiness, success, and endless blessings. 🧧✨

Happy Chinese New Year! 🌟🧨

#新年快乐

🎉✨ 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱! 🎈🎊

A new year, a new chapter! Thank you for being part of TomatoCube’s journey—let’s embrace 2025 with fresh ideas, bold ambitions, and memorable moments.

Wishing you happiness, growth, and success in the year ahead! 🌟

🎄🌟 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿! 🎅🎁

Wishing you joy, warmth, and wonderful surprises this holiday season - whether you've been "knotty" or nice!

Thank you for being part of TomatoCube's journey. Here's to a creative and exciting 2025 together! 🎉✨