Amanda Williams, a Designer with Manufacturing Chops
Amanda Williams is a talented designer and now adds manufacturing experience to her skills, a potent combination.
Shenzhen
Maker Faire Shenzhen a Seminal Event for Makers in China
I found China open and friendly, intense and tireless, broad and expansive, informal and optimistic.
Robot-Assisted iPhone Unboxing
uFactory’s uArm is equipped with a vacuum pump and solenoid valve, allowing it to lift even heavy things like a can of soda
Meet the new Class of HAXLR8R Startups
The 2013 class of HAXLR8R startups showed their stuff to a crowd of reporters, investors, and fellow hardware hackers at San Francisco’s Runway yesterday. The demo day event drew more than 100 people and was part coming out party and part fundraising pitch. The startups has all just returned from 111 days in China and many launched crowdfunding campaigns to coincide with the event.
How to Make a Ball-Balancing Robot
The folks from Ufactory, a Shenzhen startup, have built a fun ball balancing robot that uses six omni wheels to keep the robot balancing on top of a soccer ball.
Can Makerspaces Transform the Chinese Economy?
Shenzhen—the city made famous by its booming manufacturing industry and the engine of Chinese economic growth over the past few decades — is a sprawling region of plain, gated factory buildings and high-rise towers. But set foot in OCT LOFT, the city’s ultra-chic arts-and-design district, and you’ll get a taste of a new and different economy. The hiss of latte machines and live jazz are the soundtrack here. Boutiques featuring handmade items fill repurposed industrial buildings alongside bars and restaurants. Murals brighten the exterior walls, and eye-catching sculptures line the brick sidewalks. On the second floor of Building A5, a cheerful, glass storefront with lime-green walls displays books, toys and curious electronic gadgets. This is Chaihuo, Shenzhen’s first makerspace.
The $12 Cellphone
How cheap can you make a cellphone? Bunnie Huang recently bought one in Shenzhen for just $12. There wasn’t a carrier subsidy, it was contract-free, and unlocked. As Bunnie says, “…that about the price of a large cheese pizza, or a decent glass of wine.”
