House of Reboot Shirt Not Cheap but Built to Last. Prices Vary.
The House of Reboot makes sturdy, simple, classic shirts from vintage deadstock fabric on antique industrial sewing machines. I got myself this thick wool shirt at World Maker Faire in NYC and am putting a denim model made from old Folsom State Prison uniforms on my wish list. I expect them to be passed on for a few generations.
Notebook for Mobile Hacking $220
I love luxury devices from Apple, but sometimes you just need a cheap, rough and tumble machine to use for hardware hacking on the go. For this, I use my Asus eee PC netbook. For about $200, I can now program Arduino when I’m on the road with a lightweight machine that gets great battery life.
Raspberry Pi Case $65
Sure it costs twice as much as the Raspberry Pi itself, but if you are using your Pi in a public installation or other semi-permanent way this is a beautiful way to encase it. I like knowing that my Pi is now as safe and sturdy as can be. Plus, the solid billet aluminum acts as a heat sync for the board.
Unbored $16.50
I’m only slightly biased (I contributed three projects to this book, including the remote controlled waterblaster pictured below) when I say this is the most jam-packed, subversive, ennui-slaying companion guide for kids (and kids-at-heart) who want to be inspired to have interesting and fun adventures at the turn of a page.
Alpha Clock Five $175
A big, beautiful clock that celebrates its digital nature with large seven-segment displays, the Alpha Clock Five makes me feel like the commander of a futuristic craft. Plus, it’s programmable, so you can use it to display messages more interesting than the current time.
Art Controller Relay Board $17.95
Want a way to ease into physical computing? Build the Art Controller Relay Board kit, then you can start powering lights and motors on a simple-to-use timing circuit, or using external buttons or switches. My kids like to dream up interactive projects with lights and motors on a moments notice, this board will help us build those when they aren’t feeling patient enough for a bit of Arduino programming.
I got one of these kits for my kids and they love to play around with it, exploring magnetic, stress-free electronic circuit creation. Think “Radio Shack 150-in-1 kit” freed from the constraints of its chassis.
I covet the Gerster wooden toolchests. With its hefty pricetag, however, I sure would feel better about building my own. This kit allows just that, plus the sense of accomplishment and pride of craftsmanship in doing it yourself!
Philips Hue Connected Bulb Starter Pack $199.95
Zig-bee protocol LED lightbulbs from Philips! With the included mobile app for controlling your home lighting, the hue system comes with a small router and three bulbs to get you started. The real fun will begin once you’ve hacked it to match the color of your shirt whenever you enter the room…
Behmor Coffee Brewer $199
I roast coffee once a week in my Behmor coffee roaster, now, Behmor has come out with a high-quality, temperature- and altitude-controlled drip brewer. Want!
Brydge iPad Keyboard $150-$210
I feel like I’m slowly piecing together the perfect mobile device for writing notes, reading reference, playing games, viewing video, and being generally productive on the go. It may not be how Apple wanted me to do it, but by pairing an iPad with the Brydge keyboard I now have the touch tablet of my dreams. I love how solid and secure it feels in my hand when folded closed, and prefer the real keys of its Bluetooth keyboard to the virtual kind any day. Use coupon code HOLIDAYGYFT for added savings.
Adding numeric displays to your Arduino projects is easy with the Digit Shield. I’m building a digital ultrasonic tape measure robot with mine. What will you do with yours?
Just Ducky Bungee Cords $24.40 for 4-pack
These non-scratching, loop-ended bungee cords are incredibly handy and versatile. I like that I can securely loop one end around large anchor points when lashing things in the garage or in my car trunk.
Makey Makey $49.95
My daughter and I used this to build a horsetail-grass and papyrus drum machine, and you can too! Turns any conductive object into a potential switch, uses no special drivers, the MaKey MaKey simply appears to your computer as the arrow keys, mouse click, spacebar, and other keys simply by plunging it in.
Garret-Wade Odd Job $35.70 for 6-inch rule
This measuring multitasker has a place in any shop-owners toolkit. Allows you to measure lengths, miters, squares, scribe, plumb and more.
Technivorm Moccamaster. There is no substitute.