MAKE Newsletter for October 30, 2008
Hey Makers!
The MAKE & CRAFT teams are just getting back and catching up from our time in Austin, Texas, for Maker Faire Austin 2008. It was incredible! Hundreds of Makers, tens of thousands of attendees -- one of the best Maker Faires yet!
More than any other Maker Faire I've seen so far, there were families spending more time on things that give value back: moms and dads doing electronics with their daughters and sons, and kids showing their parents around Maker Faire and sending photos to friends about stuff they want to make.
I saw an elderly couple who explored on their own as their grand kids played. They were maybe in their 80s with their walkers, as they inched their way towards the RoboGames arena to see the giant singing Tesla coil. The fellow stopped and his wife moved along until she realized he was frozen still; I saw this and was a worried, thinking maybe he was ill, but before I could even react, she shouted "What's wrong?" He hollered back, "COOL OVERLOAD!" and then continued to advance.
There are thousands of stories like this that come out of Maker Faire, but the ones I think about the most are the ones that parents tell me: they bring their kids to these events and months later they are more interested in science and engineering than they ever had been before. Dozens have told me that their high school-aged kids are going off to school to become technologists and scientists after they were "infected" with the "curiosity disease" at Maker Faire. None of us on the team are going to run for president or hold a political office, we're not going to be able to pass any laws or get funding for all the challenges ahead, but Maker Faire is our big bet. We're a small team that works ourselves to exhaustion to spark minds. Everyone has a role they can play, and everyone can do something to make the world a better place.
While we were at the Faire, a lot of Makers from around the world, who couldn't be there, wanted to join in on the fun, so when we got back we put together a "Best of Maker Faire" from the Maker Shed. Below you'll find what the Makers in Austin picked up in our Maker Shed, and we're offering a 10% discount and/or free shipping depending on your order.
In the next few weeks we'll be posting video (in HD) of Maker Faire; once it's all up, we'll send out a note so you can check that out too.
Enjoy the sale and chat with you soon!
Cheers,
pt
Phillip Torrone
Senior Editor, MAKE Magazine
From the MAKE Blog
Best of Maker Faire - The Maker Shed Essentials
More product picks from the Maker Shed @ Maker Faire special prices. The week is winding down, so if you've been pondering a purchase, be sure not to miss out!
Here's the deal: Enter in MAKER to get 10% off any of these books or if you spend more than $80 enter in FAIRE after and get free shipping on orders over $80 (post discount, of course). Either of these codes will work independently from one another as well as together.
Maker's Notebook - From the creators of MAKE & CRAFT magazines comes the Maker's Notebook. Put your own ideas, diagrams, calculations, notes down in these 150 pages of engineering graph paper. We've also included 20 bonus pages of reference material, from useful stuff like electronics symbols, resistor codes, weights and measures, basic conversions and more, to really useful stuff like the amount of caffeine in different caffeinated beverages and how to say "Hello, World!" in various computer languages. The cover of this hardcover book is printed in "Maker" blue with a white grid embossed front and back. Grab one today!
- Notebooks are 1/8" engineering graph paper.
- Pages are numbered.
- Every page has a blank heading to list project name, date, sign, or note, and a place to link project/related pages ("From Page___ to Page___).
- There's also a two-page ruled Table of Contents.
- Bonus for MakerShed customers only: Every notebook comes with our custom stickers and band, created just for Maker Faire!
Maker Faire Hoodie
Super heavyweight fleece pullover hoodie. This high quality SportTek sweatshirt from Port Authority is all you need to take the
edge off those cold nights and days. This sweatshirt rocked the Maker Faire!
- 12-ounce, cross grain, 80/20 ring spun combed cotton/poly
- 2x2 rib knit cuffs and waistband with spandex
- Rib knit side gussets
- Contrast twill tape in neck
- Front pouch pocket
Maker Bundle #1
We've had several neat projects over the years, and we're proud that Solarbotics has created a cool bundle kit to provide parts for completing them. In this great bundle you'll find what you need to build the Mousey (Make Issue #02), Trimit (Issue #06), SolarRoller (Issue #06), and Beetlebot (#12). Get this bundle and save over $20 compared to buying these kits separately.
Make: Project Tin - Perfect for many electronics projects, this mint tin is branded with our MAKE motto: "If You Can't Open It, You Don't Own It."
We even took out those pesky mints! Get 'em while they last and send us your project photos!
MAKE: Void Your Warranty T-Shirt
New Colors: White - Olive Green - Royal Blue!
"MAKE: Void your warranty, violate a user agreement, fry a circuit, blow a fuse, poke an eye out..."
Available in 8 colors and more sizes! Also available in women's.
Add $1 per each upsize.
Don't forget: Use the coupon code "MAKER" to get 10% off any of the above picks, and if you spend more than $80 (after discount), enter the additional code "FAIRE" and score free shipping to boot. Either of these codes will work by themselves or together.
Nothing here float yer boat? Check back tomorrow when we'll be showing off another roundup of fine Shed products.
Best of Maker Faire: The Maker Shed's Hottest Books
Everyday this week we're having specials in the Maker Shed store for those who weren't able to make it out to Maker Faire Austin. Today we're featuring five of the best books people were picking up at the Faire.
Here's how it works: Enter in MAKER to get 10% off any of these books and if you spend more than $80, enter in FAIRE after and get free shipping on orders over $80 (post discount, of course). Either of these codes will work independently from one another as well as together.
Getting Started with Arduino - This valuable little book offers a thorough introduction to the open
source electronics prototyping platform that's taking the design and
hobbyist world by storm. Getting Started with Arduino gives you lots
of ideas for projects and helps you get going on them right away. To
use the introductory examples in this book, all you need is a USB
Arduino, USB A-B cable, and an LED. By Massimo Banzi, co-founder of the Arduino Project.
- Interaction design and physical computing
- The Arduino hardware and software development environment
- Basics of electricity and electronics
- Prototyping on a solderless breadboard
- Drawing a schematic diagram
MAKE Halloween Special Edition - Last fall we released a special Halloween edition of MAKE. We sold thousands. Our warehouse gang tell us we still have some remaining stock. Here's your chance to get this classic!
DIY HALLOWEEN from the editors of MAKE and CRAFT brings you 40-plus DIY projects for the holiday that's made for makers. From the craftiest costumes to amazing animated props and the latest in computer-controlled haunted house effects.
- Headless Marie Antoinette costume
- Mechanical ghosts and ghouls
- LED and laser jack-o'-lanterns
- Creature makeup and blood-spurting wounds
- DIY coffins and tombstones
- T. Rex rooftopper
- Flaming LED skulls Kid-tested haunted house tricks
- A special "Ghoulbox" section with Halloween kits, tools, and gadgets.
- Plus demonic decorations, hideous party snacks, and profiles of extraordinary makers and their creepy crafts.
Making Things Talk - Programming microcontrollers used to require an expensive development environment costing thousands of dollars and requiring professional electrical engineering expertise. Open-source physical computing platforms with simple i/o boards and development environments have led to new options for hobbyists, hackers, and makers. This book contains a series of projects that teach you what you need to know to get your creations talking to each other, connecting to the web, and forming networks of smart devices. Read reviews here and here.
Best of MAKE - After two years, MAKE has become one of most celebrated new magazines to hit the newsstands, and certainly one of the hottest reads. If you're just catching on to the MAKE phenomenon and wonder what you've missed, this book contains the best DIY projects from the magazine's first 10 volumes -- a surefire collection of fun and challenging activities going back to MAKE's launch in early 2005.
- Hack your gadgets and toys
- Program micontrollers to sense and react to things
- Take flight with rockets, planes, and other projectiles
- Make music from the most surprising of things
- Find new ways to take photos and make video
- Outfit yourself with the coolest tools
Fashioning Technology - Ready to take your craft projects to the next level? With "smart" materials, unorthodox assembly techniques, and the right tools, you can create accessories, housewares, and toys that light up, make sounds, or do even more. Fashioning Technology offers jargon-free primers and lots of how-to projects that will have you making -- and even wearing -- functional works of art.
This book demonstrates how to blend sewing and assembly techniques with traditional electronics to assemble simple circuits using conductive thread, solder joints for snaps, and switches for buttons. With the sewing machine as a viable substitute for the soldering iron, you can craft a new generation of objects that are interactive, quirky, and fashion-conscious.
- An invaluable reference section that breaks down the materials, components, and tools with clear, concise explanations and photos
- A wide range of projects, including electronic accessories, interactive plush toys, and color-changing blinds, all using diverse crafting techniques
- Techniques for seasoned crafters interested in incorporating simple electronics into their own projects
- Methods for makers proficient in electronics who are looking for unconventional ways to create novel projects
Each project encourages you to personalize and customize using your own designs, materials, and craft skills. Fashioning Technology translates traditional electronics into fun, fashionable interactive projects for the geek, fashionista, and the craft aficionado alike. Now you really can be the flashiest dresser in town.
Don't forget, use the coupon code "MAKER" to get 10% off any of these books, and if you spend more than $80 (after discount), enter the additional code "FAIRE" and score free shipping to boot. Either of these codes will work by themselves or together.
If you've already covered the above text topics, and long for different deals - be sure to check back in Friday!
Best of Maker Faire - The Maker Shed's Most Popular Kits
A lot of folks who weren't in the Austin, Texas, area last week for Maker Faire Austin 2008 wanted some of the deals we had at the Maker Shed Store, so for the rest of the week we're going to have a post each day with some of the specials. Here are 5 of the most popular products from the store along with some discounts!
Enter in MAKER to get 10% off any of these kits in the Maker Shed right now or if you spend more than $80, enter in FAIRE after and get free shipping on orders over $80 (post discount of course). Either of these codes will work independently from one another as well as together.
DIY Electronics Kit Harness the power of the electron! Create games, toys, and contraptions with these fundamental components. Follow the easy instructions to make a light detector, LED flasher, noisemaker, and more! Once you master the basics, you'll be ready to create your own! Everything you need to get started is right in the box, including switches, buttons, diodes, capacitors, transistors, and regulators. Learn the amazing concepts of resistance, capacitance, voltage, and current with the step-by-step project manual. Soon, you will be the electronics wizard! Great introduction to electronics for all ages.
Animated Ghost Kit Grab this cool kit for Halloween. Sound activated, the ghost flashes his little red LED eyes, vibrates, and makes scary sounds!
Easy and fun to build. Hack it!
- Ghost responds to sudden noises
- Adjustable sensitivity
- Battery operation: 2xAAA battery (not included)
- Soldering required
- Dimensions: 137x68x50mm
MintyBoost 2.0 Kit Build your own MintyBoost: a small & simple (but very powerful and very MAKE-like) USB charger for your iPod (or other MP3 player), camera, cellphone, and any other gadget you can plug into a USB port to charge.
- The charger circuitry and 2 AA batteries fit into an Altoids gum tin, and will run your iPod for hours, 2.5x more than you'd get from a 9V USB charger! You can use rechargable batteries too.
- Tested with iPod nano/mini/photo/video/shuffle, Blackberry, iPaq, LuxPro Tangent, Rio Carbon, Samsung T809, and more.
- Uses 2 AA batteries (not included), more than doubles your iPod 4G/5G battery life!
- Some soldering is necessary, but even if you've never soldered before it should be pretty easy.
- Batteries and tin not included. If you live in an area that doesn't have Altoids gum, you can buy a tin (including the gum) from us.
Diet Coke and Mentos Kit Recreate the internet sensation in your own backyard! Fresh from their performance at the 2008 Maker Faires, the guys at EepyBird have hand crafted replica PVC nozzles just like the ones they use themselves. Each kit contains a variety of nozzle cuts to give you the coolest, highest-shooting geysers. We'll even throw in a pack of Mentos to get you started (Diet Coke not included). Check out EepyBird videos here. Thanks again for another great show guys!
Arduino Starter Kit Arduino is a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than your desktop computer. It's an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board, and a development environment for writing software for the board. Arduino is open source! We've put together our own Arduino Starter Kit, tossed in our bestselling Making Things Talk book, wrapped it up in some cool packaging so you can get started quickly without having to do a lot of shopping first.
- 1x Arduino Diecimila
- 1x Mini Breadboard
- 1x 3ft USB Cable
- 10x 1K Resistors
- 2x 10K Resistors
- 3x Red LEDs
- 2x Green LEDs
- 1X Superbright Blue LED
- 1x Momentary Tactile Switch
- 2x Interlink Force Sensing Resistors
- 1x Protoshield Kit (unassembled)
- Making Things Talk by Tom Igoe
- 24" each of Red, Blue & Black AWG jumper wire
- 9V Battery Case w/DC Plug (some assembly required)
- Yes, even a 9V battery
Remember: Enter in MAKER to get 10% off any of these kits, and if you spend more than $80, enter in FAIRE after and get free shipping on orders over $80 (post discount of course). Either of these codes will work independently from one another as well as together.
If these kits don't float your boat stop back tomorrow around the same time for more!
