Calling all gadget freaks!
Contest ends July 13th - get your entries in now!

Can you build a cool gadget that you think you could sell?

Check out the MAKE/Design News Gadget Freak Design Contest, Sponsored by Alibre, Allied Electronics, and Texas Instruments. Create a gadget and document your build. Important:  Your gadget must incorporate electronic components and involve sensing, motion, timing and/or networking elements). The Contest winner gets $1000 and a chance to sell their gadget in kit form in the Makers Market (with setup and monthly fees waived for 6 months).

How to Enter

To enter in the Gadget Freak Design Contest, click on the "Enter Here" link below. You will be asked to include a project description/build instructions/bill of materials and visual documentation of your gadget. Please note that video is not required but strongly recommended. Be sure to add your project photos to the contest Flickr group so you can share your awesome ideas with the world.

Gadget Freak Design Contest - Enter Here!!

Amazing Prizes!

Grand Prize (1 Winner) - $1,000 in the form of a pre-paid credit card + A storefront in the Makers Market*
Second Prize (1 Winner) - $500 in the form of a pre-paid credit card.
Third Prize (2 Winners) - $100 Maker Shed Gift Certificate
*For full details please see the Official Rules below

Gadget Freak Inspiration

Check out the video of this golfing gadget!

To check out more gadgets (like the ones below), click here

Makers Market - Now Open!

What is it you ask? Makers Market is a curated Bazaar of wonderful science, tech, and artistic inspirations uncovered by the staff of Make:

Free stuff to help you get started!
You might already have a project ready to submit. If you don't, we've got some free goodies that you can choose to use to help design something. Contest sponsor Alibre, Inc. is giving all MAKE readers and contest entrants FREE access to its 3D design software, Alibre Design, for the duration of the contest. Visualizing your sweet ideas in 3D is a great way to turn them into reality and make them perfect. If you want to get your hands on some free software, click here!

Official Rules

Sponsored by MAKE, Design News, Alibre, Allied Electronics, and Texas Instruments.

This promotion is intended for play and participation in the United States only and shall be construed and evaluated according to the laws of the United States. Please do not participate if you are not a legal resident of the United States and located in the United States at the time of entry.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. CONTEST OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHO ARE OF THE AGE OF MAJORITY IN THEIR STATE OF RESIDENCE AT THE TIME OF ENTRY (19 OR OLDER IN AL AND NE, 18 OR OLDER IN ALL OTHER STATES). VOID OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES AND WHERE OTHERWISE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Important: Please read these Official Rules before entering the Gadget Freak Design Contest (the "Contest") sponsored by O’Reilly Media, Inc. (MAKE), Design News, Alibre, Allied Electronics, and Texas Instruments (each a “Sponsor” and collectively the “Sponsors”).

1. BINDING AGREEMENT: In order to enter the Contest, you must agree to these Official Rules ("Rules"). The Rules consist of the terms and conditions on this page and the Contest Entry Form. Because you will be bound by these Rules and these Rules will form a legally binding agreement with respect to this Contest, please read them carefully. You may not submit an Entry (as defined in Section 3 below) unless you agree to these Rules. You agree that participation in this Contest and/or submission of an Entry in the Contest constitutes your full and unconditional agreement to these Rules and Sponsors’ decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest.
2. ELIGIBILITY: Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are of the age of majority in their state of residence (19 or older in AL and NE, 18 or older in all other states) at the time of entry. Employees, directors and officers of Sponsors, their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, distributors, retailers, contractors, agents, advertising and promotional agencies, and members of their immediate family (spouse, parents, children, sibling and their respective spouse) are not eligible to participate. Void outside of the United States and where otherwise prohibited by law. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.
3. HOW TO ENTER: Contest begins at 12:01 a.m. PDT on April 21, 2010 and will end at 11:59 p.m. PDT on July 13, 2010 (the "Contest Period"). During the Contest Period, participants are invited to design a gadget and provide instructions on how to build it ("Project"). Important: Submitted Projects must incorporate electronic components and involve sensing, motion, timing and/or networking elements. To enter the Contest, please visit the Contest landing page at http://makezine.com/gadgetfreakcontest/ and fill out the Contest entry web form ("Contest Entry Form"). The Contest Entry Form will provide participants with instructions on how to participate in the Contest and will include a parts list, schematic, and URL information for submitting photos and video documentation. Please note that video documentation is not required but strongly recommended. Project photos should be submitted to the contest Flickr group pool (http://www.flickr.com/groups/gadgetfreakcontestonmake/ ). The Contest Entry Form, the Project and any other documentation and materials submitted in connection with the Contest are collectively hereinafter referred to as "Entry". Automated Entries are prohibited, and any use of automated devices will cause disqualification. You may enter as many times as you wish, but please do not submit duplicate or substantially similar Projects. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. PDT on July 13, 2010 to be eligible for the Contest. All Entries become the property of Sponsors and none will be returned. Should multiple users of the same e-mail account enter the Contest and a dispute thereafter arise regarding the identity of the contestant, the authorized account holder of said e-mail account at the time of entry will the considered the entrant. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider or other organization which is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses or the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Please see the privacy policy located at http://oreilly.com/oreilly/privacy.csp for details of MAKE’s policy regarding the use of personal information collected in connection with this Contest. Email addresses obtained through the Contest will only be used by Sponsors to notify the winners and contestants of the Contest results, unless contestants elect to "opt in" to a particular use of his/her email address when submitting the Contest Entry Form. Entries must be in English. Each Entry must be the original work of the submitting contestant; created solely by the submitting contestant, must not have been submitted in any other competition and won previous awards; must not have been previously published or marketed; must not infringe third-party rights of any third party, including but not limited to copyright, trademark and right of privacy and publicity
4. WINNERS SELECTION: All Entries will be judged by a qualified panel of 4 judges (2 from MAKE and 2 from Design News) selected by Sponsors based on the following judging criteria: (a) creativity & originality: 40%, (b) quality of documentation and how-to instructions, (e.g. clear build instructions, parts list, photographs, videos, etc.): 40%, and (c) marketability: 20%. The contestant with the Entry with the highest total score among all judging criteria will be the potential Grand Prize Winner, subject to verification. The next contestant with the Entry with the next highest total score will be the potential Second Prize Winner, and the next two contestants with Entries with the next highest total scores will be the two Third Prize Winners, subject to verification. The Grand Prize Winner, the Second Prize Winner and the Third Prize Winners are collectively hereinafter referred to as "Winners". In the event of a tie, tie breaker will be based upon the highest score in the first judging criteria, continuing thereafter to each judging criteria in order, as needed, to break the tie. The decisions of the judging panel will be issued no later than July 27, 2010, and will be final and binding on all matters relating to the Contest.
5. WINNER NOTIFICATION: Each Winner will be notified by email on or about July 27, 2010. Sponsors are not responsible for any change of contestant's email address. Any prize or prize notification returned as undeliverable or otherwise not claimed within seven (7) days after notification of prize award will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate winner. Each Winner may be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility and publicity, liability and other release within seven (7) days of notification attempt or prize will be forfeited and an alternate Winner will be selected.
6. PRIZES: One (1) Grand Prize Winner, one Second Prize Winner, and two (2) Third Prize Winners will be awarded as follows:
   • Grand Prize (1): Grand Prize Winner will receive $1,000 in the form of a pre-paid gift card. The Grand Prize Winner will also be offered the opportunity to sell his/her winning gadget as a kit in the Makers Market with startup and monthly fees waived for 6 months. Winner must abide by all Makers Market rules and regulations. Total estimated retail value of Grand Prize is $1,165.
   • Second Prize (1): Second Prize Winner will receive $500 in the form of a pre-paid gift card.
   • Third Prize (2): Third Prize Winners will each receive a $100 gift certificate redeemable at www.makershed.com.>
   Estimated total value of all prizes: US $1,865. All prizes amounts are in US dollars. All prizes will be awarded, provided they are properly claimed. Prizes are not transferable. No cash redemptions. No substitutions or exchanges of the prizes will be permitted, except that Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for any prize that becomes unavailable. The prizes are awarded \"as is\" and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, (including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose). Acceptance or use of prize is at Winners' own risk. Allow 4-6 weeks for receipt or arrangement of receipt of prize. All federal, state, and local taxes are the responsibility of the Winners. Limit one prize per household.
7. GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION: By submitting an Entry, you represent and warrant that: you are the sole owner of all rights in and to the materials that constitute your Entry; your Entry is your original work; you are the photographer of any photos submitted, videographer of any videos submitted, and the author of any written materials submitted; your Entry does not violate laws prohibiting copyright or trademark infringement, defamation, misuse of trade secrets, invasion of privacy, or other laws; and use of your Entry by Sponsors will not infringe on the rights of any third parties. By submitting an Entry, you grant Sponsors and their agents the irrevocable and perpetual nonexclusive right to print, publish, reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, promote, and provide access to any such Entry, in all media throughout the world, and without consideration to you. By submitting an Entry, you agree that your submission is gratuitous and made without restriction and will not place Sponsors under any obligation, and that Sponsors are free to disclose or otherwise disclose the ideas contained in the Entry on a non-confidential basis to anyone or otherwise use the ideas without any additional compensation to you. You acknowledge that, by acceptance of your Entry, Sponsors do not waive any rights to use similar or related ideas previously known to Sponsors, or developed by their employees, or obtained from sources other than you. Except where prohibited by law, submission of an Entry into the Contest constitutes permission to use your name, likeness, Entry submission materials, and/or prize information, in any and all media without territorial or time limitation, for any advertising, promotional, or any other purpose related to the Contest; or to use of the Entry by Sponsors or their agents, without further compensation to, or permission from, you. You further agree to confirm any of the above in writing upon Sponsors' request.
8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Sponsors and any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, professional advisors, employees, and agencies will not be responsible for (1) any late, lost, or misrouted entries or errors in transmission; (2) any disruptions to Internet connection, injuries, losses, or damages caused by events beyond the control of Sponsors; or (3) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest. Sponsors and their agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, or telephone malfunctions of any kind and shall not be liable for failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled, or delayed electronic communications utilized in this Contest which may limit the ability to participate in the Contest. If for any reason, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause beyond the control of Sponsors, which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, the Contest is not capable of being conducted as described in these rules, Sponsors shall have the right, at their sole discretion, to modify and/or cancel the Contest. By entering the Contest, submitting an Entry and/or accepting a prize, you release Sponsors and any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agencies (collectively, the \"Released Parties\") from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, for any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or acceptance, possession, use and/or misuse of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses, and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional) whether under a theory of contract, warranty, tort (including negligence, whether active, passive, or imputed), strict liability, product liability, contribution, or any other theory.
9. GOVERNING LAW: The Contest will be governed, construed, and interpreted under the laws of the United States. Participants who violate these Rules, tamper with the operation of the Contest, or engage in any conduct that is detrimental to Sponsors, the Contest, or any other participant (as determined in Sponsors' sole discretion) are subject to disqualification. By entering the Contest participants agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Rules, participant's rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsors in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of California or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California. Participants further consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state and local courts located in San Francisco, California.
10. WINNER\'S LIST: A list of Prize winners will be posted at http://makezine.com/gadgetfreakcontest/ for a period of six months after the end of the Contest.
11. SPONSORS’ ADDRESS:
    • O'Reilly Media, Inc. (MAKE), 1005 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol, CA 95472.
    • Design News, 33 Hayden Ave, Lexington, MA 02421
    • Alibre, 2350 Campbell Creek Blvd, Suite 100, Richardson, TX 75082
    • Allied Electronics, 7151 Jack Newell Blvd. South, Fort Worth, TX 76118
    • Texas Instruments, 12500 TI Blvd. Dallas, TX 75243

The Contest and all accompanying materials are copyright © 2010 O'Reilly Media, Inc.

The MAKE logo is a registered trademark of O'Reilly Media, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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