Today’s guide is for the makers in your life that like to take photos, build things, learn and take photos… I tried to include a little of everything, as always post up in the comments if I missed a good maker-like service or something that gives all year!
TechShop membership – The best gift for a Bay Area maker!
Price: $100+
Buy: TechShop – Link.
Give a month or year of making things! TechShop is a fully-equipped open-access workshop and creative environment that lets you drop in any time and work on your own projects at your own pace. It is like a health club with tools and equipment instead of exercise equipment…or a Kinko’s for geeks. TechShop was founded in 2006 by Jim Newton, a lifetime maker, veteran BattleBots builder and former MythBuster. TechShop is located in Menlo Park, California, on the San Francisco peninsula 25 miles south of San Francisco. Anyone can come in and build and make all kinds of things themselves using the TechShop tools, machines and equipment, and draw on the TechShop instructors and experts to help them with their projects.
SmartFlix – give the gift of learning and HOW-TO DVDs!
Price: $10+
Buy: SmartFlix – Link.
SmartFlix is a service that rents DVDs – just like your corner video store – but they rent the kind of videos that you can’t find on every street corner. Videos on running lathes, making glass beads, welding steel, oil painting, building guitars… cool videos! SmartFlix began serving hobbyists and hardware hackers in early 2003, and there is now a special “MAKE” section too (MAKE is an affiliate).
Flickr pro – share photos, projects and more!
Price: $24.95
Buy: Flickr – Link.
A lot of makers use Flickr to post their photos and share in our MAKE Flickr photo pool. A pro account gives your photo taking maker unlimited uploads, storage, bandwidth and photo sets (along with ad-free browsing and other pro features).
A year of MAKE – gift a year of MAKE
Price: $29.95
Buy: Maker store – Link.
The first magazine devoted to digital projects, hardware hacks, and D.I.Y. inspiration. MAKE brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. Give the gift of MAKE that will be enjoyed all year long with a gift subscription! (use code CMAKE for $5 off USD).
Ponoko – Laser cutting…
Price: Depends on project, etc…
Buy: Ponoko – Link.
Ponoko doesn’t have gift certificates (yet) but it’s pretty easy to design something and then have it sent to someone or have it sent to yourself and then give it as a gift… Might need to wait until after the holidays, but if you’re not near TechShop in the Bay Area, CA (USA) this is the next best thing (Ponoko is a MAKE podcast sponsor, but we’d suggest this any way). Above, an iPhone stand I made.
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