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May 9, 2008
Vote for my boot!
Keeping with the CRAFT shoe theme -- Dr Martin's has a "design your own boot" contest, so I made a boot I always wanted, one with a circuit board on it, specifically one with the Wave Bubble open source RF jammer - vote it up if you'd like to see this become a real boot one day!
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 9, 2008 02:39 PM
Crafts, Online |
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Botanical communications kit
You've read about it - now you too can follow your own pet vegetation on twitter! -
The Botanicalls Twitter kit includes all the hardware you need to create a networked communication system for your plant. A moisture sensor placed into the soil will send information to simple electronic detection circuitry you solder together yourself. Twitter updates are then sent out via an onboard Ethernet connection to the Internet, where they can be viewed online or routed to your mobile phone.The pricetag seemed a bit a high before I realized all the hardware included in the kit - it even comes with an Arduino! - Botanicalls kit
Unfortunately, the dog still communicates via unfashionably messy methods.
Related:
HOW TO - Make plants talk! They'll Twitter you when they need to be watered (and more)...
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
May 9, 2008 02:15 PM
DIY Projects |
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Build Your Own Roller Skates - CRAFT Video Podcast
This week's CRAFT Video Podcast comes courtesy of the fine folks at Skates.com where Luanne Teoh and Richard Humphrey show us how to build a pair of roller skates as featured in our current issue of CRAFT: 07!
Download the MP4 Video or HD Version | Subscribe to CRAFT in iTunes
To celebrate the new shoe issue of CRAFT Magazine vol 7, Skates.com is giving our CRAFT readers a 15% discount to for a month until June 9, 2008. Coupon code is CRAFT07
If you'd like a pair of custom skates built for you, just send Skates.com the shoes of your choice or choose the boots you'd like.
Note:
The 15% only applies to the our Custom Skates/Build Your Own category. The 15% is taken of the price of the product before tax and shipping.
From the pages of CRAFT Magazine, volume 07:
"Roll Baby Roll!" by Luanne Teoh & Richard Humphrey, pgs 62-65. Subscribers can read the article in our Digital Edition.
Subscribe to CRAFT Magazine and save 42% off the cover price. One year brings you 4 quarterly issues for just $34.95 / year (U.S.).
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
May 9, 2008 01:00 PM
Crafts |
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Tetris theme on bottles
This trio performs the Tetris theme on bottles of various sizes and water levels. They give you some clues to how they made it, one being the clicking metronome in the background and sped up effect; they must have performed it much slower then sped it up. My lips hurt just looking at it, though. Via Geekologie.
Posted by Becky Stern |
May 9, 2008 12:00 PM
Arts, Music, Retro |
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Steampunk Maker Faire wrap-up
The steam mechanics, oilpunks, contraptors, neo-Victorians cosplayers, retro-futurists, post-apocalyptic Playa pirates, New Dandies, and electric cowboys were all out in force at this year's Bay Area Maker Faire. There was the Victorian castle on wheels, the steam-powered runabout, the steam-effects scooter, the fire-spewing bar with vaudeville side-stage, the radio-tubed Theremin, and the outdoor Victorian sitting room with a disgorged cabinet of wonders of brassy computer mods, rayguns, clockwork guitars, and a light-spewing violin covering several tables. There were also at least three airship crews.
One of the coolest things about all this is that many of these artisans were already great virtual friends, even collaborators, but had never actually met in person. Seen above is a drawing, by the amazing Suzanne Forbes, of the inimitable Jake von Slatt (left) and Datamancer (right). This is the first time these two well-known steampunk makers had met in meatspace. Here they're seen building a special Maker Faire Contraptors' Lounge keyboard (which we'll likely give away here on the blog at some point). More of Suzanne's drawings from the Lounge can be seen after the jump.
Sitting in the Lounge: Crewmembers of the HMS Chronabelle, Magpie of Steampunk Magazine. In the background (left) Captain Robert of Abney Park and Jake von Slatt, (center) MAKE photographer Sam Murphy and me (the bald dude -- and I swear I'm NOT picking my nose), (right) David S. Dowling (black vest). Seen on the table is Molly Freidrich's Sinister Device and one of her rayguns.
One of the tables in the Lounge, this one mainly featuring work by Jake von Slatt, including his clockwork guitar, his copper-plated etched mint tins, his telegraph sounders, and a phone project he's currently working on. Also seen is the new Steampunk Anthology edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer and a portfolio of Molly Freidrich's work.
Tom Sepe's steam-assisted motorbike.
Jake von Slatt: You've just been "steampunked" (by Meredith Scheff).
Read full story
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
May 9, 2008 11:05 AM
Maker Faire, Makers, Retro |
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DIY business @ Maker Faire
Forbes talked to some Makers about their businesses, good stuff. Do-It-Yourself Success - "Why sell your idea when you can profit from it on your own?"
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 9, 2008 11:00 AM
Maker Faire, Open source hardware |
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Waste Paper Furniture
Designer Jens Praet makes furniture from shredded paper. He compressed it with resin into a mold, and out comes a new piece of furniture. I'm not sure how eco-friendly that resin is, or how much paper it uses (I'm guessing a lot, which keeps it out of a landfill), but the material technique sure is neat, and strong! Via Core77.
Posted by Becky Stern |
May 9, 2008 11:00 AM
Arts, Furniture, Green, Photography |
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Combat robots, warring battleships @ Maker Faire
Combat robots, warring battleships @ Maker Faire with Boing Boing TV.
Boing Boing tv's embedded robo-combat reporter Xeni Jardin witnesses warfare inside Robogames and Combots at Bay Area Maker Faire 2008, where robots battle until death -- or at least 'til one competitor busts a sprocket.Next, BB-gun wielding battleships go BOOM!, with the Western Warship Combat Club. Participants painstakingly re-create historic battleships on small scale, and outfit each warboat with actual artillery. He who sinks last wins. The cameraman took a pellet or two in the pants, but the goofy safety goggles kept all eyes intact.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 9, 2008 10:00 AM
Maker Faire, Robotics |
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The Best of Maker Faire 2008
Check out all the fun and excitement at this year's Maker Faire in San Mateo, California. People from all over the world came to experience this amazing event. Take a look at some of the highlights and make plans to attend the next Maker Faire.
To download Maker Faire 2008 MP4 click here or subscribe in iTunes.
Posted by KipKay |
May 9, 2008 07:00 AM
MAKE Podcast, MAKE Video, Maker Faire |
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Maker Faire video from Oddistry
Maker Faire video from Oddistry!
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 9, 2008 05:03 AM
Maker Faire |
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The Radiophonic Workshop
In 1958 the BBC established the Radiophonic Workshop to explore and produce innovative sounds for radio programming. The group's unconventional approach to sound synthesis and arrangement poised them at the forefront of music technology - making them the envy of many pioneering musicians. Looking back at some of their hardware setups, it's no wonder current-day sound makers still hold the workshop in such high regard.
Workshop member Delia Derbyshire is responsible for what is commonly accepted as the group's signature recording - recorded in '63, the original theme from Doctor Who.
Simply unbeatable - electronic music doesn't get any better than that.
Visit the Radiophonic Workshop gallery
Read more of the group's history on Wikipedia
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
May 9, 2008 05:00 AM
Electronics, Music |
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Portable wireless backpack takes pictues and keeps you stylish
The PORTA2030 from 2006 is a mobile data sensing storage transmission unit that consists of a wireless hard drive (the WL-HDD2.5), a 1 GB flashcard and an open source backend. The device functions as a portable data sensing storage transmission system that can stream images to function as a simple communications device. Interesting design but we wonder how different it is from what a typical cell phone can do these days.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
May 9, 2008 05:00 AM
Wearables, Wireless |
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Sequencer made of pipes seems more authentic
This Sequential Resonation Machine by Joseph Casbarian routs any amplified sound source through a twelve position switch positioned at the top of the device. Each of the 12 valves contain a speaker, turning this steampunk looking device into a sequencer of sorts that uses pipe resonance to produce pitch.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
May 9, 2008 04:12 AM
Music |
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Maker Faire video
Curious inventor sent in their video from Maker Faire - It includes the destruction of Pleo (cute robot dinosaur) in the battle bot arena, powered recliners wheeling around (and cupcakes), cement and candy 3d printers, a dirt cheap multi-touch table, Tesla coils, lots of fire, and a bunch of musical interfaces.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 9, 2008 04:00 AM
Maker Faire |
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//Mukana - mobile system for visually impaired
/MUKANA (the Finnish for aboard, along, in, on, part, with and within) is a piece of cutting-edge smart clothing for the visually impaired. It connects technology with textiles and thus promotes new approaches to dressing up. Users were given the main focus in the design. A group of visually impaired participated throughout the process of development. The final prototype was thoroughly tested by them...includes a cell phone, a wireless headset, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module and voice recognition software. The system takes account of the special needs of the visually impaired. Users can ask //MUKANA to tell them their location, to give information on what route to take to their destination or on the timetables of public transportation.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 9, 2008 03:00 AM
Maker Faire |
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David Bowen: Growth Rendering Device
This is an amazing robot created by David Bowen. Here is how he explains his Growth Rendering Device:
This system provides light and food in the form of hydroponic solution for the plant. The plant reacts to the device by growing. The device in-turn reacts to the plant by producing a rasterized inkjet drawing of the plant every twenty-four hours. After a new drawing is produced the system scrolls the roll of paper approximately four inches so a new drawing can be produced during the next cycle. This system is allowed two run indefinitely and the final outcome is not predetermined.
Read more about the Growth rendering device - via ComputerLove
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
May 9, 2008 03:00 AM
Arts, Robotics |
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Guy Marsden: Electronic Artwork
Guy worked on these pieces from 1986 - 2006. Over the course of 20 years he has moved from finding his parts at local shops, to scouring the Internet for interesting pieces. These are some of the most amazing electronic sculptures I have ever seen.
In each piece I attempt to design circuitry that creates nonsensical or random number patterns that move, blink, gyrate and mystify. Reactions of viewers range from giggles to attempts to deduce the function to suggestions that they are to be used to select lottery numbers.
Read more about Guy Marsden
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
May 9, 2008 02:00 AM
Arts, Electronics |
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Maker Faire photos
atomicthumbs' Maker Faire '08 photo set - over 170 photos and videos.
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 9, 2008 01:00 AM
Maker Faire |
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DIY: Satellite Tracker
This project is for those of you that want to explore communications via LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites. You can manually point your antenna, but a micro-controller makes it a whole lot easier.
The basis for operation is fairly straightforward. A tracking program (WiSP, Nova for Windows, The Station Program, and DK1TB's SatPC32 program are all known to work) sends data in the EASYCOMM data format out a standard serial port to the SAEBRTrack unit. The Parallax BASIC Stamp 2 decodes the azimuth and elevation information sent by the tracking program, and the array is positioned.
Read more about making your own Satellite Tracker
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
May 9, 2008 01:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics |
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Maker Faire video...
The videos keep rolling in, here's one from Carlos - nicely done!
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
May 9, 2008 12:00 AM
Maker Faire |
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Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor
Tel: 707-827-7311
Gareth Branwyn
Robot Maker
Kip Kay
Video Maker
Jonah Brucker-Cohen
Researcher
Natalie Zee Drieu
Senior Editor
CRAFT
Becky Stern
Culture jammer
Collin Cunningham
Sound Maker
Marc de Vinck
CNC Maker
Current Podcast
Weekend Project: Build an Ornithopter
An ornithopter is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings! Here is a simple monoplane design powered by a rubber band. It's motion is similar to a bird in flight. To download Build an Ornithopter MP4 click here...
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