Contest

Kits & Kitmakers: Doug Jackson’s DIY Word Clock

Kits & Kitmakers: Doug Jackson’s DIY Word Clock

Doug Jackson’s DIY Word Clock Kits, which we first blogged about back in April, have been a giant hit. Doug has done a lot of things right. In classic maker fashion, he’s taken a very expensive piece of designer electronics and shown us how to do it ourselves for a fraction of the price. He hasn’t kept any secrets, open-sourcing the design at every step of the way. And he’s offered a range of pricing options to suit his customers’ available funds, time, and skill level, providing his kits in various stages of completion from just the PCB all the way up to the completely assembled clock.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan

Sonodrome: Inspiring entrepreneurship in hobby electronics

That said, there’s almost nothing we like to see better than a maker hanging out a shingle and selling their own handiwork. Finding these people and helping to promote their work was the single biggest reason we launched Makers Market. If you’re on the fence about hanging out your own shingle, give it a look and/or drop me an e-mail, and let’s talk. Likewise, if you’re ready to take the plunge but could use a bit of start-up cash, consider entering our Gadget Freak Design Contest. It’s been running for a couple of weeks, now, but the pool of entrants is still small, and the pool of truly impressive entries is smaller still, so there’s a very real opportunity there for the right clever person with the right clever idea. First prize is $1,000 in cash and guaranteed admission to Makers Market.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan
Orange traffic cone lamp

Orange traffic cone lamp

I have to say, for the record, that those are way smaller than any actual traffic cone I’ve ever seen, and are far, far too clean to have ever seen any real use on a street. I’m pretty sure reusing real traffic cones would result in a lamp that was both way too big and way, way too beat up to make good-looking furniture. Still, cool-looking lamp, and a straightforward re-make.

Continue Reading Sean Michael Ragan2