Creative

Time-lapse video of an ant colony inside of a scanner via LS.

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Here are some of the events scheduled for Saturday at Maker Faire Detroit at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI. Saturday's hours are 9:30 am to 8pm. For a complete schedule and links for more information, see the full event schedule.

ANDERSON THEATER (IN MUSEUM)

CAR TALKS - 10:30AM-12:00PM
• Moving Toward a New Era in Transportation Safety, Dr. Robert Bertini, DOT
• Detroit 2.0, K. Venkatesh Prasad, Ford
• Digital License Plate, Johnnie Carter

• 12:30PM MacGyver: The Making of a Cultural Icon, Lee Zlotoff
• 1:00PM Innovation in Young Minds, Major General Nick Justice, Commanding General, RDECOM & Dr. Jim Overholt, Director of Advanced Robotics
• 3:00PM-4:00PM Artology: Music and the Science of Sound, James Kurleto, Cranbrook Institute of Science
• 5:00PM Hands-on Minds, Elliot Washor of Big Picture Learning & Frank R. Wilson & Charles Mojkowski

DIY THEATER (AUTO HALL OF FAME)
• 11:00AM Citizen Commerce: Jules Pieri, Daily Grommet
• 12PM Building a Business from Junk Drawer Common Sense, Sarah Hodsdon,
• 1PM Hackerspaces Panel, Mitch Altman
• 2PM Paper Action Heroes, Austin Shyu
• 2:30PM Fusing Plastic,Tracie Lampe
• 3:00PM DIY Diversions: Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred, David Erik Nelson
• 3:30PM DIY Garden Irrigation, Jaime Wolfe
• 4:30PM Crafting with Xyron's Creatopia, Brookelynn Morris
• 5:00PM Pinata Carving Tips, Lish Dorset & Nick Brisky
• 5:30PM How-To Knit Lace, Jeannine Gruska

**Additional Performances**

Illuminatus 2.1 Laser Lightshow (Anderson Theater) - 10, 12, 4:30 & 6PM
Power Racing Series events - 10, 1 & 3:30PM
COKE ZERO & MENTOS -- 4PM (outside)

METALWORKING AREA
• 10 am & 2pm Metal Casting Demo, Rick Chownyk

MAKE DEMO Stage (near Maker Shed)

• 10:00AM SteamPunked RFID Globe,John Knight
• 11:00AM Make Cool Things With Microcontrollers, Mitch Altman
• 12PM Gyrocar and Hydraulic Ram, Matt Gryczan
• 1:00PM Foam Dart Shooting Range, DIY Skeeball, Matthew Switlik, i3Detroit
• 2:00PM 3D Printing with MakerBot, Bre Pettis, MakerBot Industries
• 3:00PM Cigar Box Guitars, Mark Frauenfelder, MAKE magazine
• 5:00PM Make and Fix Anything with iFixit and Make:Projects, Kyle Wiens, iFixit

Also, please join us for a special Maker Faire edition of IGNITE starting at 6pm in Anderson Theater. IGNITE features fun and informative 5-minute talks. This 90 minute program will start with the Illuminatus Laser Lightshow.

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Here are some of the events scheduled for Saturday at Maker Faire Detroit at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, MI. Saturday's hours are 9:30 am to 8pm. For a complete schedule and links for more information, see the full event schedule.

ANDERSON THEATER (IN MUSEUM)

CAR TALKS - 10:30AM-12:00PM
• Moving Toward a New Era in Transportation Safety, Dr. Robert Bertini, DOT
• Detroit 2.0, K. Venkatesh Prasad, Ford
• Digital License Plate, Johnnie Carter

• 12:30PM MacGyver: The Making of a Cultural Icon, Lee Zlotoff
• 1:00PM Innovation in Young Minds, Major General Nick Justice, Commanding General, RDECOM & Dr. Jim Overholt, Director of Advanced Robotics
• 3:00PM-4:00PM Artology: Music and the Science of Sound, James Kurleto, Cranbrook Institute of Science
• 5:00PM Hands-on Minds, Elliot Washor of Big Picture Learning & Frank R. Wilson & Charles Mojkowski

DIY THEATER (AUTO HALL OF FAME)
• 11:00AM Citizen Commerce: Jules Pieri, Daily Grommet
• 12PM Building a Business from Junk Drawer Common Sense, Sarah Hodsdon,
• 1PM Hackerspaces Panel, Mitch Altman
• 2PM Paper Action Heroes, Austin Shyu
• 2:30PM Fusing Plastic,Tracie Lampe
• 3:00PM DIY Diversions: Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred, David Erik Nelson
• 3:30PM DIY Garden Irrigation, Jaime Wolfe
• 4:30PM Crafting with Xyron's Creatopia, Brookelynn Morris
• 5:00PM Pinata Carving Tips, Lish Dorset & Nick Brisky
• 5:30PM How-To Knit Lace, Jeannine Gruska

**Additional Performances**

Illuminatus 2.1 Laser Lightshow (Anderson Theater) - 10, 12, 4:30 & 6PM
Power Racing Series events - 10, 1 & 3:30PM
COKE ZERO & MENTOS -- 4PM (outside)

METALWORKING AREA
• 10 am & 2pm Metal Casting Demo, Rick Chownyk

MAKE DEMO Stage (near Maker Shed)

• 10:00AM SteamPunked RFID Globe,John Knight
• 11:00AM Make Cool Things With Microcontrollers, Mitch Altman
• 12PM Gyrocar and Hydraulic Ram, Matt Gryczan
• 1:00PM Foam Dart Shooting Range, DIY Skeeball, Matthew Switlik, i3Detroit
• 2:00PM 3D Printing with MakerBot, Bre Pettis, MakerBot Industries
• 3:00PM Cigar Box Guitars, Mark Frauenfelder, MAKE magazine
• 5:00PM Make and Fix Anything with iFixit and Make:Projects, Kyle Wiens, iFixit

Also, please join us for a special Maker Faire edition of IGNITE starting at 6pm in Anderson Theater. IGNITE features fun and informative 5-minute talks. This 90 minute program will start with the Illuminatus Laser Lightshow.

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Uh-oh, better get Maaco. The Life-Size Mousetrap mice warm up on the family minivan.

The head mouse tells us that the official show schedule for the weekend will be:

Sat: 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 5:30, 7:30
Sun: 11:30, 1:30, 3:30, 4:30

Bring the family to see this!

BTW: If you're coming to the Faire, or just wanna follow the action as it happens, don't forget our Maker Faire Detroit Facebook page and our Maker Faire Twitter channel.

[Photos by Marc de Vinck]

Maker Faire Detroit

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Uh-oh, better get Maaco. The Life-Size Mousetrap mice warm up on the family minivan.

The head mouse tells us that the official show schedule for the weekend will be:

Sat: 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 5:30, 7:30
Sun: 11:30, 1:30, 3:30, 4:30

Bring the family to see this!

BTW: If you're coming to the Faire, or just wanna follow the action as it happens, don't forget our Maker Faire Detroit Facebook page and our Maker Faire Twitter channel.

[Photos by Marc de Vinck]

Maker Faire Detroit

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We're thrilled with the response that we've been getting to our new Make: Projects platform. We're building up a nice library of projects, technique, and primer articles from us and user-submitted projects from the maker community. Thanks to everyone who's checked us out and chipped in.

Here are just a few items from the site. Please come and see what we're up to, roll up your sleeves, and get involved. It's a wiki, so it's thirsty for content. If you have an area of expertise, share it with us by fleshing out a topic area. If you have a project, please share that. And if you build one of the projects, hit the "I did it! Success!" button, and let us know what you learned via the Notes feature. And remember, you can amend projects, so if you've figured out a better way to do a step, have better pictures, have variations on the project, submit them. We want this site to feel like your virtual Maker's Notebook. Don't be afraid to jump in.

Projects from the Magazine The Most Useless Machine

The mysterious machine from the current issue of MAKE that almost drove a fake news pundit crazy. Few people have looked at this project and not said: "I wanna build one of those!" *I* wanna build one of those!

Medicine Man Glider
The gorgeous old-school tissue and balsa plane project from MAKE Volume 17. I *did* build one of these, in my youth, and it is one of my fondest (and most frustrating) hobby memories of my youth.

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Via Gadget Lab:

Martin Magnusson of Linköping, Sweden, created this excellent wearable computer. It consists of the foliowing components:

a pair of Myvu Crystal video glasses hacked into a monocular head-mounted display,
the Beagleboard single-board computer running Angstrom Linux,
a Plexgear mini USB hub driving a bluetooth adapter and powering the Beagleboard and the display,
four 2700 mAh AA batteries powering the USB hub,
a foldable Nokia SU-8W bluetooth keyboard for input,
and Internet connectivity through bluetooth tethering to an iPhone in my pocket.

Martin's blog Becoming Cyborg describes every step of creating the glasses, check it out!

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Photo by Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

We're happy to announce that Make: Online's very own editor-in-chief, Gareth Branwyn, was recently interviewed by SyFy for their Eureka Idea Lab. Here's a snippet:

Pick one: personal jetpack, warp drive, or Lee Majors-level bionic implants?

Well, I already have an artificial hip, a rebuilt heart, and get shot up six times a year with tweaked mice proteins (Infliximab) for my arthritic disease. I'm a human/machine/mouse hybrid! So, the whole Lee Majors thing? Old news for me. As William Gibson said: "The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed yet." I get the Joint Journal from my orthopedic clinic and I lust after the new hardware. Time for an upgrade.

If I had to choose, it'd be warp drive, without question. It's not that I don't love my Mother Earth, but if I had a choice, I would leave her in a smear of light in my rear-view mirror in a (bionic) heartbeat.

Gareth also discusses what it truly means to be a maker, how to get started on the way to becoming a maker (open stuff up!), and some of the most inspiring scientific advancements of his lifetime. He also mentions Jimi Hendrix and quotes both Steven Roberts and Arthur Koestler. And if you know Gareth, you'll notice a surprising lack of quotes from William Blake.

To sum up, this SyFy interview is a must read!

Read the whole thing here.

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Jonathan Johns, a coworker of ours over at O'Reilly Media and a frequent volunteer at Maker events, sent us a great little maker story that we think everyone will enjoy.

My son, Christian, and his two roommates were on spring break in Arizona. As they were climbing up and around the hills, Christian's cargo shorts tore out at the knee, and at the pockets. They all proceeded to put their heads together and decided to fix them up.

Using a multi-tool and some Agave, they stitched up the shorts and pocket, and solved the problem. This may or may not be Makezine's cup of tea, but in my circle of friends, it was pretty exciting to see 19- and 20-year-olds having a MacGyver moment.

Thanks, for sharing the story, Jon. It's great to hear about inspiration when faced with adversity of any kind, at any age!

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From a series of videotaped experiments by astronaut Don Pettit performed aboard the ISS in 2003.

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Nick Britsky of i3 Detroit has a piece on Detroit Blog/Time.com about some of the awesome things he and his fellow i3ers are showing off at this weekend's Maker Faire Detroit. You had me at Twinkie Cannon:

Beer Growler Pneumatic Organ: Recycling is the way to go with our Beer Growler Pneumatic Organ. This set of 13 water-filled, tuned beer growlers - built by Matt Switlik - is a chromatic scale for eerie music. The power comes from 13 custom-built bellows and tubing.

Giant Twinkie Car with Pneumatic Twinkie Launcher: Nothing is more fun than the all-American food of the Twinkie...unless you are launching them at 30 MPH into crowds from a giant Twinkie car. Built by Russ Wolfe, this project is the next evolution of the famous i3 Detroit Cupcake Car.

Arduino Quadcopter: Take to the skies with a custom built four-rotor quadcopter. Controlled by the popular Arduino platform, this creation continues to push the boundaries of our space flying, both indoors and out. It's fast, maneuverable, fun and built by Eric Merrill.

Giant Statue of "Red Green," Made of Duct Tape: Red Green visited i3 Detroit July 17, so I told him I would build a giant statue in his honor out of duct tape if he visited. He agreed and kept his word. This massive monument is almost the full height of our shop and has controls for his arms and mouth along with fire breathing.

After outlining a bunch more projects, he concludes:

This is less than 5 percent of the total makers you'll see at Maker Faire Detroit - so one can only imagine the diversity and creativity of 300+ more individuals just like these. Bring your family and friends to this unique event that will hopefully be an annual gathering of knowledge, fun and ingenuity. Tickets are still available at The Henry Ford or at the door.

Back downtown, i3 Detroit will have the official after-party following the first night of Maker Faire Detroit tomorrow (July 31). Take a tour of our shop, relax with a drink and meet the members that will help extend Maker Faire Detroit and the spirit of Henry Ford year-round. More details can be found at our Web site.

Unfiltered: Nick Britsky on Must-Sees at Maker Faire

More:
See more Faire and Detroit coverage in our Making Detroit series.

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Nick Britsky of i3 Detroit has a piece on Detroit Blog/Time.com about some of the awesome things he and his fellow i3ers are showing off at this weekend's Maker Faire Detroit. You had me at Twinkie Cannon:

Beer Growler Pneumatic Organ: Recycling is the way to go with our Beer Growler Pneumatic Organ. This set of 13 water-filled, tuned beer growlers - built by Matt Switlik - is a chromatic scale for eerie music. The power comes from 13 custom-built bellows and tubing.

Giant Twinkie Car with Pneumatic Twinkie Launcher: Nothing is more fun than the all-American food of the Twinkie...unless you are launching them at 30 MPH into crowds from a giant Twinkie car. Built by Russ Wolfe, this project is the next evolution of the famous i3 Detroit Cupcake Car.

Arduino Quadcopter: Take to the skies with a custom built four-rotor quadcopter. Controlled by the popular Arduino platform, this creation continues to push the boundaries of our space flying, both indoors and out. It's fast, maneuverable, fun and built by Eric Merrill.

Giant Statue of "Red Green," Made of Duct Tape: Red Green visited i3 Detroit July 17, so I told him I would build a giant statue in his honor out of duct tape if he visited. He agreed and kept his word. This massive monument is almost the full height of our shop and has controls for his arms and mouth along with fire breathing.

After outlining a bunch more projects, he concludes:

This is less than 5 percent of the total makers you'll see at Maker Faire Detroit - so one can only imagine the diversity and creativity of 300+ more individuals just like these. Bring your family and friends to this unique event that will hopefully be an annual gathering of knowledge, fun and ingenuity. Tickets are still available at The Henry Ford or at the door.

Back downtown, i3 Detroit will have the official after-party following the first night of Maker Faire Detroit tomorrow (July 31). Take a tour of our shop, relax with a drink and meet the members that will help extend Maker Faire Detroit and the spirit of Henry Ford year-round. More details can be found at our Web site.

Unfiltered: Nick Britsky on Must-Sees at Maker Faire

More:
See more Faire and Detroit coverage in our Making Detroit series.

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If you're in the San Antonio area and want to help found a hackerspace, get in touch with 10bitworks. So far it looks very preliminary -- the unofficial logo above is merely one the group has brainstormed on their forums. However, it sounds like they've found a space. Good luck guys and be sure to keep us in the loop!

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There's about one month left to submit a solution for the MakeShift featured in MAKE Volume 22. Here is the challenge:

The Scenario: You're an avid and experienced snowmobiler off to meet up with a friend at a remote cabin some 60 miles back in a rocky and forested wilderness. You know the terrain can be rough in spots and there's a storm on its way, so you elect to use your older but reliable snowmobile rather than the newer one you bought just before this winter season.

Even though you get started somewhat later than you planned, and the storm seems to be approaching faster than expected, you're still making good progress. You're nearly halfway there when you crest a rise and notice -- a split second too late -- a sapling jutting up in the trail. Before you can react, one of the front ski tips catches on the sapling and sends you flying off into a snowdrift while your snowmobile crashes into a tree!

The good news is that you emerge unhurt. The bad news is your vehicle is sufficiently damaged that, even though the engine will still start and the gas tank's intact, it's no longer functional for transportation. What's more, in your haste to get on the road you neglected to move the emergency survival kit from your new snowmobile to this one -- and your cellphone has never found a signal this far out. No doubt, when you fail to arrive as expected, your friend will come looking for you. But with this wicked snowstorm already starting to pound the area, that might not happen for another 48 hours at best. So, like it or not, you're in for an adventure. And it's up to you to decide what form that will take ...

What You've Got: In addition to the winter clothing you're wearing, you've got two protein bars, a bottle of water, the snowmobile's cover, a basic repair kit consisting of some wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers, the Swiss Army knife or Leatherman tool you always carry, and the bottle of single malt scotch you were planning to share with your friend at the cabin. What you don't have are any matches, lighters, or time -- because the wind is howling, the snow is flying, and the visibility is dropping fast. Are we having fun yet?

To enter: Send a detailed description of your MakeShift solution with sketches and/or photos to makeshift@makezine.com by Aug. 27, 2010. If duplicate solutions are submitted, the winner will be determined by the quality of the explanation and presentation. The most plausible and most creative solutions will each win a MAKE T-shirt and a MAKE Pocket Ref. Think positive and include your shirt size and contact information with your solution. Good luck! For readers' solutions to previous MakeShift challenges, visit makezine.com/makeshift.

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Instructables user duesentrieb writes:

I like LEDs. And I like torches (flashlights). I have always been looking for a torch that combines all LED colours that I want, including infrared and ultraviolet. As this combination is hard to come by, or extremely sumptuous, I chose to build one myself using a cheap torch bought on eBay and some inexpensive parts.

Do not underestimate the effort of desoldering and soldering, though. It took me about a day altogether to finish the project.

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Sometimes the sand castle is just that—a beach-built model of medieval architecture. But when the pros get involved, it can become so much more. Here are some of the most innovative and technically impressive sand castles ever built.


Castle - Middle Ages - Architecture - Arts - Fortifications

Do You Need To Replace Electrolyte in Your Car Battery?


Car battery - Business - Batteries - Power Supplies - Electronics and Electrical

Nice, a no-weld bike trailer! Instructables user Frenzy shows us how to make one from scavenged parts.

More:

• Collapsible bike trailer has comfortable bunk for camper
• How-To: Simple bike trailer
• The Bamboo bicycle trailer & DIY bicycle trailers
• Backpack bike trailer

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Nissan's new roadster energizes Popular Mechanics' long-term test fleet with 332 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque.


Nissan Motors - Nissan 370Z - Nissan - Makes and Models - Autos

[Via Jeri]

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