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Archive: Maker Faire

October 23, 2009

PopTech reimagines America

The PopTech conference is currently underway in Camden, ME. We sent some emissaries from MAKE, namely Zach and Kim DeBord, Mike Gould, and Stuart Gaines. Zach is an artist and BEAMbot builder. He did the awesome bots (and photos) for my "Pummer, Dude!" [PDF] piece in MAKE, Volume 08. Mike Gould has a project, "Lunchbox Laser Shows," in the upcoming "Kids of All Ages" issue, Volume 20, of MAKE. Stuart Gaines writes:

In Camden Maine this week, the annual PopTech conference has taken over the town's beautifully-restored 18th century opera house where an "A-list" of speakers contemplates the "re-invention" of America.
Just down the block, on Elm St., in a converted auto garage, two master makers are demonstrating how to take everyday objects, found in the techno-trash or commonly sourced on eBay, and re-invent them as high-tech gadgets with new purpose. It's a mini-Maker Faire amidst the dazzling fall foliage. All day long, a steady stream of PopTech attendees wander into the garage. In the first bay, they meet Mike Gould and learn how he embeds red, green, and blue lasers into lunchboxes and slide projectors. In the next bay, Zach DeBord and his wife Kim are fashioning buzzing, twittering toys, soldered together from junked calculators, spare motors, wires, and postage stamp-sized solar cells.

Just down Route 1, in nearby Rockland, a lucky group of PopTechies got a chance to pull a spoke-shave at The Apprenticeshop, one of the oldest traditional boat-building schools in the country. Lance Lee, founder of the Apprenticeshop, was on-hand to explain the joys of working with wood, and his boat-building projects, including a smaller version of Tremolino, a 19th Century lateen-rigged Mediterranean workboat used by Joseph Conrad.

Back at PopTech, speakers expound on the impact of new technologies with a thought-provoking mix of optimism and fear. A disturbing contrast to "creative re-use" was photographer Chris Jordan's photographs of seabirds brought down by plastic refuse. Jordan has just returned from Midway Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. His photographs were literally "breathtaking." The opera house audience was left speechless by his story of the destructive impact of these everyday materials. See "Midway: Message from the Gyre" on his site.

PopTech runs through Saturday, October 24.

October 4, 2009

Christina and Forest at Maker Faire Rhode Island

At Maker Faire Rhode Island, I saw Christina waiting near the AS220 Fab Lab for her son Forest. She was holding some of the replacement parts that he had made for his MakerBot. We talked a bit about what making means to her and Forest. They're already looking forward to Maker Faire 2010.

MAKE subscribers, watch your mailboxes for Volume 20: Kids, which should be arriving very soon.

September 26, 2009

Exorcising Billy Mays with the TV-B-Gone

Last week I was stranded in a waiting room. The old magazines didn't really bug me, but listening to infomercials did. However, what really bothered me the most was when Billy Mays tried to sell me from the beyond the grave. Right then, I made a solemn vow not to endure that sales pitch ever again.

Fortunately for me, Maker Faire Rhode Island was just a few days away. I knew that I'd be able to get my hands on a TV-B-Gone kit and build it at the soldering workshop. Maker Faire RI was a blast, and towards the end of the evening, I settled down with the iron and got to work.

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Cigar box prototyping at Maker Faire RI

The other night at Maker Faire Rhode Island, I met up with Raphael. He had brought along these neat prototyping kits made from cigar boxes. I asked him about why he made them and what he does with these mobile prototyping platforms.

You may also want to check out Raphael's Twitchie kit, which people were passing around like mutant babies. Very disturbing indeed.

In the Maker Shed:

Arduino Family

Make: Arduino

September 22, 2009

Maker Faire on the Travel Channel tomorrow!

Set your DVRs for this awesome segment on the Travel Channel, filmed at Maker Faire Bay Area 2009.

Extreme Conventions, Travel Channel, "This ain't no Dental Convention!"

Wednesday, September 23rd at 8PM Eastern time (check local listings for your area)

September 21, 2009

Maker Faire Rhode Island: Success!

Congratulations to everyone who helped put on the Maker Faire Rhode Island, it was a smashing success! Attendees played mini golf, conversed over the latest tin can telephones, tried on monster costumes, soldered up their own gadgets, composed experimental music, and had a great time! Missed out on the fun? Check out the Flickr pool for more photos of the event, and be sure to follow the MAKER Events calender to find the next gathering in your area!

Photo Credits (clockwise from left): Phil Torrone, no_id_i_want, Matt Mets, David Nunez

Eye on the Bay coverage of Maker Faire Bay Area

San Francisco's KPIX/Channel 5's "Eye on the Bay" program did a decent, lengthy, and enthusiastic piece about this year's Maker Faire Bay Area. The piece covers everything from the R/C warships to Russell the robotic giraffe and "Hand of Man" to the steampunk offerings to art cars, the Coke and Mentos show, and the bicycle-powered stage. Definitely a nice, satisfying slice of what Maker Faire has to offer (though they don't mention anything about this year's ReMake America theme, all of the amazing food makers we had, or any of the crafts). Several times during the piece, the reporter insists you have to plan to go next year. He's right!

Maker Faire - 9/17/09

September 19, 2009

Adafruit streaming live at Maker Faire Rhode Island

Every week, Limor and Phil from adafruit industries do a Ustreamed "Ask an engineer" live chat. This week, tonight, they're going to do it from Maker Faire Rhode Island. Here's what they said on their site:

Tonight is our weekly "Ask an engineer" live chat - 10pm ET tonight, we're going to attempt to "broadcast" LIVE from Maker Faire Rhode Island. We'll see how it goes, we might need to go text only if there isn't a good connection. Either way - stop by! Here are some handy details:
* Visit our new "chat" section on Adafruit at 10pm ET - 9/19/2009
* Or visit our Ustream page
* For old schoolers, you can use IRC, you'll need a Ustream log/pass, check out the Ustream IRC how-tos here and here
* We are #adafruit-industries6796 on IRC server chat1.ustream.tv
* There will be a trivia question at the end of the night as always!
* Lastly, if anyone can save a log we'd appreciate it

"Ask an engineer" live chat - 10pm ET tonight LIVE from Maker Faire Rhode Island (hopefully)
Maker Faire Rhode Island

September 17, 2009

Maker Faire on CBS's Eye on the Bay today

If you're in the SF Bay area, don't miss the segment on Maker Faire tonight at 7pm on CBS 5's Eye on the Bay!

September 16, 2009

Low-cost rice thresher

Check out this pedal-powered rice thresher at Maker Faire Africa, shown off by Hazwan Razak.

Kipp Bradford describes Maker Faire Rhode Island

Here's Kipp Bradford talking about the planning behind Providence's DIY Maker Faire Rhode Island, which concludes this weekend!

August 31, 2009

Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire: Success!

Congratulations to the Ann Arbor Mini Maker team for a successful Faire! Over 1100 attendees blew smoke rings, rode the worlds largest (claimed) bristlebot, piloted robots, made music, silk-screened t-shirts and had a great time! Missed it? Be sure to check out the Flickr pool, or read the excellent writeup at the Ann Arbor Chronicle!

Photo credits: Matt Mets, Dug Song

August 28, 2009

Maker Faire Africa video compilation

The folks over at AfricaNews put together a nice compilation video about Maker Faire Africa, including a chair made from plastic bottles, electric cream used for food preservation, and many other fine projects!

Did you miss the Faire this year? Don't fret, an even bigger version is being planned for next year! In the meantime, be sure to check out some of the other coverage of this year's Faire.

(Thanks, Daniel Carter!)

August 27, 2009

Reminder: Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire this Saturday!

Grab your friends, your relatives, and your robots, and get ready for a great time this Saturday at the Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire! Don't let the mini in the title dissuade you, there will be plenty of cool things going on. From the event website:

Local "Makers" will demonstrate robots, bookbinding, electric vehicles, computer-controlled machinery, high-altitude balloons, vortex cannons, and other projects, devices, and inventions at the first Ann Arbor "Mini" Maker Faire, Saturday August 29, at the Washtenaw Farm Council Fairgrounds. Visitors can silkscreen their own t-shirt and learn to solder by making their own "Wee Blinky" electronic circuit to take home. Admission, parking, and all activities are free. Over 25 different groups and individuals from the Ann Arbor and surrounding area are scheduled to exhibit.

I'll be exhibiting a few of my projects there, be sure to stop by and say hi!

WHAT: Ann Arbor Mini Maker Faire
WHERE: Washtenaw Farm Council Fairgrounds
5055 Ann Arbor Saline Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 29 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
HOW MUCH: Free!!!

August 18, 2009

Maker Faire Africa update

So you couldn't get a visa to Ghana, misplaced your tickets to Accra, didn't have an up-to-date yellow fever shot or for some other reason couldn't make it to Maker Faire Africa...Well lose that sad face, the feed is just beginning. It always seems that during amazing events like Maker Faire, the online coverage doesn't really get rolling until people get back to their home base and upload their photos and videos and write up their reflections.

Here are a few of the feeds that are worth watching regarding Maker Faire Africa. Afrigadget has had some great coverage of the lead up and goings on of the event. They are tagging their stories for easy retrieval with MFA09. Over at Twitter, the same tag turns up some great results.

Adam pointed us to the Maker Faire Africa pool on Flickr, and has picked out some great projects worth checking out.

Amy Smith's research group from MIT has an annual month-long international conference, which this year coincided with Maker Faire Africa. You can check out the IDDS blog for more day to day info on their gathering.

Erik Hersman who usually blogs on White African, has been writing on Afrigadget during Maker Faire Africa, also has a great collection of photos from the event on Flickr.

If you see something else, please mention it in the comments. If you went to Maker Faire Africa, drop a line with more stories of the great work that you saw and did and of course, the MAKE Flickr pool is hungry for your photos and video of the event.

August 17, 2009

Maker Faire Rhode Island

www.makerfaireri.com

My first visit to Rhode Island was in 1990. I vividly remember getting off I-95 at the downtown Providence exit and being confronted by a multi-story pile of dirt at the end of the ramp. I became lost as I wandered beneath the highway overpasses, challenged to find the heart of the city. After moving here for college in 1991, my quest expanded beyond Providence. Over time, I became captivated by the diversity of people and ideas that I discovered wandering through so many small towns mostly by bicycle and occasionally by car. Almost twenty years later, that pile of dirt is long gone, replaced by revitalized buildings and newly invigorated community, but I have found what I had been looking for. A spirit of creativity and fostering innovation, what Bert Crenca, founder of the local community arts organization AS220, has described as the "compost heap" of art, design, technology, science and more, has come to define my experience in my adopted home.

Maker Faire RI , for me, is a celebration of this innovative spirit and the impact it has on peoples' lives. In addition, it is a showcase for the cool projects people are working on in their garages and gardens, kitchens and basements, workshops and community centers. As an affiliate of MAKE Magazine and part of the larger Maker Faire community, we are bringing an event to Rhode Island and New England to gather together local Makers, Innovators, and Creative Thinkers. Our goal is to catalyze sharing of ideas, make connections between those with varied interests, and create opportunities for teaching and learning.

Maker Faire Rhode Island consists of a series of events organized by a dedicated team of volunteers and coordinated with other partner organizations. We begin with a kickoff party September 6th, during the Rocktucket Block Party, part of the Pawtucket Arts Festival.

The second event is a fundraiser for The Steel Yard in Providence, on September 12th. Come enjoy a family barbecue while watching local welders and artists compete for the title of Iron Chef Steel Yard.

From September 14th through the 17th, we have hands-on D.I.Y. workshops in Pawtucket at the Slater Mill, the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. An historic mill building and working museum steeped in the history of industry and innovation in this country, the Slater Mill workshops are a great opportunity to connect the history and future of innovation in America. We'll wrap up the workshops with a celebration at the art gallery and recording studio Machines With Magnets in Pawtucket.

Moving back to Providence on September 18th, we'll meet the Makers at JTJ Investment's Eco Office, at 27 Walcott St. This is the only "Net-Zero" office building in Rhode Island, and is the new home to a leading regional renewable energy concern, Alteris Renewables.

Finally, Makers will showcase their projects, gadgets, inventions, products, designs, technologies, fancy foods, and much more at the Maker Faire at Waterfire. With an audience ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 attendees, we expect to have a fantastic family friendly event.

The Iron Chef fundraiser requires a ticket purchase. All other events are free to attend. Workshop instructors may provide kits for sale at the Slater Mill D.I.Y. workshops.

Radio Maker Faire Africa

Hayford Bempong, David Celestin and Michael Amankwanor from Accra Polytechnic set up a local Maker Faire Africa radio station. The group announced upcoming activities, broadcasting at 101.7 FM, and could be heard up to a couple thousand meters away using gear they designed and fabricated from scratch.

[via AfriGadget]

Maker Faire Africa Flickr pool

Congratulations to the MFA 2009 crew!

From the Maker Faire Africa Flickr pool

Bicycle hacksaw [above, top-left]

Plastic recycling press [above, top-right]

Air food cooler [above, bottom-left]

Local chlorine production [above, bottom-right]

August 7, 2009

Mini Maker Faire Summer Series

MAKE's most wonderful editorial assistant, Laura Cochrane, has been helping us host a series of Mini Maker Faires this summer. Here she files a little report about last weekend's event, held at Copperfield's Books in Petaluma, CA. The video was shot by Brian Rawson for Copperfield's. - Gareth

Last Saturday, I helped out at the Mini Maker Faire that was held in a local bookstore in Petaluma, CA. This was one in a series of Mini Maker Faires that we've held this summer in and around MAKE's hometown of Sebastopol, CA.

I was making toothbrush bristlebots and LED throwies along with one of the Make: Labs engineering interns, Eric Chu. Other makers that came out on Saturday included David Nutty, working with basic electronics; Elaine Barr, cranking out some sweet t-shirt stenciling; Terry Reilly with High Tech Bikes, showing solar and dual motor bikes; Peggy Jo Ackley crafting collage greeting cards; and Brad Prather with his fun, quirky solar gadgets. All in all, it was a stellar lineup, and the day was a huge success.

The bristlebots project was probably the most involved, and I'll be honest - this was my first time making one. The step that I (and seemingly everyone else) found the most challenging was making a solid connection between the end of the stripped wire and the contacts on the pager motor. We weren't soldering, so we used conductive tape instead, which unfortunately, isn't very sticky! That fact, combined with the fine motor skills required to manipulate the wire and tape on the tiny motor contact, made this step a real challenge. I ended up making two bristlebots, and I used regular tape on my second generation, which seemed to be a better option, given what we had to work with.

The final Mini Maker Faire is this Saturday, Aug. 8, at Copperfield's Books in Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa, CA. It runs 11am to 1pm. Stop by if you're in the area!

Featured makers: Bob Peak from Beverage People with a cheese making demonstration, David Nutty demonstrating the basics of electronics, Brookelynn Morris with needle felting, the MAKE team making bristlebots and LED throwies, Francois Cordesse with astronomy gadgets, and Community Bikes, showing you how to fix your bike.

August 4, 2009

The boy who harnessed the wind

Here's a charming, inspiring little intro to the documentary about William Kamkwamba, the Malawian teen who got a book out of the library on windmills (which had pictures of the them, but no tech details) and figured out how to build his own to bring electrical power to his family.

William will be participating in Maker Faire Africa.

William Kamkwamba is Coming to Maker Faire Africa

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