…We’ll just go ahead and file this one under the sillier uses of the Peggy LED kits.
A fantastic introduction to Maker Spaces
Maui Makers from SelfMadeinHawaii on Vimeo.
Jerry Isdale, founder of Maui Makers, sent in this great clip about their maker space. (The video is embedded above, and the Vimeo link is here.) The video, from TV series Self Made in Hawaii,is one of the best introductions that we have seen to maker spaces (and, really, hacker spaces in general)– showing people working together, having fun and building awesome stuff. And that’s exactly what maker spaces and hacker spaces are all about: There’s fire art, 3D printers, and electronics, laser cutters, CNC machines, and even some fine footage of an Egg-Bot in motion.
More information about the video is available at the Maui Makers blog.
Five minute project: Heart-Shaped Hack Box
A hack-box to go, filled with interconnects, LEDs, and love. Because, what better way to say I love you, than with the gift of electronics? Continue reading Five minute project: Heart-Shaped Hack Box
Basics: Power dissipation and electronic components
An ever-present challenge in electronic circuit design is selecting suitable components that not only perform their intended task but also will survive under foreseeable operating conditions. A big part of that process is making sure that your components will stay within their safe operating limits in terms of current, voltage, and power. Of those three, the “power” portion is often the most difficult (for both newcomers and experts) because the safe operating area can depend so strongly on the particulars of the situation.
In what follows, we’ll introduce some of the basic concepts of power dissipation in electronic components, with an eye towards understanding how to select components for simple circuits with power limitations in mind. Continue reading Basics: Power dissipation and electronic components
Alpha Clock Five Turn Signal
From the forums:
Guy Albertelli wrote in with an unexpected use of his Alpha Clock Five kit: a turn signal machine for the back of his Xtracycle— complete with a “SORRY” button and a random-scrolling-message mode (that isn’t shown in the video). There’s even a clock mode with an improvised “second hand.”
One might argue that the scrolling messages could be a little simpler, but that’s really missing the point: this is an awfully clever application for a bright and self-contained alphanumeric LED display.
Guy’s video is embedded above. (YouTube link).
On the Future of the Internet
Project sites like ours are a product of, and are only possible in an open internet that promotes the free exchange of knowledge.
Legislation currently pending in the US congress–
H.R.3261 “Stop Online Piracy Act” and S.968 “PROTECT IP” — threaten, at a minimum, to significantly undermine our ability to encourage collaborative learning through linking to and direct sharing of resources and ideas. At worst, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories could someday disappear from the web without warning, and without due process of law.
If you like our site, please take just a minute to contact your representatives in congress. For more information about what these bills could mean for the internet as a whole, there are more resources over at the EFF.
A Mermaid’s Purse, for Breakfast
A mermaid’s purse is the iconic protective egg case of certain oviparous (egg laying) sharks and skates.
Here’s another version, made of crepes, perfect for protecting your eggs at breakfast time. Continue reading A Mermaid’s Purse, for Breakfast
Capitalism Works For Me! True/False
Start a conversation about capitalism and friends edge away slowly, and strangers even faster. This is what art is for. This is what art does well. It creates a space where new ideas and perspectives can be explored. A space unlike any other.
Basics: Introduction to Zener Diodes
Zener diodes are a special type of semiconductor diode– devices that allow current to flow in one direction only –that also allow current to flow in the opposite direction, but only when exposed to enough voltage. And while that sounds a bit esoteric, they’re actually among the handiest components ever to cross an engineer’s bench, providing great solutions to a number of common needs in circuit design.
In what follows, we’ll show you how (and when) to use a Zener, for applications including simple reference voltages, clamping signals to specific voltage ranges, and easing the load on a voltage regulator. Continue reading Basics: Introduction to Zener Diodes
Profile in the SF Chronicle
“In recent times, they have helped create an accepted definition of open source hardware, participated in the annual Open Source Hardware Summit in New York, and are in the exploratory stages of building a foundation to support open source hardware.”
You can read the rest of the (front page!) article here.
