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A TV Show Based On MAKE Magazine
Posted by
kdawson
on Tue Jan 06, 2009 08:14 AM
from the hacking-for-the-masses dept.
from the hacking-for-the-masses dept.
ptorrone writes "Make: television debuted online and on public television (broadcast / cable tv). The series encourages everyone to invent, reinvent, recycle, upcycle, and act up. Based on the popular Make magazine, each half-hour episode hopes to inspire viewers to think, create, and, well, make. Each episode can be viewed or downloaded DRM-free, in HD on makezine.tv — the show is also available on Vimeo, YouTube, blip.tv and iTunes."
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If only... (Score:2, Funny)
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Sorry, couldn't help it.
You must have been awake as long as I have.
It'll never work (Score:5, Funny)
I just can't see how you can have very many episodes on Make. Maybe if they threw in autoconf, gcc, and a few other tools, then they could have good show...
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It'll be like the flood of 'battle robots' shows from the late 90s.
This is actually not such a bad idea.
With an "emacs" robot vs. a "vi" robot, we might be able to finally resolve that issue once and for all.
Up next, "make" vs. "scons", then "git" vs. "subversion".
The Do-It-Yourself Spirit (Score:5, Insightful)
The whole Make: phenomenon had greater promise than I have seen yielded. Being someone brought up in the era of Popular Electronics, I thought that it would herald a continuation of the hobbyist tradition. However, I have been somewhat disappointed in what I found. Fad gadgets and flashy toys are fine, but remain just an extension of the consumer culture. Where are the schematics? Where is the technical background? Too many Make: articles detail trivial novelty projects.
The spirit of Popular Electronics lives on in Bob Pease, Jim Williams, and yes in wonderful offbeat Don Lancaster.
O'Reilly, I had far greater hopes of thee. Still the best row on my bookcase, of course.
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Oh, and Steve Ciarcia and his Circuit Cellar, of course. How could I have missed mentioning that? Still a great publication. Make: can only hope to be that good. I just don't see the 'genius' anywhere in it's pages.
Re:The Do-It-Yourself Spirit (Score:4, Funny)
God, I'd forgotten about him. He's the source of the Best Line Evar (tm):
Q: "Steve, what's your favorite programming language?"
A: "Solder."
Parent
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Re:The Do-It-Yourself Spirit (Score:5, Informative)
@that this is not und - every single volume of MAKE has source code, schematics and our site has tens of thousands of electronics articles.
while you might say some projects are "novelty" they're not - taking apart a child's toy to understand how it works, how it can be modded and documenting all of it is very important. some articles are to spark the minds of future makers, others are "hardcore" and include hundreds of pages of data sheers on on our site, firmware, schematics and more.
if you'd like i can provide hundreds of examples of extremely complex and well documented projects that include schematics - on a similar note, MAKE has the largest open source hardware online store on the web. every single kit that's OSH is documented on MAKE and has the source / schematics.
i think you didn't take a good look around or looks at all of MAKE.
Parent
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In this comment, and elsewhere in this topic, I notice that you preface your comments with "@parent", to make it clear to whom you are responding.
Unlike most blogs, which are linear in structure, Slashdot uses a nested comment structure. It is already clear which comment you are responding to, based on the physical position & indentation of your comment.
This isn't intended as a flame of any sort, it's just that, curiously, your mid-six digit userid # would suggest that you've been around long enough to
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you're correct it's a newly formed habit, i'll try and remember not to do that.
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Yeah, I only recently discovered Make magazine, so ordered (rip-off shipping charges - no media mail option) an interesting sounding back issue to see what it was like.
As you say, it's very light on depth - these generally aren't build-from-scratch projects that require much knowledge or attention span. They're more generally "hardware mashups" designed for instant gratification for the MTV generation. I guess it's a step up from pure consumer culture, but it's hardly really DIY.
Still, there are some intere
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The "real DIY" that you're referring to is pretty much based on using wikipedia, google, and downloading manufacturers data sheets. None of that works well in a magazine format.
On the other hand, a magazine of weird ideas and unusual experiments does provide some fun and inspiration and something to begin moving along the wiki/google/datasheets path. Its difficult to read an issue and not find something new and interesting to think about.
The intro stuff in Make and "real DIY" complement each other not opp
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@vlm - "I wish they could do something about the high price"
that's good feedback, what price would you like to see for a 200+ page quarterly with minimal ads? do you use the digital edition? do you subscribe? those are lower cost ways of getting MAKE.
it's possible to get MAKE for less than the cost of just about any magazine/book comparable, we also have discount codes.
if you don't have any money at all we can work something out and get you some MAKEs, and lastly much of the content is online for free, we d
You Tube Shorts (Score:4, Informative)
The fact they have a TV show means it'll probably be just an extension of this philosophy and - call me cynical - will just be another advertising platform (confirmed by the fact that being able to 'view the TV show' links at the top send you to the MAKE Youtube shorts channel)
Re:You Tube Shorts (Score:4, Informative)
@Canazza - yah that is pretty cynical. go to makezine.tv and you'll see every single part of the show is available for download, there's also full HD downloads as well a direct link to the entire show and there are torrents starting.
we do not leave out details, we do optimize for the format we are in, in print we suggest folks visit our site for downloads, in video we suggest folks visit our site for a schematic. all of these things work together and we give it away for free. we'd love if you bought a magazine, a kit or visited our maker faire, but it's not required to build the projects we have on Make: television.
the links to youtube, blip and vimeo go to our video channel, these have additional videos we do that are not part of the TV show, it didn't make sense to do a new channel just for the show, we want everyone to see all we have to offer.
Parent
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good question, i'll need to see what's possible for subtitles across all the video properties we posted the show - we might need some help adding them, if anyone is interested let me know.
Don't forget Miro (Score:3, Insightful)
Although I hate miro as software, I have to give them credit for getting the concept right (Tivo for internet TV) and having a great library of content feeds (including MAKE and most of the TED series) which makes me happy enough to use it despite it's resource hogging and glitches.
Homer the Heretic (Score:2)
TV Announcer: "Coming up next: make your own ladder !"
Homer: "Very sure."
Make is an odd niche (Score:4, Interesting)
Make is not a hardcore magazine that delves deeply into a few areas like "Glass Audio" or "Speaker Builder" tried to do (and sort-of failed at). But rather a liberal arts type of approach where you get a basic understanding of a wide range of topics.
The above mentioned (and beat to death) PID example is a good illustration of this. Another 12 pages could have been consumed with a cursory introduction to PID control, but they used that space for another project.
They have a target audience and I suspect are doing quite well hitting that target. But my projects tend to be a bit deeper and more involved than I see on the pages of Make. Shameless plugging: Electrostatic Loudspeakers with active crossover built from scratch. Allegro based stepper driver built from scratch. Etc (http://quadesl.com).
I let my subscription lapse because it was too fluffy. No I don't want to litter LED thowies everywhere. No I already made 2 liter bottle water rockets in jr high school. They have too many of these sort of projects and not enough hard hitting "worthy" projects like these:
http://www.softservice.com.pl/corolla/avc/
http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~willie/lvr.html
http://www.thebackshed.com/cnc/OtherMachines1.asp
http://www.bgsoflex.com/megasquirt.html
But that's just my preference, and I'm already a "Maker" I suppose. They just aren't quite my demographic.
Sheldon
BitTorrent of the show is here... (Score:3, Interesting)
here's a torrent of the show for those interested, it wasn't in the article/post but there is one:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01/bittorrent_of_make_television_episo.html [makezine.com]
Re:A good idea for a show... (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, you might be underestimating the willingness of people to try stuff like that. Look at scrapbooking: Most of the people doing it would be better off buying kitchy "rustic" art somewhere, given their skill and taste levels; but there are swarms of them doing it anyway.
Parent
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It'll compete with ANTM, but only for the robotic girlfriend episode!
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Re:A good idea for a show... (Score:5, Insightful)
My main criticism of Make: is it's heavy reliance on kitch. There's some robotics in there, sometimes, but mostly it's kitch.
Parent
Re:A good idea for a show... (Score:4, Interesting)
Exactly. Most of it feels like a bunch of guys still high from the last burningman, trying to make a knit hat and gourd into a eco friendly USB Automaton.
They have some great gems, and I subscribe, but there is a pile of plain old, "what are you smoking" articles and ideas in it.
Parent
Re:A good idea for a show... (Score:4, Interesting)
It's *hard* to try and carve out a niche where they are. On the one side you have Nuts&Volts, on the other Popular Mechanics.
What they're aiming at is a group of people who *want* to experiment with interesting science/technology, but own a screwdriver and a closet full of obsolete servers.
I look at it as a transitional magazine, trying to wean the Popular Mechanics crowd and turn them into the Home Shop Machinist crowd: people who actually can make things.
But there is a big wide swath of creation that isn't addressed by many other magazines, particularly not mainstream magazines, and that's the hardware/software overlap area where MAKE is working: robotics, automation, and to some extent, art/technology (like Leah Buechley's sweaters knitted with conductive wiring and LED's soldered in so they can become wearable displays, or hardcore art cars).
The question is: does it make sense, in light of the Internet, to have a magazine that covers this? The material's available on the Internet.
I think the answer to that is similar to the answer of why do record companies still exist: because it's a way of connecting consumers to producers. You can't Google for things you don't know about, and most people, with TV mentality, just sit in front of the Internet and read about the same things they always have. MAKE brings up brand new things, shows (in some cases) how to build them, and introduces people to stuff they never would have tried. I would never have actually considered making pulsejets, actual thrust-producing, red-hot ones, if I hadn't seen the MAKE jam-jar pulsejet. Likewise I would never have considered actually machining Stirling engines if I hadn't seen the (Dean Kaman-designed?) pop-can Stirling they published. I'd read about both, thought they were cool, but actually seeing a step-by-step on how to build them, was motivational.
It's easy to dismiss MAKE as kitsch. But the thing is: what's kitsch to YOU is something new and exciting to someone else who hasn't ever built anything more unconventional than a custom PC.
Parent
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What is your definition of "catch on" that would satisfy you? What percentage of garbage can actually be turned into something useful? And by "useful", I don't mean a bunch of garbage that's welded together and called art, which a microscopic number of people actually want in their homes.
Anyway, too many people wring their hands about
Re:A good idea for a show... (Score:4, Informative)
Until the recession. There are stories all over the internet about how Goodwill/Salvation army is booming and how auto mechanics are seeing everyone repairing their old cars to extend the life.
I'm hoping that changes the attitude of most Americans where 'old' isn't necessarily bad.
Parent
Re:A good idea for a show... (Score:4, Interesting)
The irony in this is that old cars, electronics equipment, and so forth, are typically far less efficient and/or environmentally friendly. As such, the unfortunate consequence is that the move to greater energy efficiency will likely be greatly hampered by the precise trend you've identified.
Or: while old may not necessarily mean "bad", it sure doesn't necessarily mean "good", either.
Parent
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...the unfortunate consequence is that the move to greater energy efficiency will likely be greatly hampered by the precise trend you've identified.
I disagree.
In the long run old tech will eventually degrade beyond repair and will have to be replaced by whatever is available. Since the old equipment was kept running longer, more advances will have been made by the time the new equipment is purchased. I propose that it is more likely that by leapfrogging from the very old to the very new the energy savings and environmental impact from not manufacturing, transporting, and discarding all the interim equipment will outweigh the inefficiencies of maintai
Re:A good idea for a show... (Score:5, Interesting)
There was a time, before surface mount components, when US manufacturers made products to last. Products that were repairable. Products of quality. About the time that surface mount components came along, everything turned to 'throw away' production values. If the electronics is not repairable, no need to make the rest of it last 27 years. This was before trade with China. Zenith televisions? Remember them? Motorola started making throw away radios about 1988. Before that you could use the mic cord to repel from a burning building. Walmart made stuff cheaper, and to keep up, manufacturers started making things of lower quality to be cheaper. Later on, there was a kind of backlash on the cheaper craze, and we have Lexus et al to show for it.
Chances are that your phone was designed to be replaced before or at the end of life of the battery in it. It's not designed to be upgraded or refurbished per se'... just replaced. Your microwave oven is the same, and on and on. Many things manufactured in the last 15 years can't be maintained. Look inside a blender or other such appliance. If a piece of the plastic breaks, it's fucked. Nothing short of a super glue miracle will fix it. Does your car come with a gizmo for reading information from the computer? The typical handyman toolkit from Sears doesn't have a spark plug wrench any more.
It will take quite a bit to turn the throw away consumer into a maintenance consumer. There are some brand names that still represent value and quality. Hopefully they will see a benefit from all this and other will have learned their lesson about quality.
Interestingly, computers have not quite run the same gauntlet. Hardware quality has remained about the same. Custom hardware like Compaq still sucks for upgrading etc. but all in, pretty much the same or better quality for systems as in the last 15 years. Software has only improved, no matter how bad it seems some days :)
Furniture restoration should revive. Home DIY will/is. Computers remain throw away in as much as they always were. New OS available, buy new hardware. This is why I like Linux. It breaks that cycle.
Parent
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On opening my oscilloscope, you will find a pair of warnings. The large one at the top says "DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE." The one underneath reads "It is desirable that only silver bearing solder be used on the ceramic terminals and for tinning the iron. Ordinary tin-lead solder may be used but repeated use will break the solder-to-ceramic bond. See your instruction manual." Above that is a small roll of silver-bearing solder.
I wish it was still the case that the owner of a tool was expected to know how to re
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Wow, Wish I still had mine. Moving overseas necessitated selling it. Your thoughts on knowing how to repair your tools should go for cars, appliances, homes, etc. I was shopping for a couple of hand tools lately, and was surprised at the number of people who work in tool stores that were confused. I was looking for an 'awl', a leatherworking knife, and and ice pick. Don't ask why, ask why they didn't know what I meant. Things are changing. I'm thinking my wire-twist pliers should be framed? I bought mine fo
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Oh, my thoughts on the matter extend to most such things.
Wire twist pliers are still used for safety wire in the aerospace world. They probably will be for some time to come.
I actually got the scope for free (the company I worked at wanted the shelf space more than the scope, since they had better scopes and no particular use for the old one). Of course, I've replaced a number of the original adjustment pots and electrolytics, since they were starting to show their age. That, cleaning some of the dust ou
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I don't think the good old days were as good as you remember. Everything works better now. Remember Magnum PI's Ferrari? My neighbor's new Camry makes more horsepower than that thing.
There's nothing magical about surface mount components. They are just as repairable as the old through-the-hole components. It just takes a steadier hand and finer tip on the soldering iron.
The difference is cost and fashion. I don't throw away much stuff because it is broken. I get rid of it because I don't want it anymore or
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I don't think of those days gone by as particularly good. I'm just saying that things were made differently than they are today. Designed obsolescence is just how things are now. Apple is a hardware maker. An upgradable iWhatever is not in the company's best interest. Part of the problem is a quicker innovation cycle than previously. Part is manufacturing things so they are not upgradeable, never mind repairable. Have you seen any printer repair shops lately? You can still find cobblers, but used PC hardwar
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Remember Magnum PI's Ferrari? My neighbor's new Camry makes more horsepower than that thing.
More horsepower, but far less awesome.
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Being able to fix SMTs makes me a bit of money on the side. People are seriously scared of them. It's not that hard with a good soldering iron. I use Wellers at work but I bought a very nice base station model for around $40.
If it's a common problem a quick google will show sites like Make that have the parts and such that you need to fix common stuff. There are dozens of Washer, Drier, Dishwashers, etc DIY websites out there that show you how to do about anything you could want to do to them, including rep
Re:A good idea for a show... (Score:5, Insightful)
I also am turned off by the hipster attitude and kitsch. How many more TV-begone posts do they need? I mean, is being a jackass that shuts off the TV at a sports bar really that important?
Or how many more lame PoV projects do we need to see? How many more random LEDs attached to random electronics? How many more times do I need to hear how cool "Steampunk" is? How many more pacman scarves do we need to see?
There's a lot of potential at Make, but it stems directly from the boingboing tradition of urban American hipsterism thats very off-putting. Its just so provincial. Its really unwelcoming of anyone who isnt under 25 and lives in a big city and self-identifies with the indie rock movement. Heck, half the blog posts are needle and thread craft projects or just art projects, not tech projects.
Id love to see Make grow up. Perhaps add a section for DIY automobile repairs/hacks/projects and home repairs/hacks/projects. I guess most Makers only ride tricked out bikes and rent.
Parent
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Id love to see Make grow up.
Hear Hear!
I love MAKE, but they are a bit over concerned with making making "cool". Making your arduino chirp every time a new XKCD is posted isn't going to get anyone laid. Let's stop pretending.
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@RMH101 - every time MAKE is mentioned on /. it appears that this person (sometimes anonymously) posts the same thing over and over.
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@gothmolly - "real engineers" and people doing "real engineering" usually agree that every single component does not need to be 100% understood top to bottom, especially in task based learning. in time some components will be explored more, others may not.
sometimes it's more about the output for the specific task - the point is that it was the right choice for this project and the article was about a task (espresso machine) not about PID control, but we didn't just stop there. there are many PID resources o
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gothmollly, perhaps some might go through life not understanding how everything works and you're free to call them hacks, but all the evidence i have is that people who do the projects in MAKE go on to learn more, understand how things work but they needed to start somewhere.
parents, teachers and kids tell us all the time that MAKE is how they got started in science and engineering, we've been around for 5 years and we're seeing the results now. i can't 100% prove that we're teaching everyone, everything -
Re:MAKE insults real engineering (Score:4, Interesting)
I cancelled my subscription when I read the article about adding a PID controller chip to an espresso machine. The author of the article used an off-the-shelf IC designed for the task. He was quite glib about saying how much he didn't understand PID control, but was assured that the chip handled it, so there was no reason to get bogged down in the details. Sorry, but the mechanics of PID control are not just 'details'. Make is decidedly un-intellectual.
Trust me when I say that MAKE probably does a better job communicating with the layman than the average Engineer does. This is why you find only a small portion of the population is stout enough to handle the "devil in the details" with EE/ME work. If the project works in the end without blinding detail minutiae, then so be it.
I look towards MAKE for fun with my kids, not to find an intellectual endgame, which I can find at work.
Parent
Re:You shouldn't make (Score:4, Interesting)
@Cornwallis - that's your choice, what i've found is that talking to other makers and folks online is usually more helpful than not participating. i'd love if everyone editor at every magazine participated more online. we get great feedback, lots of makers contact us this way and i think it's important for folks to know we're out there. slashdot has been my home page for 10+ years, i've submitted projects that celebrate making things, cool engineering, science - without slashdot i doubt i would have ended up working with MAKE, it's all connected.
perhaps i'm used to what we do a MAKE now, the makers submit their own projects and we post them up in the their own words, i think slashdot is doing that more as more people make things and share their projects here directly.
i always disclose who i am, if you don't want to buy MAKE that's ok, but please give us a try and feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions or want a preview version of the digital edition.
Parent
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i'd love to see more editors at magazines, sites, videos get involved in the slashdot community. i know that some of my friends thinks it's a waste of time to participate here all these years, but there are many great things to discover.
there's a lot of good things happening in the comments but sometimes people state things that aren't accurate and it's really our job to at least offer up our point of view and facts for other to read and decide for themselves. there is legitimate cheers and jeers for anythi