Makers of MAKE 133
BoredStiff writes "An NPR show called The Connection inteviewed The Makers of MAKE.
They discussed who's behind MAKE magazine, and why they think there are a lot of people out there with an interest in re-inventing with the
gadgets that run our daily lives. MAKE magazine is a deliberate throw-back to the how-to science manuals of an
earlier era -- back when technology wasn't so cheap people did more 'do it yourself.'"
It may be a throwback (Score:5, Interesting)
As I've been digging to find resources for my new site (listed in my sig), I've been thrilled to discover just how many projects are out there fully-documented in arenas I've never messed in myself.
Last night, I made a batch of plastic in my kitchen to put a USB memory key back together. I found the recipe for casein plastic online, didn't have to leave the house because all of the ingredients were already there and I had never even heard of casein plastic until I stumbled across it for site research.
Projects like that, the little laser tripwire kit I found that can be combined with mirrors to give you the security grid shown in every bad heist movie, etc. are all over the place.
Fortunately, it looks like, via their blog and more recent web content (like their contest to start a dead car in the middle of nowhere) that their topics may become more diverse.
Great mag for hobbyists (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Good magazine so far... (Score:2, Interesting)
Techie, but lots of areas (Score:4, Interesting)
As a former computer magazine editor myself, I kind of wondered about the viability of a dead-tree magazine for hackers in the age of the URL myself, especially one that costs fifteen bucks an issue. But MAKE has been very well-received, and they're supporting it with an active daily blog. I've enjoyed both issues so far, and am eagerly anticipating the next. It probably helps that it's from the O'Reilly book people, who really grok hackers, since they come from the same gene pool. Plus their production values are incredible. Full color on every page, high-quality paper, etc. Copies of MAKE will be around at least as long as those old National Geographics in your grandfather's attic.
Re:It may be a throwback (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:It may be a throwback (Score:2, Interesting)
Now, the amount of old electronics that can be reused instead of trashed is amazing...LCD panels, mp3 player, interfaces between computers and motors and sensors, video and wireless transmissions. All for mostly dirt cheap. Tinkerers can always stay ahead of corporate development, and it's way more fun.
Danny
subscription (Score:2, Interesting)
Bad move!
Philip Torrone Rocks (Score:3, Interesting)
I pay attention to what Philip Torrone is up to.
He started the engadget Podcast [engadget.com], hackaday [hackaday.com], and now MAKE [oreillynet.com].
it seems like he's really good at getting cool stuff off the ground and then he leaves it to other people once its up and running
http://flashenabled.com/ [flashenabled.com] is his site
Re:Techie, but lots of areas (Score:2, Interesting)
I've only done one mod for my DTV... after the batteries going dead deep into the dungeon of the sword of fargoal, I added a coax jack for a wall wart. It was one with a bypass pin so I can leave the batteries in and it won't try to charge them.
If you are quick, you can also pull out the wall wart and it will switch to batteries before the DTV resets, and you can take your game with you. I imagine a capacitor to hold up the voltage would make the transistion much easier, it would be more like a laptop then, plug and unplug the wall power whenever you want.
So far I'm not that impressed (Score:3, Interesting)
Of course it tries to be many things to many people. There are so many varieties of geekery, so their coverage of any one variety is cursory. Maybe for the type of geeks that have never done anything outside the software area, it's something to get their feet wet.
Popular Science sometimes finds some real, inspiring news that I didn't already read on the net. That is nice. I used to like Electronics Now back in the late 80's and early 90's; they had some really unique projects. EE Times is also an excellent industry news source, but I quit subscribing to the paper version now that it's 100% online and free. With Make, I hope that it just hasn't found its stride yet, not that it's going to be permanently just fluff.
Re:Use formaldehyde? (Score:3, Interesting)
9.4.5 Make plastic from milk casein
Casein is a phosphoprotein thermoplastic polymer that may be used to make insulators, buttons, handles, adhesives and artist's priming paint. We can make casein from the reaction of skimmed milk with ethanoic acid (acetic acid).
Calcium caseinate + 2H+ ---> casein + Ca2+
(i) To prepare an approximately 10% ethanoic acid (acetic acid) solution, add 1 mL of glacial acetic acid to 10 mL of water. Separate cream from milk or directly use skimmed milk.
Pour 200 mL of skimmed milk into a 500 mL beaker.
Heat the milk to 50oC and then maintain the temperature at 40 to 50oC.
Add drops of the prepared acetic acid solution to the warmed milk with constant stirring.
After all the acetic acid solution is added, continue stirring for five minutes and then leave the mixture standing until the liquid becomes clear and the separation of the casein curd from the whey is complete.
Filter the lump of casein by suction, squeeze it with a teaspoon, wash it with water, wipe it dry with a piece of filter paper, mould it into shapes and then expose it to the air for 1-2 days.
Harden the plastic by immersing the dried casein in formalin (formaldehyde solution, methanal solution.) for one day.
Finally, polish the hard casein plastic with sandpaper.
Addition of aqueous ammonia solution to the casein can make glue.