Here's a video of Sisyphus V drawing shapes in the sand using a magnetic arm on a 2-axis plotter. [Maker Faire]

Peter set up a robotic watering can to take directions from an iPhone. When Safari's screen state goes from horizontal to vertical, it sends a status update to a webserver via javascript that sets the watering can up or down. Pretty simple but clever setup. [Maker Faire]

Engineers at Eyebeam, a New York arts and technology center, are drastically reducing the cost of ownership for multitouch tables by taking them open-source. Schematics for the Cubit, a multitouch tabletop display, are available online for people who want to make a scaled-down Microsoft Surface for one tenth the Surface's price.

The Cubit is a boxy tabletop with a clear surface. All a potential multitouch table owner needs to get started is a webcam with an infrared filter and a small image projector. Plug in the webcam, install the Cubit software, turn on the projector and start touching.

Eyebeam fellows Addie Wagenknetch and Stefan Hechenberger said they were releasing the Cubit in order to "prove that anyone could build [a multitouch table]." Besides offering the designs and software online, the two are selling DIY kits that include parts and instructions.

The Cubit was on display at the Maker Faire, along with several other open-source multitouch projects. Though open-source has long been focused on software, it looks like DIYers, like Eyebeam andBug Labs, are now taking the philosophy into the realm of hardware as well. [Technology Review]

Why do I need goggles to watch R/C ships sailing in a pond? Because these replicas of WWII battleships fire C02-powered projectiles. In the video above, you can see munitions bounce off the plexi shields protecting the crowd and make splashes as they ricochet off enemy hulls. The Western Warship Combat Club is recreating Axis vs. Allies fights where each side tries to sink the other. At 1/144 scale. [Western Warship Combat Club Maker Faire]

This isn't a sandbox with a marble in it. Sysyphus V, a kinetic sculpture by Bruce Shapiro looks like a Zen Garden. But instead of a buddhist monk carefully raking gravel, it's an autonomous steel sphere carefully crawling over and over, making polar geometric shapes that can best be described as iterative lilies or stars. A magnet on an arm on a two axis plotter sites underneath the half-ton set up, and Sisyphus is making its first appearance here, at Maker Faire 2008. An unrelated but cool Interview with Bruce, by Cool Hunting\, after the jump. [TaoMC at Makers]

Today at Maker Faire 2008, MacGyver creator (and real life inspiration) Lee David Zlotoff announced he has a big budget MacGyver movie in the planning stages.

Zlotoff mentioned he somehow ended up with the movie rights years ago (extremely uncommon), giving him full control over the film. While few specifics were mentioned, and no formal announcement has been made, its extremely promising that the man with the power to make the film is getting the ball rolling. The question is...do you bring back Richard Dean Anderson as old MacGyver, or bring in a younger, Christian Bale-type to reprise the role of makeshift gadget god? [Maker Faire on Giz]

UPDATE: We asked Zlotoff if a Swiss Army Knife is still good enough for MacGyver today, check out his answer here.

I'm so happy Mark, Phil and the rest of the MAKE Mag folks put on Maker Faire. I'm here with Adrian and Lisa and surprisingly, it's even better than last year's. There are a ton of great pieces I've never seen, the weather is fine, the crowds aren't too bad and the food is great. I'd recommend you get your butt down here and come visit the event if you're even remotely close to the Bay Area. [Maker Faire]

Maker Faire and its ridiculously dangerous projects are going to be in San Mateo this weekend. If you're in town, drop by and say hello, since Brian's going to be there covering the crazy robots and trying to keep his eyebrows from burning off. If you're going to be running an awesome booth at Maker, drop him a note as well so he knows to stop by. See you tomorrow! [Maker Faire]

Maker Faire is in town again, hitting up the bay area with their ridiculously dangerous projects and robots and flaming robot projects this May 3 and 4. If you're in town, you should stop by and see what the crazy doctor Phil Torrone has cooking for you. At the very least, you can stop by and say hi to the Giz folks that are going to be down there. Maybe even buy them some soda. Trying to take pictures of stuff next open flames and wildly careening robots is thirsty work. [Maker Faire]

DIY gadgeteers, fire up your engines: the dates for Make magazine's first 2008 Maker Faire have been unveiled as May 3rd and 4th. The San Mateo County Fairgrounds in San Mateo, California will again be the venue. Expect to see all sorts of wonderful (and weird) DIY science, arts, crafts and engineering projects in action, just like last year. We'll be keeping you posted, of course, but if you want to go there in person remember that discount ticket sales end April 25th. [Maker Faire]

I'm not sure what the recent trend is, but everyone seems to be life-sizing my childhood. Remember the game Mousetrap? Yes, the game that was fun for 30 seconds, and not worth the effort and time it took to set it up. Someone has created a life-size replicate of the Mousetrap Rube Goldberg machine. Rather than dropping the cage on the mouse and cheese, like in the original, this monstrous version will drop a safe on any object of your choosing (to crush and destroy). It will be on display at the Maker Faire next month. –Travis Hudson

Full Scale Mousetrap Kinetic Sculpture [OhGizmo!]

The staff of Make and Craft magazine are calling for anyone who has a do-it-yourself project that might be inspiring or inspirational to audition for the Maker Faire 2007. Check out that example above—hey, what is that, an electric giraffe? Yes, indeed it is. The tryout is this Sunday (February 18), and will be held at the Machine Project in Los Angeles. The winners will be invited to share their accomplishments at Maker Faire 2007, a gathering on May 19-20 at the San Mateo, California Fairgrounds.

We invite proposals for Maker workbench exhibits, workshops, presentations and performances for the Maker Faire. We are interested in proposals from individuals as well as from groups such as hobbyist clubs and schools.

Make and Craft editors Dale Dougherty, Mark Frauenfelder, and Natalie Zee Drieu will be at the audition. Keep in mind, you perverts, that this is a family-friendly event, which last year had 20,000 people attending. Keep it clean.

Maker Faire Auditions [Machine Project, via boing boing]