The Lego Smart Brick is demonstrated during a Lego press conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 5, 2026 (Getty Images)

GALAXY-BRAINED

Lego taps “Star Wars” for the launch of its new high-tech Smart Brick

The toy giant is betting that even if people don’t immediately want a computerized plastic block, they’ll still want “Star Wars” Legos that go “pew pew.”

Millie Giles

1/7/26 10:44AM

One of the biggest building manufacturers on the planet just unveiled a “ground-breaking” microcomputer, featuring a custom-made chip and built-in sensors. Plus, it’ll come with a little plastic Luke Skywalker.

On Monday, Lego announced the “Smart Brick” — a classic two-by-four block that’s embedded with a tiny computer. Naturally, the first “Smart Play” sets will be based on one of Lego’s longest-running, most lucrative, and tech-themed partnerships: “Star Wars.”

Chip in the old block

In the press release, the Danish toy giant described the Smart Brick as “one of the most significant evolutions... since the introduction of the LEGO Minifigure in 1978.” Per the company, the sensor-driven tech will use NFC-equipped smart tags to make sets “come to life” with reactive, motion-responsive light and sound effects.

For younger Lego enthusiasts, the platform will unlock a whole new way to play, while for many time-honored “Star Wars” fans, it means no longer having to make lightsaber noises themselves. Back in 1999, the media franchise was the basis for Lego’s first-ever official licensed product line; now, according to Brickset.com, there have been more than 1,000 individual Lego “Star Wars” sets released to date.

Lego sales have gone from strength to strength in the last few years, reporting record revenues of 34.6 billion Danish kroner (~$5.4 billion) and soaring profits in H1 2025, owing largely to the success of its themed sets. Indeed, Lego’s partnerships with iconic brands like Marvel, “Harry Potter,” and, more recently, “Fortnite” and Ikea, have seen it become a hit with kids and adults alike, securing cultural relevance outside of the play chest.

However, Lego might need to keep tapping buzzy licensing deals to garner Smart Brick sales that outweigh the company’s already soaring costs... and avoid a repeat of another time the world’s biggest toymaker tried to keep up with the world’s tech obsession.

Tom Jones

hut’s off

13h

Yum! Brands might have found a potential buyer for Pizza Hut

Yum! is in exclusive talks with private equity firm LongRange Capital about a sale, per reports.

Hyunsoo Rim

hot dogs & half tanks

13h

Costco’s gas stations are breaking records as drivers seek cheaper fuel

Higher prices have pushed many members to the retailer’s pumps for the first time.

Max Knoblauch5/29/26

The Trump administration is reportedly planning a 50% made-in-America requirement for USMCA tariff relief

Qualifying for USMCA-related lower tariffs may soon require more US-made vehicle components, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal.

The Trump administration is reportedly planning to introduce a 50% US content requirement for vehicles covered by the trade pact to receive lower tariffs. The content would be measured by cost, according to the WSJ.

There currently isn’t any US-specific requirement for those lower tariff rates, but in order to receive preferential tariffs, vehicles are must contain at least 75% regional content (components made in North America). Per Reuters reporting, the Trump admin is seeking to raise the regional requirement to 82%.

These reported plans are subject to change as the US negotiates USMCA terms with Mexico over the next few months.

Overall, Tesla will likely have the easiest time qualifying for any stricter requirements. The automaker’s vehicles contained the highest amount of US/Canadian content in 2025, according to American University research. Ford, GM, and Stellantis all scored lower.

Notably: the underlying government data that many domestic content measurements rely on intentionally combines US and Canadian components, so it’s difficult to know exactly how much of any given vehicle is specifically US-made.

Exclusive | Trump Administration Wants Autos Under USMCA to Be at Least 50% Made in America

These reported plans are subject to change as the US negotiates USMCA terms with Mexico over the next few months.

Tom Jones5/29/26

The $640,000 Luce makes the average Ferrari look like a bargain

Put aside the shape; put aside the smoothing out of Ferrari’s iconic sharp edges; put aside, even, the calls from former Chairman and President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo to “take the Prancing Horse off.” On the grounds of price alone, Luce detractors might have a point.

By now, many of us will have read the criticisms of Ferrari’s first fully electric vehicle, as the Luce — which was unveiled to the world earlier this week and promptly saw the company’s shares crash out in New York and Milan — gets subtly shaded by competitors online and not-so-subtly shaded by basically everyone else.

What makes all of this worse for Ferrari is that, even by the luxury car maker’s notoriously high standards, they’ve slapped a pretty hefty price tag on the Luce, and the company’s CEO, Benedetto Vigna, has already been forced to defend the €550,000 ($640,000) price point, saying yesterday that it’s “fair to pay for innovation,” per Reuters.

While Ferrari’s cars have been getting more expensive of late, as recently as 2022, Ferrari’s average revenue per car sold was around $340,000. At nearly twice that price, this new electric model is obviously proving a little much (visually, conceptually, and financially) for many loyal and long-standing fans of the Prancing Horse to stomach.