GBBP 128: Dale Dougherty
This week, we’re switching things up, going DIY, and welcoming the godfather of the Maker movement – Dale Dougherty – to the show.
Continue ReadingThis week, we’re switching things up, going DIY, and welcoming the godfather of the Maker movement – Dale Dougherty – to the show.
Continue ReadingOur yearly venture to Chalk The Block made me realize the importance of family-friendly arts festivals.
Continue ReadingA few years ago the Atlanta Mini Maker Faire got promoted to full Maker Faire status… and for good reason. Since its first gathering in 2010, the event has continued to grow and grow.
Continue ReadingThe Maker Faire is, of course, a celebration of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). Improbable machines, hands-on activities, and lots of robots. I moved to Portland from the Kansas City area, where we had a large regional Maker Faire. You’d think that Portland’s smaller, Mini Maker Faire would be a bit of a […]
Continue ReadingBack in 2014, I met this interesting guy named Dan at the Atlanta Maker Faire; he was selling these very eye-catching electronics kits that were housed in secret-agent style briefcases. The product was called ArduinoKit, and I was absolutely amazed at how well Dan had designed the primary board that holds all the various components as well as a single Arduino Nano.
Continue ReadingAhead of the President’s visit to SXSW on Friday, today the White House announced the 2016 National Week of Making on June 17-23. The announcement also kicked off a $200k Career and Technical Education (CTE) Makeover Challenge for US high schools.
Continue ReadingIt’s been a week since Maker Faire Atlanta ended, and I’ve finally had a chance to sit down and go through my stack of business cards, brochures, and photos and ponder what I saw, the people I met, and the fun hands-on activities that were available.
Continue ReadingPortland’s Mini Maker Faire is coming up soon! Held at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) as usual, this year’s Maker Faire will be on September 12 and 13. The weekend will also celebrate the opening of Portland’s newest bridge, the Tilikum Crossing, along with the new OMSI MAX (light rail) station.
Continue ReadingTed Brull, a young inventor from Kansas City, has a Kickstarter project to promote his vacuum forming tool.
Continue ReadingAll sorts of resources and inspirations to educate yourself.
Continue ReadingWith no glue and no connectors, how would you go about building this cube?
Continue ReadingNext weekend (November 15th to be precise) the Mini Maker Faire returns to London’s College of Communication in Elephant and Castle, and GeekDad will be there together with DIY.org
Continue ReadingBack in 2010, I attended the first Atlanta Mini Maker Faire held on Georgia Tech’s campus. That day, there were less than 50 exhibitors, the September weather was unbelievably hot, and there were no vendors for food and water… the sole provider of anything that day was King of Pops, an Atlanta-based popsicle vendor, that proceeded to sell out in record time. Still, it was a start…
Continue ReadingPortland’s third Mini Maker Faire was held at OMSI last weekend, and it was an impressive show. I was only able to go on Sunday this year, but I could tell from the difficulty finding parking that it was well-attended. According to OMSI, attendance was 6,700 and there were about 115 Makers exhibiting.
Continue ReadingNext weekend, September 13-14, OMSI will once again host Portland Oregon’s Mini Maker Faire. Portland is a great place to be a maker: there’s a real DIY culture here and it’s always fun to see the fun things that people bring.
Continue ReadingJust a few more days… and it’s Maker Faire Time! I know a lot of geek dads and moms make the trek each year to attend what is called The Greatest Show (And Tell) On Earth, and there’s are solid reasons for it. Two days of open-mouthed staring and double-takes. Two days of access to experts (self-taught and otherwise), makers, inventors, tinkerers, dreamers, builders, hackers, and hobbyists. Two days of sightseeing, hands-on activities, and pure surprises.
Continue ReadingI was very fortunate to grow up in a house where both parents were the hands-on, DIYer-types. My dad taught me a good bit of woodworking and some home repair, and my mom was more of a crafter, always having a project or two for us kids to do side-by-side with her as she sewed or glued or painted. I think it was inevitable that I would also develop that desire to tinker, fix, and create.
Continue ReadingThis past weekend my family and I made a two-hour trek to Loveland, Colorado, for the state’s first-ever NoCo Mini Maker Faire.
Continue ReadingWe’re so excited that Colorado now has its very own Maker Faire! If you’re within driving distance, be sure to join GeekMom Judy and me on Saturday, October 5th at the Rocky Mountain Center for Innovation and Technology for some Maker fun!
Continue ReadingIf you have an interest in 3D printing, Maker Faire has the power to turn that interest into an obsession.
Continue ReadingToolbox Jewelry is one of the best Klutz kits yet, perfect for young, fashionable makers.
Continue ReadingA few of us from GeekDad and GeekMom will be hanging out in Robot Row all weekend. Robots aren’t known for their conversational skills so we’d love to have you drop by say hi. We will have a few activities for the geeklets including a large HEXBUG build and gaming table.
Continue ReadingIt’s time for the second Portland Mini Maker Faire! Hosted by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), the Maker Faire will take place this weekend (September 14 and 15) in OMSI’s north parking lot. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for kids, and it’s a blast. I attended last year, and although it’s significantly smaller than the Bay Area Maker Faire, there’s plenty to see and do and I ended up going both days just so I could try to see everything.
Continue ReadingThe Greater Detroit area is a place of contradictions.
Continue ReadingTen things 3D printers are revolutionizing.
Continue ReadingThis coming Saturday (July 6th), London finally gets its own Maker Faire, to be held from 10am until 6pm at the London College of Communication, in Elephant & Castle. Come along and make some stuff with your kids!
Continue ReadingKansas City is actually a pretty cool place to be a maker. It’s one of a few locations of the larger “featured” Maker Faires. The other locations are Detroit, Newcastle (UK), Rome, and Tokyo. It’s still about one tenth the size of the World Maker Faire in New York, but over 10,000 attendees is still not bad. If you’re in the midwest, it’s worth the drive.
Continue ReadingMaker Faire: North Carolina descends on the NC Fairgrounds this Saturday with a bevy of projects to inspire you and your kids.
Continue ReadingMy favorite act at Maker Faire, for 5 years now, is Arc Attack. Founded in 2005 by Joe and John DiPrima with help from Steve Ward and Craig Newswanger, Arc Attack is the world’s premier musical Tesla coil act. It has been a great pleasure to watch their show grow and mature both technically and artistically.
Continue ReadingKen and Matt have a long, spoiler-filled debate about Star Trek Into Darkness (one loved it, one hated it). Plus chat about Maker Faire, the new XBox One, and more. Enjoy!
Caution: Brief Profanity
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