Gizmodo: Make

MAKE Makes Call for Makers for October Austin Faire

Kit Eaton — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:01:09 EDT

We love the whacky creativity of the Maker Faire here at Giz, and all you DIY gadget enthusiasts out there will be pleased to hear MAKE has just put out a call for Makers for the upcoming Austin Faire. You've got until September 4th to get your application in, and the faire itself will be happening October 18th and 19th at the Travis County Expo Center. [MakerFaire via LaughingSquid]

Automatic Cat Faucet is One DIY Hack That Felines Will Love

Elaine Chow — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Luckily, my cat was always too dumb to make the connection between the faucet and fresh water, so she's made do thus far with just sipping from her water dish. But I've heard that once kitties taste from the tap, they never want to go back. For running water addicted cats, MAKE contributor tsruzik has constructed a pretty ingenious automatic cat faucet using an IR sensor and some tubing.

The hack requires a little plumbing know how and some circuitry work, which makes it slightly harder than your normal DIY project. To help you and your pets out, Tsruzik has put together some kits for order. Prices range from $10 to $125.

The end product works a lot like those sinks that automatically turn on when you waive your hands under them—except instead of detecting hands, it detects cats. Tsruzik has even thrown in an optional “people detector” so that the faucet won't run every time a person walks by. Check out the video to see some cute kittie drinking action:
[MAKE]

Moleskine Sketchbook Turned into iPod touch Case/Reader

AddyDugdale — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:15:00 EDT

Wired's Man in Barcelona, Charlie Sorrel, has made a rather wonderful e-book reader using his iPod Touch and a Moleskine sketchbook. The version you see here is Mark One, and he's already working on Mark Two, as the flap he created after the touch kept falling out of the notebook isn't really practical enough. Sorrel claims he did this to look cool and hip in Barna's bars and cafes and thus get the girls, so I'm looking forward to the follow-up post detailing his successes and failures. How-to video is below.

[Wired]

Homemade Light Box and Desk Combo Moves Us (and Itself)

AddyDugdale — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:35:00 EDT

Here's how to make a rather fab light box 'n' desk combo. Matt Nuzzaco even fitted the table with a Deskline from Linak, which lets him adjust the height depending on whether he's sitting or standing at his desk. Useful for anyone who works with traditional film and transparencies. Or anyone with a serious Disco Queen bent. [MAKE]

Wiimote Wheelchair Helps Disabled People Paint (Roughly Speaking)

Benny Goldman — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 23:30:55 EDT

Digital Wheel Art, a wheelchair painting program to help disabled people make art, was on display at the Maker Faire event in NYC tonight. Creator YoungHyun Chung was inspired to create the device after seeing children with cerebral palsy whose limited movement stifled their artistic expression. Here's how it works, plus a video of the system in action.

The system works by sending data from a Wiimote attached to a wheelchair over Bluetooth to a painting program displayed on the screen. The program draws lines based on the path of the wheelchair, and the user can change colors by tilting his or her head on a ball on the right side of the chair, which cycles through the different options. The finished product may not look like a masterpiece to some, but for people who couldn't show off their artistic chops before, it's a great first step. [Digital Wheel Art, Maker Faire—Picture at top from Digital Wheel Art site]

I Love Maker Faire!

Brian Lam — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:45:05 EDT

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 Bay Area - This Saturday and Sunday

Jason Chen — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:59:38 EDT

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]

Brain Machine Sunglasses Are Psychedelic, Hallucinatory, Fabulous

AddyDugdale — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:30:05 EDT

Here's a brain machine made from an old pair of shades with customized lenses by Okini393939. Stick 'em on and you have an instant meditation session thanks to the flashing lights and sound. I particularly like the instructions he put on the inside of the lenses—check it in the pic below.

Made from a miniPOV device, Okini393939's shades cost a fraction of the versions you get in the Sharper Edge, innit? [MAKE]

Home-Made Daisy MP3 Player Takes Us (London) Underground

AddyDugdale — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:40:00 EDT

Using a $115 Daisy open-source player, and a tin with a London tube map on it, Mchaceortiz made himself an MP3 player with a difference. The six way-retro switches on the tin control the volume, track selection and play and pause, and you can see another shot of it opened up after the jump.

[MAKE via Shiny Shiny]

How To Shoot Fireballs

matt buchanan — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:00:08 EDT

It's the weekend. You should either be consuming alcohol or playing with fire. Or better yet, both! (That was not an official endorsement by Gawker Media—so if you do this project trashed and rocket a ball of fire up your nose, don't sue us.) Anyways, making a fireball shooter is a wee bit complicated and requires quite a few parts you won't find at Wal-Mart, so you're going to want get started Saturday morning if you wanna impress your buddies and burn your eyebrows off Saturday night. Not convinced? I'll repeat: Fireball. Shooter. [MAKE]

Custom-Made Acrylic Turntables Make Me Want to Trade in My SL-1210s

AddyDugdale — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 06:11:49 EDT

This gorgeous turntable is, believe it or not, handmade by hobbyist Mike Disher, who says he has a fascination for turntables and mechanical clock movements. Mounted on an acrylic plinth, his turntable uses just a VPI platter and Rega arm, whilst everything else is custom-made. He's also done his own interpretations of the Michell Syncro, and his first work, a take on a Rega P3, which he called the P3 Skeleton. Feast your eyes on Mike's work in the gallery below. [Inventive Guy via MAKE]

2008 Maker Faire Announced

Kit Eaton — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 05:43:26 EDT

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]

Inspiro Intelligent Oven from Electrolux Uses Sensors for Perfect, Automated Cooking

AddyDugdale — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:10:31 EDT

Elecrolux's Inspiro oven launches this week, using technology that could be the future of cooking. Using a heat management technique rather like auto focus on a camera, the Inspiro's sensors first analyze what is to be cooked before calculating the temperature and time needed. The company's CEO, Hans Stråberg, likens it to the way cameras now automatically set aperture, exposure time and focus, depending on the light and what's in the frame.

"When auto-exposure and auto-focus were new features on cameras, there was a lot of skepticism," claims Stråberg. "But, with time, auto-focus has been accepted and today it is a standard feature. For the oven and for the camera, it is all about pushing one button to ensure a professional result."

To cook a joint of meat, you simply select "roast" on the oven's single dial, before indicating whether you want it rare, medium or well-done. The oven, apparently, will tell you whether to put it on its top, middle or bottom shelf—while it is still cold. Then the Inspiro's special maths stuff begins.

It works out the energy consumption and time needed to get the meat to the right temperature of the. That information, alongside its database of professional cooking techniques, calculates what combination of heating modes is required—whether the heat needs to come from the top, bottom, side, whether it needs to use its fan or the grill—to get the dish cooked to perfection.

There's also a manual mode, which means you can ignore the Inspiro's epicurean brain and cook things exactly how you want it. It looks good, too. Here's a video of how it is put together in the Electrolux factory in the German city of Rothenburg.

[Electrolux Inspiro]

New Botanicalls Lets Plants Communicate Using Twitter

Kit Eaton — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:07:26 EST

The new version of Botanicalls can now talk to Twitter. It uses an Arduino electronics board connected to a notebook, and some soil moisture probes crafted from a couple of galvanised nails. Your plant can then send out a Twitter alert when it's thirsty, detect when its been over- or under-watered and let you know about that, and it can even signal its thanks. So, if you're off on vacation and your office-mates have abandoned your desk greenery, your plants can now automatically point the (green) finger at them. [Botanicalls via Make]

MacBook Air Can Be Laser Etched, With Monkeys

Jesus Diaz — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:44:28 EST

Make's writer and laser master Phil Torrone has etched a monkey on his MacBook Air, a process which he says worked as well as with the other MacBooks after leveling it so the surface was perpendicular to the ray. Whatever. I'm like, monkeys. Cool. Ook ook. [Make]

MAKE Round-Up of 2008 Toy Fair

Kit Eaton — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:30:30 EST

The guys over at MAKE had a great time at the 2008 Toy Fair, and their round-up post links to all the weird and wonderful things they found there. We've had a look, and collected some of their findings into a gallery. Check it out and you'll find matchstick architecture, VEX robotic bugs, 3D mazes, crystal-growth toys, chemical building-brick sets, and the faintly worrying (and historical) "Mysto Erector." [MAKE]

Mankind Keeps Reaching Higher: Laser-Etched Lunchmeat

matt buchanan — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:18:20 EST

It might not be the stunning achievement of brilliant scientific engineering that is the cheeseburger in a can, but the indomitable spirit of man means we'll never stop trying to top it. The latest attempt: Laser-etched lunchmeats. Classier than savagely severing dead animal flesh into pieces with a laser, Mleak's laser-etched art brings refined aesthetics to the table of processed meatstuffs. Okay, searing a pig onto a block of bologna is actually pretty tasteless, even if it is partially composed of chicken meat. [MAKE]

Stargate Found in Scrapyard

Mark Wilson — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:20:43 EST

In what must have been one of the most surreal moments in scrapyardding history, one MAKE writer encountered a Stargate while digging through an otherwise inconspicuous pile of aluminum. Intricately detailed and just 9 inches in diameter, humans, of course, can't fit through. But MAKE is unofficially starting a "make me 9-inches wide machine" contest. The winner gets a trip to Egypt, but you know, on another planet. Runners-up will receive a trip to Showtime's backlot tour. [MAKE]

Afternoon News: Goodbye Netscape, Hello Kitty For Men and More

Benny Goldman — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:00:00 EST

• A new law in New Jersey willl ban internet sex offenders from the web. But then who will read Gizmodo? [The Register]
• AOL will discontinue development of the Netscape browser early next year. RIP Netscape, you were the original IE alternative. [TechCrunch]
• Once upon a time, Google went by the name BackRub. Yuck. [Valleywag]
• A line of Hello Kitty clothing for men will go on sale in Japan next month. If you're looking for me, I'll be scraping my eyes out with rusty nails. [AP]

Make Your Own Cheapo Android, Comes Complete with Jealousy Software

AddyDugdale — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:17:56 EST

This one is going out for all the lonely people this Christmas time. Using a styrofoam head and a few other ingredients, such as a webcam, microphone, speakers, LCD screen and LED lights, you can make this rather scary-looking android to keep you company at home, scaring off all your lady-friends in the process. All this for an outlay of just $30, eh? [Instructables]

Super iPod Pillow is Plusher than Plush, Plays MP3s

AddyDugdale — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:42:12 EST

Let us salute creative types who are super-brazilliant at hacking MP3 players and have a bit of time on their hands, because this is what they can come up with — a super iPod that is 50 times bigger than the real thing, and that probably won't break when you drop it. There's a gallery below, but you can catch all the pics and instructions at Instructables.

[Instructables]

Nigerian Man Builds Working Helicopters from Junk

AddyDugdale — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:01:12 EDT

A 24-year-old undergraduate from Nigeria is building helicopters out of old car and bike parts. Mubarak Muhammed Abdullahi, a physics student, spent eight months building the yellow model seen here, using the money he makes from repairing cellphones and computers. While some of the parts have been sourced from a crashed 747, the chopper contains all sorts of surprises.

The 12-meter-long aircraft, which has never flown above a height of seven feet, is powered by a secondhand 133 horsepower engine from a Honda Civic. In the basic cockpit there are two Toyota car seats, with a couple more in the cabin behind. Controls are simple, with an ignition button, an accelerator lever to control vertical thrust and a joystick that provides balance and bearing. A camera beneath the chopper connected to a small screen on the dash gives the pilot ground vision, and he communicates via a small transmitter.

Mubarak says he learned the basics of helicopter flying through the internet after he decided it would be easier to build a chopper than a car. Flying his creation is easy, he claims. "You start it, allow it to run for a minute or two and you then shift the accelerator forward and the propeller on top begins to spin," he explains. "The further you shift the accelerator the faster it goes and once you reach 300 rpm you press the joystick and it takes off."

Undeterred that his home-made transporter, which lives in a hangar on campus, lacks the gear to measure atmospheric pressure, altitude and humidity, Mubarak is working on a new machine which "will be a radical improvement on the first one in terms of sophistication and aesthetics."

A two-seater with the ability to fly at 15 feet for three hours at a time, Mubarak's new creation will be powered by a brand-new motor straight from Taiwan, normally found in motorbikes. [Yahoo! via The Raw Feed]

Atari "Punk" Console Stuffed in a Rotary Phone

kthompson — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:57:32 EDT

Is no gadget sacred anymore? Here we have an old school Ericsson rotary telephone stripped of its innards which were subsequently replaced with a home-built Atari 'punk' console. Did we need a new way to present the Pong box? Hit the jump for the DIY schematic on the console itself.

It's (apparently) a fairly basic experiment in circuitry that you can conquer in a short amount of time. There aren't instructions on how to actually stick it inside a random gadget like a phone, though.

[MAKE: Atari Punk Console]

Optimal Laser Settings for iPhone Etching

Brian Lam — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:11:24 EDT

Phil Torrone at Make just did some laser etching experiments on an iPhone, discovering that the optimal settings for a 35W Epilog laser is "40% power, 100% speed with a 600dpi vector art image (AI) works great for laser etching an iPhone." The back goes white when zapped because the material is not aluminum, but a "nice plastic." [Make Blog]

Trivia Contest: Win a TiVo Series 3

Jason Chen — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 14:15:29 EDT

Interested in winning a TiVo Series 3 in our Made in Eureka Contest? All you have to do is answer these simple invention-based trivia questions, and whoever gets the most correct gets the DVR. If there's a tie, we pick one at random.

Mail all answers to contests@gizmodo.com (one big email, not one email per question) with the subject line "Eureka Trivia". Contest ends July 10. Here are the questions:

1. Which invention's name dropped an H because Americans are foul-mouthed and mostly illiterate?

2. What was invented when a guy couldn't get to his delicious, delicious ice cream in time?

3. What popular product could you make legally in your bathtub, as the formula has never been patented?

4. Jamie Lee Curtis, famous movie star and children's novelist, is the inventor of what?

5. What Utah native and aspiring Disney parks employee is the reason millions never got laid in the '80s (and probably still don't today)?

6. Bonnie Tyler and Celine Dion owe Roberto Del Rosario a huge debt of thanks. Why?

7. Why are we thanking Ed Peterson for our weight problems and wrapper-strewn car floors?

8. Who was the original scissor sister?

9. Why does Gloria Steinem hate May 9th, 1958, more than any other date?

10. What item patented in 1999 allows children (and Richard Gere) to keep their gerbils and hamsters close to them at all times?

11. We have a lumberjack to thank for what, er, handy invention?

More details here.

The Various Plans of iPhone Linesitters

Adam Frucci — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:21:21 EDT

All sorts of people are waiting in line at the Cube store, and all of 'em have different reasons for doing so. What are they going to do when they finally get that coveted box home? Videographer Nick McGlynn investigates.

ModelCo's Lip Light for People Who Can't Apply Lipstick in the Dark

AddyDugdale — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 09:29:05 EDT

Ostensibly, this lip gloss with concealed LED light in the lid is to avoid any Marilyn Manson or The Cure's Robert Smith-style makeup malfunctions and help you put on your lippy while you're stuck in a dark place (grimy club corridors, dustbins, my mind on a Sunday evening). I can think of some better uses for it, though.

As an interrogation tool. "Were you dancing up close and personal with that podium bitch just now, or is it a trick of the ~~vodka~~ light?"

Locating lost items in your handbag/manbag.

Annoying people in clubs.

Annoying people in general.

Showing your boyfriend exactly where the—no, that's just TOO rude for a Monday morning.

It comes in five shades, costs A$32 and is only available in Australia

Lip lights for glamorous lips any time any where [GizmoDiva]

We're Giving Away an iPhone

Jason Chen — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:00:28 EDT

We're giving away an iPhone for free! Are you excited? We're excited. Eureka, the show on Sci-Fi, is helping us deliver Apple's newest baby to one lucky reader.

Here's what you have to do to win: Create or design an original invention (emphasis on original - no recycled projects please) and send in a sketch, render, mockup, blueprint or some kind of image plus a description detailing your invention to contests@gizmodo.com with "Made in Eureka" as the subject.

The better it is, the better your chances are of winning.

Like last year, we'll vote on the winner, and whoever he or she is will get one free Apple iPhone. The normal Gawker contest rules still apply. Contest ends July 10, so get moving!

Sponsored by Eureka: "Eureka: A Sci Fi Channel Original Series

An All-New Season Premieres Tuesday July 10 at 9/8C"

Palm Foleo vs. DIY Palm Pilot Notebook

Noah Robischon — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:16:04 EDT

This week Palm announced the Foleo, an ultraportable Smartphone companion laptop. The January 2007 issue of Make shows you how to take a hardcover book and turn it into an ultraportable laptop by embedding a Palm Pilot and keyboard. The designer, Allen Wong, even powered it with AAA batteries that last for days. How does the Foleo stack up against Wong's Palm Notebook? It's time for... Iron Gadget!

Power Up
Foleo: Instant On
Palm Notebook: Instant On

Screen Size
Foleo: 10-inch screen, 1024 x 600
Palm Notebook: 2-1/4" x 3"—Wong used a IIIe which is 160 x 160

Connectivity
Foleo: WiFi and Bluetooth
Palm Notebook: Wong used a serial cable. But a newer Palm, like the TX, would supply WiFi, Bluetooth and infrared

Battery Life
Foleo: 5 Hours
Palm Notebook: Days... if you're carrying big pack of AAAs

Memory
Foleo: About 118MB RAM expandable with SD card slot.
Palm Notebook: 2MB RAM (later Palm models have SD slots as well)

Weight
Foleo: 2.5 lbs
Palm Notebook: 1.1 lbs

Cost
Foleo: $500
Palm Notebook: 1 book, 1 old palmpilot ($25) and Landware GoYype ($40), hours of
time.

Bonus Round: Green-ness
Foleo: 100% not recycled
Palm Notebook: 90% recycled

From Allen Wong:

Future Plans:
After they saw the article in MAKE, the good folks at Palm sent me a TX.
When I get a wireless keyboard, the TX will be disassembled and converted
into another Palm Notebook, hopefully smaller and lighter than the first.

Upgrading to a brand new TX with WiFi and a 320 x 480 screen would bring the total to around $325. Which one would you buy? –Noah Robischon

Palm Pilot Notebook [Make Digital]
Palm Foleo Coverage [Gizmodo]

Giz Hearts Maker's Faire

Brian Lam — Sat, 19 May 2007 21:51:23 EDT

That's Lisa and yours truly at the Flickr/Yahoo! booth, where they'd take a polaroid and scan it using some custom ware on a Sharp photocopier directly to Flickr.

And here's my photo stream of 90 photos from the amazing and completely overwhelming Maker's Faire. If you have the means, you HAVE to come by tomorrow. The weather is great here in San Mateo, and although most of the projects I've read about before, it really is incredible to see projects like the pong watch, electric sportbikes, steampunk remote controlled cars and tanks, those crazy coke and mentos dudes, Woz (yes Woz!), fire spitting sculptures, battle bots, among hundreds of amazing booths of stuff. I'm in heaven.

(click on the gallery header to see the many more thumbnails)
And the other nice thing is that Jason Chen and I were joined by lots of familiar faces.

Justin.tv helped us report the madness, Sarah Meyers of Partycrash fame is here, shooting. Andrew from Rocketboom is filming, too. And friends like John Mahoney from Popular Science; my friends from Wired, Chris Anderson, Adam Rogers, Joe Brown, Danny Dumas, Mark McClusky, and Adam Rogers are around here somewhere. Then there are the Make guys. I got to shake Phil Torrone's hand before, and I think I saw Mark S. walking through a crowd. And Ryan from Engadget is here, too. What a fun day.

If you're close — hell, even if you're 100 miles away — and you're a geek, you have to come on down. If you do, take the exit past the crowded one (Delaware is pretty jammed) and route your way back to the fair grounds. And bring a little sunblock. – Brian Lam

Giz and Justin.tv at Maker's Faire Now

Brian Lam — Sat, 19 May 2007 15:55:42 EDT

Justin.tv is a Giz fan, and I'm a Justin fan, so we're going to cover Maker's Faire and visit Phil Torrone together. Justin stream after the jump, Giz posts on the home page.

UDPATE: We're all done. Here are our photos from the event.

Justin's noggin cam Live [Justin.tv]

Maker Faire Starts Tomorrow

Travis Hudson — Fri, 18 May 2007 16:20:38 EDT

The San Mateo fairgrounds in California are hopping because tomorrow is the start of Maker Faire. The fair will be a weekend full of projects, demonstrations, entertainment and fun where the DIY'ers across the world come together to show off their goods. Hit the link below to see everything that will be going on this weekend. Even if you aren't a maker, it is worth checking out all of the goods. –Travis Hudson

Maker Faire [MAKE]

Maker Faire Coming Up: May 19 + 20

Jason Chen — Wed, 02 May 2007 22:20:10 EDT

Just a quick reminder from our buddy Phil that the Maker Faire is coming up on May 19 and 20 at the San Mateo fairgrounds. We'll be there—as will Phil and thousands of other do-it-yourselfers—hanging out with a bunch of guys with way too much time on their hands and all the awesome stuff they make. – Jason Chen

[via Gadget Lab]

ReMAKE: Salvage Other People's Junk For Your Project

Jason Chen — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 13:45:23 EDT

MAKE, our favorite people with too much time on their hands, is organizing an even with the Alameda County Computer Resource Center this weekend to let you come by and salvage parts other people have no need for. The ACCRC in Berkeley, CA have been piling up electronics such as "failed inventions" and "half finished prototypes", and they're going to let you swing by for 24 hours starting Noon on the 28th (that's in a couple hours) and pick up whatever you need for free.

So if you're working on making your own mouse mouse, Wiimote Door Lock, or even a SNES Wii Mod, you can probably find some parts you need there. – Jason Chen

ReMake: Bay Area electronics recycling event starts tomorrow! [BoingBoing]

Make This Product: SnuzNLuz

Jason Chen — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 19:40:48 EDT

Being unconscious for most of April Fools', we happened to miss this 4/1 joke/concept from Think Geek. It's a Wi-Fi alarm that connects to a bank and transfers your money to an organization of choice every time you hit the snooze. They give examples of donating to charities you hate, which gives a real monetary incentive to not going back to sleep.

Why not make this a real product? Instead of just limiting your donations to organizations you hate (or like), you could have the product set aside funds each day for your retirement. Or if you're less forward thinking, into an account that you can use to purchase gadgets once you've collected enough cash.

Make this product, ThinkGeek. – Jason Chen

Product Page [ThinkGeek]

Maker Faire 2007 Auditions This Sunday

Charlie White — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 08:03:48 EST

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]

2007 Maker Faire Announced

Travis Hudson — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 15:45:34 EST

MAKE Magazine, the folks behind all of the crazy DIY projects have announced the Maker Faires for 2007. The San Mateo fairgrounds in San Mateo, California will host one of the 2007 Maker Faires on May 19 and 20. Another Maker Faire will be held October 20 and 21 at the Travis County fairgrounds in Austin, Texas. The Maker Faier is a weekend full of projects, demonstrations, entertainment and fun where DIY'ers of all types come together to show off their goods. Check out info from Maker Faire 2006 here. –Travis Hudson

Maker Faire [MAKE]

Kite Ice Butt Boarding for Fun and Profit. OK, Just Fun.

www.gizmodo.com — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 14:41:08 EST

The gang at Instructables has released a new episode detailing their adventures building kite-powered, butt-riding, ice-skating contraptions. If you've got a whole lot of ice, some wind, and some free time they'll show you just how to build a speeding death machine of your own. But don't take my word for it — check the video above for the hot, hot man on ice action. I want one. –Adam Frucci

Instructables [via Make]

Laser Etched Sushi

Brian Lam — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:44:23 EST

Phil Torrone thinks etching laptops is already old news. We asked him to grab a bite to eat and he emailed us back with these photos of his laser etched dinner, some dried seaweed. I'll take some of that. Maybe a little laser seared tuna, too? And could you guys remove this hairy mole on my back, please? Sweet, thanks.

Then, there's an etched burrito...

Phil at Make Blog [Make]

Laptop Laser-Etching Coming To NYC, Your Town

Jason Chen — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:15:14 EST

Want a cool laser-etched laptop like our own Gina Trapani? MAKE's Phil Torrone's and Limor Fried just started a laser-etching service in NYC, and for a price of $100 you can get your laptops lasered with any design you want. For $30, you can get your cellphone, iPod, or other gadget marked as well.

Don't want to pay $100? Then you're in luck, because Phil's made the entire business' plans open source, so you take their blueprints and start your own laser studio in your town. The laser costs about $15,000, so including overhead you just need to laser 200 laptops to break even. Not a high number at all. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Adafruit]

Laser-etching coming to a laptop near you [News.com]