Where the real innovation happens

Nice article on Forbes with Tim (MAKE granddaddy) and Maker Faire mention…Where the real innovation happens via .

So where’s the alpha-geek innovation happening today?

I see it bubbling up in areas like manufacturing, open-source hardware, sensor networks and robotics.

Yes, there are start-ups in these areas, but, more important, there’s an enthusiast boom. The Maker Faire, an event O’Reilly Media launched in 2006 to celebrate the people playing at the interface of digital technology and the physical world, last year drew 65,000 attendees, including many families, to view the work of the 500 exhibiting “makers.”

Or consider synthetic biology, where high school students are exploring the frontiers through events like the International Genetically Engineered Machines competition. When high-schoolers are doing genetic engineering, you know the future holds some big surprises!

We see innovators working from the outside to put flesh on the vision of government transparency articulated by the Obama administration. Software “hacks,” like chicagocrime.org, one of the first Google Maps mash-ups, are becoming a prototype for how government data can be turned into new consumer services by start-ups like everyblock.com.

Makers, where do you see innovation bubbling up? Is it in the lab or in the garage, or both?