Month: April 2010

Built a clever gizmo?  Wanna sell it online?  Got a contest for ya

Built a clever gizmo? Wanna sell it online? Got a contest for ya

Have you built, or have you got a wicked scheme to build, an electronic gizmo you might want to sell? Well, as of today–together with Design News–we’re launching our first “Gadget Freak” contest seeking the cleverest, best-documented, and most marketable homemade gadget build. There’s a bunch of fine print, of course, but here’s the basics: The first place winner gets a thousand bucks plus a chance to sell their winning gadget through Makers Market Second- and third-place winners get $500 and $100, respectively. “Gadget,” for contest purposes, means an electronic device with sensing, motion, timing and/or networking elements. Entry form is here. Runs through July 13, California time.

Earth Day 2010: Caring for things

Earth Day 2010: Caring for things

Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios. — John Prine For Earth Day 2010, iFixit.com has announced an ambitious goal: To teach every person on Earth how to fix each thing they own. To that end, iFixit has expanded their wiki-like platform for online repair manuals beyond the Apple product line. In this […]

MAKE Volume 22: Remote Control

MAKE Volume 22 is on newsstands now! Automate your world with remote control. From pet care to power outlets, from toys to telepresence, we’ll show you how to add a joystick, push-button, twist-knob, or timer to just about anything. Remote control projects in MAKE Volume 22 include: The Lawnbot400 R/C lawn mower–sit back and enjoy […]

Modkit at Cambridge Mini Maker Faire

Ed Baafi has been working up Modkit, a great new interface that combines the language Scratch with the ability to write programs for the Arduino. Like Scratch, Modkit provides the user with clickable and expandable code blocks. When you have the program the way you want it, you send it down to your Arduino board and test it out. All those fussy semicolons and syntax are handled automatically, no typing required.