Founded in 1987 in Rocklin, California, Parallax, Inc. manufactures the famous BASIC Stamp microcontroller. The Stamp has been popular among electronics hobbyists since the early 1990s, thanks to such user-friendly features as an embedded BASIC interpreter. And though the position of the BASIC Stamp has taken a hit in the wake of the Arduino era, the 2006 introduction of the Propeller multi-core microcontroller has kept Parallax in a leading position. They have major consumer bases in the hobby robotics and education markets, as well as a valuable retail partner in RadioShack.

On the PR front, Parallax produces a top-notch free tutorial and educational video series to complement their commercial educational materials. The Parallax YouTube channel regularly features electronics and robotics tutorials, hosted by Jessica Uelman, with topics ranging from basic breadboarding to homemade solar panels. Jessica is an excellent, engaging teacher and the quality of these videos is consistently top-notch — we’ve linked to them many times. And so, in recognition of their contribution to our community, we’d like to formally welcome Parallax into the running for the 2011 Makeys. Congratulations!

More:

• Makey Awards 2011 Nominee 01: Microsoft Kinect, “Most Hackable Gadget”
• Makey Awards 2011 Nominee 02: Panavise, “Most Repair-Friendly”
• Makey Awards 2011 Nominee 03: Volkswagen’s Fun Theory, “Best Education / Outreach Program”
• Makey Awards 2011 Nominee 04: Korg Monotron, “Best Product Documentation”
• Makey Awards 2011 Nominee 05: Google Android, “Most Hackable Gadget”
• Makey Awards 2011 Nominee 06: Parrot USA, “Most Repair Friendly”

If you have a suggestion for a company to be nominated for “Best Education / Outreach Program,” or one of the other three 2011 Makey awards, please send an e-mail to makeys@makezine.com or just leave a comment, below.