Makers

Maker of the day – Kelly Dobson, Voice-activated blenders

Today’s Maker from our new book Makers – Kelly Dobson, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Voice-activated blenders. Getting the blenders to know when you’re talking to them is no mean feat. Dobson programmed algorithms in C++ into 1GHz VIA Epia microprocessors mounted inside each blender, and to get them to work, she imitates the blenders with low, guttural motor sounds. “You have to make sure you have the roughness of a blender, so you might get him started with a rrrrrRRRRRRR,” says Dobson. When she raises the tone, they speed up. Friends have given her the nickname Monster. Makers: page 66. View photo! See previous Makers of the day here. View sample PDF. Click here to get Makers the book before the holidays!

Continue Reading February 29th, 2008 Phillip Torrone

Maker of the day – Mikey Sklar, shirt with 38 working fans

Each day until 2006 we’re bringing you a Maker from our new book Makers. Mikey Sklar, Brooklyn, New York. Shirt with 38 working fans. The fan shirt does not exactly qualify as business casual at Sklar’s job as vice president of a tony investment bank. “I sort of doubt there are many DIY people on Wall Street,” he says. A spool of wire he found in a dumpster connected all the 12-volt fans in parallel. “When I wear the shirt I’m often asked, ‘Do the fans spin?’ Well, of course they do! Who would walk around wearing a bunch of computer fans that don’t spin?” Makers: page 80. Link to photo. Sample PDF. Click here to get Makers the book before the holidays!

Continue Reading February 29th, 2008 Phillip Torrone

Maker of the day – David Forbes, Nixie-display clocks and wristwatch

Today’s Maker from our new book Makers – David Forbes, Tucson, Arizona. Nixie-display clocks and wristwatch. Forbes has an old HP frequency counter and other vintage instruments in his workspace, and of course, everything has old-style Nixie displays. He just likes they way they look. When the vacuum tubes are charged with 170 volts, they shine numbers and letter with a solid, mellow orange hue. “They’re exotic and big and hopelessly impractical by modern standards.” Makers: page 102. View photo! See previous Makers of the day here. View sample PDF. Click here to get Makers the book before the holidays!

Continue Reading February 29th, 2008 Phillip Torrone4

Rules for Roboticists

In honor of Robot Day here on MAKE, I’ve posted my “Rules for Roboticists,” from my 2004 book Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Building Robots. It’s a playful list of operating principles, rules of thumb, and words o’ wisdom about bot building. The piece is accompanied by robot scientist “trading cards,” illustrated by Mark Frauenfelder, for […]

Continue Reading February 28th, 2008 Gareth Branwyn

How DIYers just might revive American innovation

Wired’s Clive Thompson has a piece about how makers might revive American innovation (with a MAKE mention) he writes – What a mess. I’m sitting on the floor of my apartment, surrounded by electronic parts, a cigar box, a soldering gun, and stray bits of wire. I’m trying to build my own steampunk-style clock — […]

Continue Reading February 26th, 2008 Phillip Torrone28

Interview with the “God of fountain pens”

PingMag has an interview with Nobuyoshi Nagahara, a Japanese pen nib craftsman who’s been on the job for 50 years: PingMag: You must need a lot of patience to deal with each customer with such care. Nobuyoshi Nagahara: The thing that makes me most happy doing this work is being able to help people with […]

Continue Reading February 23rd, 2008 Gareth Branwyn8