Your Comments

When we post new content on MAKE, we love hearing from our readers. Whether the comments be informative, insightful, or funny, here are our favorites from the past week, from Makezine, our Facebook page, Google+ Community, and Twitter.

In the article Magical Vs. Hackable, bbum commented:

When I work in my garage on projects from woodworking to welding to electronics to planting for the garden, my iPad sits in a gooseneck holder and is both a source of non-stop music and, more importanly, an always present, easily accessible, reference device while taking up zero square inches of whatever work surface I’m using.

When I’m cooking, my iPad goes into a 2 gallon zip loc bag and not only displays the recipe I’m focused on, but I can very rapidly look up substitutions, trouble-shooting tips, and compare/contrast recipes. All while, of course, listening to more non-stop music.

Sure, I could do the same with my laptop, but it is less portable and always in the way. I do research on my iPad while in bed, relaxing in a chair with a margarita, or “otherwise indisposed”. Heck, just yesterday I spent a chunk of a 3.5 hour flight reiewing welding techniques and comparing various birdhouse plans with my son because he mentioned he’d like to build more birdhouses for the yard.

Through the iPad, I have consumed far more information at a far higher volume about the various non-computing — i.e. real life, the big room, the place with the burning orb on a blue canvas — hobbies and interests I have through a computer’s screen.

I fully agree that an iPad is no replacement for any kind of programming-esque creative work that one might want to pursue. Nor is a tablet necessarily a replacement for any of a number of other creative tasks one normally does through a computer.

But many of us spend a whole lot of our time creating via means that does not involve a kyeboard, command line, or mouse. For those purposes, a tablet is a fantastic addition to our toolbox!

In the piece 3D Printed Superhero Business Cards, JustPlainJim remarks:

I like them. Like others said, they’re a bit impractical to hand out to everyone you meet at a conference (for example), but I like them.

Could we combine this idea with more traditional business cards? Cut some layers of cardstock so a figure can pop out and be folded into a superhero standee, and unfolded to pack flat again?

On MAKE’s Facebook page, William Justic responded to the Father/Daughter Raspberry Pi-Based State Poster Project by saying:

I’ve been into electronics since I was 10 years old. (44 now) I’ve seen the hobby fade away to nearly nothing. I’m glad it’s coming back and I’m glad so many young people are getting involved. Way to go!

On the Make Twitter page we saw this:

@NievesChristine @make My current makers notebook http://t.co/nnkii1n0kZ I see them everywhere at #lehigh

— Marc de Vinck (@devinck) March 22, 2013

In the article Intellectual Property and the Future of @Home Manufacturing, pcrippen responded with:

Very thought provoking. Thanks Adam!
As you mention, at scale it would be complicated to ensure that value is properly distributed along the innovation path. It wouldn’t take profit centered participants long to figure out that a string of shell “innovation entities” could water down the originator’s claim and redirect the bulk of value back toward their own organization.
It would certainly be nice to have a good scheme available though. I’m ready for more localized “small is beautiful” innovation & production for food, energy, and goods.

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