Month: January 2010

Maker Birthdays: Douglas Engelbart

I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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@seanragan

January 29th, 2010 0

Chances are you have Douglas C. Engelbart to thank for what you’re holding in your hand right now.

I’m talking about your computer mouse, of course.

Dr. Engelbart was born on this date in 1925. In 1967, while working at the prestigious Stanford Research Institute, he applied for a patent on an “X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System,” which issued in 1970, although, per his Wikipedia article, he never actually received any royalties on it. He has been widely honored for his contributions to human-computer interface development.

Dr. Engelbart has four children and nine grandchildren, and today he’s 85. Congratulations and happy birthday, sir!

Sharpsicord like a giant music box

By Matt Mets

Matt Mets

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January 29th, 2010 6

Henry Dagg made this giant metallic instrument, and calls it the Sharpsicord.

Craft Space: Nikol Lohr

By nataliezdrieu

nataliezdrieu

Editor-in-Chief of CRAFT, www.craftzine.com

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@coquette

January 29th, 2010 14

Nikol Lohr of The Thrifty Knitter gives us a glimpse of her crafty life at the Harveyville Project. Read on after the jump for more photos and a Q&A with Nikol!

How-To: Felt Owl Brooch

By rachelhobson

rachelhobson

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@avgjanecrafter

January 29th, 2010 6

You’ll be able to whip up this cute little felt owl brooch in a snap with the help of this fun tutorial from Laura of Bugs and Fishes by Lupin.

Creating an “E-Tractor”

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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@garethb2

January 29th, 2010 0

Students at Bonham ISD High School, in Bonham, TX, are turning this old on tractor, donated to them by the Ivanhoe Christmas Tree Farm, into their Electric Vehicle Project for the 2009/2010 school year. Plans are to use the tractor in a farm tractor driving certification/safety course. Primary charging of the E-Tractor will be via […]

“Cutest trailer in the known universe”

By Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn

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@garethb2

January 29th, 2010 16

On the blog Stuff I Like, they posted this heartbreakingly cute vintage trailer they saw while vacationing at Calaveras Big Trees. Talk about efficient use of space. The Cutest Trailer You Ever Saw

Spool Quilt Tutorial

By Arwen O'Reilly Griffith

Arwen O'Reilly Griffith

View more articles by Arwen O'Reilly Griffith

January 29th, 2010 0

Having finished my first quilt a few months ago, I’ve been wanting to tackle another project and have been looking for the right design. I love this abstracted spool quilt from Freda’s Hive; even better, there’s a tutorial showing how to put it together! This would actually be lovely as a small wall-hanging in a […]

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