Intern’s Corner: My First Project

Computers & Mobile
Intern’s Corner: My First Project

AudioBook1

I am a recently hired intern at MAKE and I work in MAKE Labs. My first build was this “Audiobook,” one of the projects for an upcoming issue of MAKE. It turned out to be fun to build and a good introductory project for me. The build wasn’t too difficult and the end result turned out really cool. In the process, I learned a lot about building circuits, soldering, and the basic knowledge of how a device like this works.

Audiobook3

The Audiobook is a plug-in speaker system that’s disguised as a stack of old hardback books. This device can plug into an iPod, MP3 player, laptop, or any other audio source with a 3.5mm jack. The Audiobook completely conceals the player and the speaker within it, leaving power as the single visible cable.

Audiobook2

The hardest part of the project was making the small soldering joints on the circuit board. A fine soldering tip made this job much easier.

AudioBook4

This project is great for anyone who’s just learned soldering and wanting to have something cool at the end of their training. Or if you’d like to do a project with a kid interested in electronics, this would be a fun and unusual build. Look for the project in Volume 34 of MAKE and build one for yourself!

Since this project was finished, I’ve also worked on a bamboo hors d’oeuvre serving tray and a coffee can robot. I’m looking forward to seeing what the MAKE staff has up their sleeves for my next builds.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

Nick Parks is an engineering intern at MAKE, and he’s studying mechanical engineering at UC Irvine. He likes to build and take apart things to make products better or create something new. He enjoys working at MAKE and likes to help other people build projects of their own.

View more articles by Nick Parks

ADVERTISEMENT

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 16th iteration!

Prices Increase in....

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
FEEDBACK