Maker Project Lab
March 11, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: News Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I’m Making an Electric GoKart for Maker Faire

I’ve officially launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for my Maker Faire Bay Area 2017 electric GoKart build. There’s a lot of “firsts” in this statement for me. It’s my first time presenting a project at Maker Faire, my first time crowdfunding, and my first time building a GoKart (luckily I have some serious help on that one).

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March 8, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tiki Volcanoes & Double Pendulums [Maker Update #24]

This week on Maker Update: glow in the dark chaos, a workstation for electronic forensics, a tiki bar basement volcano, cases for your knobs, and maker classes. SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

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March 1, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

$10 Pi Zero W Computer Gets WiFi & Bluetooth [Maker Update #23]

This week on Maker Update: a motion activated bike light, a new, better Raspberry Pi Zero W, a tiny retro Apple II, a stunning animated LED lamp, a time travel TV, e-ink displays, a board for car hacking, and easy fiber optics. SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE.

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February 22, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CNC Garden Pods & Wi-Fi Weather Panels [Maker Update #22]

This week on Maker Update we have an open source garden pod, weather over Wi-Fi, DIY night vision, measuring tape mods, and Wookiee treats. Plus, a $10,000 maker contest from the Infosys Foundation and two Maker Faires. Subscribe on YouTube.

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February 15, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hacking a $2 Voice Recorder [Maker Update #21]

This week on Maker Update, a circuit-bent voice recorder hacked into an intercom, a $500 laser engraver, a Raspberry Pi robot arm, a Flick Face electronics project, Pi Cams compared, a PocketCHIP review, and contests! SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

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  • PocketCHIP handheld Linux computer
  • Photo of PocketCHIP disassembled
  • C.H.I.P. single board computer
February 10, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: Tools Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PocketCHIP $69 Handheld Computer Review

The Oakland-based startup Next Thing Co. made a splash in 2015 when they announced a $9 single-board Linux computer called C.H.I.P. Like the Raspberry Pi, C.H.I.P. is a Linux computer designed for DIY projects and education — only significantly less expensive. And while the price made an impression on me at the time, I wasn’t yet into Raspberry Pi enough to even be tempted by a competitor. That is, until I saw PocketCHIP.

Next Thing Co. is clever enough to sell an accessory called PocketCHIP that transforms the credit card-sized board into a thoroughly unique, fully functional handheld computer. The PocketCHIP’s $69 price includes both the CHIP board and the portable handheld computer hardware that it simply slots right into.

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February 8, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DIY Spy Camera and IoT Valentines [Maker Update #20]

This week on Maker Update, a cheap, DIY spy camera, manufacturing with Voodoo, the Billy Bass Alexa gets fully realized, an internet valentine, printed pangolins, a guitar stompbox development rig, friction welding plastic, and Maker Faire Kuwait. SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE 

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February 1, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

GIF Books & Soda Lockers [Maker Update #19]

This week on Maker Update, a kid turns his locker into soda vending machine, a serious word on laser cutter fumes, printing GIFs into books, string launchers, a breadboard/Arduino/LEGO brick mashup, contests ending on Instructables, and why I’m flying to Iowa.  SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE

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January 25, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: News Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Asus Tinker Board Challenges Raspberry Pi [Maker Update #18]

This week on Maker Update: the classic bristlebot gets an upgrade, Eagle CAD drops a bomb, ASUS takes on Raspberry Pi, musical domes, hacked Furbys, vape tech, and Chi-town gets a big ol’ Maker Faire.  

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January 19, 2017 AUTHOR: Donald Bell CATEGORIES: Project Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Review: Light Paintbrush for Circuit Playground

I love when a DIY project gives you something that feels almost like a magic trick. The TV-B-Gone project is one such project, but so is this LED paintbrush project published by John Park on Adafruit.

John Park has an embarrassing number of great projects, but I ordered up the parts for this one specifically because I’ve been looking for an approachable project with a fun payoff to use for a beginner electronics workshop I’m teaching in April. I love the idea of students walking away with a unique gadget to show off, rather than just a blinking LED.

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