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Can an open-source AI take on Amazon and Google?
It's only been a few years since Amazon unveiled the Alexa-powered Echo, but since then, smart speakers have become a major consumer-electronics category. Key to its success is the notion of the always-on virtual assistant, which other companies like Apple and Google have adopted as well. In fact, not only has Google made Assistant the driving force behind its Android smartphones, it has launched its own line of Echo rivals.
Maker Faire ceases operations amid financial trouble
It's a grim time for fans of homebrew gadget creation. Maker Media, the company responsible for Maker Faires and Make:, has stopped operations and laid off all its staff. CEO Dale Dougherty explained it to TechCrunch as a matter of financial trouble. It "wasn't that interesting to its investors," and sponsors were backing out. Autodesk and Microsoft didn't fund the flagship Bay Area Faire in 2019, for example. This came despite healthy demand. The recent Bay event met ticket expectations, for example.
12 gifts for tireless tinkerers
They say the best gifts are the ones you make yourself. But that doesn't necessarily mean you, the gifter, needs to be doing the assembly. Sometimes the giftee will enjoy building their own present. Over the last several years the maker movement has really taken off. And whether you're shopping for an accomplished builder or someone just looking to get their toes wet, we've got a few suggestions. If there's someone in your life that's super into making everything themselves (and you love them enough to drop $1,000 on a gift for them) consider a 3D printer like the Replicator Mini+ from MakerBot. If a grand is a little extreme for you, consider a simple driver set, like 64-piece one from iFixIt. They'll be able to open up and (hopefully) put anything back together with it. If the creator in your life is more into coding than building, consider a tool like RPG Maker, or for the wee one in your life Ozobot's Evo is an excellent place to start teaching programming skills. For our full list of recommendations in all categories, don't forget to stop by our main Holiday Gift Guide hub.
ICYMI: Dark matter search, the personal plane and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-123513{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-123513, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-123513{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-123513").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: The new Icon A5 personal aircraft is available for $189,000, shrinking middle class be damned. China's space agency launched a spacecraft to hunt for signs of dark matter's existence. And Netflix's latest Make It project is a cosy nod to what too many of us will likely be doing over holiday breaks: Going on prolonged Netflix binges. The company is giving instructions for how to construct socks that will pause your show if you should fall asleep.
This 'Fallout 4' flaming sword can set the world on fire
It's Fallout 4 week. That means it's safe to say that when gamers aren't busy logging more than 4.5 million hours in Bethesda's latest instalment, they're probably watching all of the impressive game-related videos on YouTube. The team over at Linus Tech Tips has already managed to fit a high-end gaming PC inside a Mini Nuke, but what about building a real-life Fallout 4 weapon? If you've played Fallout 3 or made it far enough into the latest game (hint: it's located in the Saugus Ironworks), then you may have come across the Shishkebab: a flaming sword crafted from motorcycle parts and a katana. Make built one, and it's awesome.
Makers are getting their own social network
Maker Media founder Dale Dougherty speaks with such an infectious exuberance about creating and building that after speaking to him you want to go home and resurrect that project that's been sitting in your garage or bedroom. From a magazine, to a series of faires and camps for children, Doughterty's Maker Media reach - and enthusiasm - spans the globe and beginning today, it's launching a beta of its new MakerSpace social network.
3D printing is venturing beyond plastic and into your home
When you think of what 3D printing can do, you probably imagine simple plastic models and parts -- clever, but not exactly revolutionary. If you ask Dovetailed's Vaiva Kalnikaite and Make's Anna Kaziunas France, however, they'll tell you that 3D printers can accomplish much, much more. Dovetailed's 3D-printed fruit is just the start of what you can do with food, for example. Kalnikaite told Engadget Expand guests that 3D printing offers not just extra creativity with how you present meals, but a way to change the meals themselves. Do you like the taste of bananas, but not their texture? You could print food that offers everything you like, and nothing you don't. This could be particularly helpful if you have a food allergy, since you could enjoy food that was previously off-limits.
Engadget Expand is all about you. And us. But really, you.
Engadget Expand is our annual event that's all about you -- our fans. It's not your typical tech conference that's priced for people fortunate to have an expense account. We make the event completely FREE thanks to our generous sponsors, giving you the chance to experience the future -- right now. And while you're at it, you get to meet your favorite Engadget editors. When you join us at the Javits Center North in New York City next week on November 7-8, you'll be set loose on our show floor. You can check out some of our exhibitors and get your hands on gadgets that people can't buy yet (or in some cases, build your own in our workshops), head to our Expand stage and hear from some smart and inspiring people and so much more.
What's up with Engadget Expand?
We're just two weeks away from our free Engadget Expand event, taking place at New York City's Javits Center on November 7th and 8th and there's still so much to tell you about. If you can't join us in person, don't worry -- we'll keep you updated throughout the weekend with dispatches from the show floor and our livestream here on Engadget.
Carvey's desktop carving machine lets anyone be an industrial designer
We love desktop 3D printers, except that it's hard to do anything useful with the flimsy, thermoplastic results. However, the folks at Inventables want to change that with Carvey, a home-based CNC machine that etches your designs on wood or brass. Since there are plenty of digital carving machines out there already, the team differentiated Carvey by claiming that you can go from initial sketches to a final product in under five minutes. As such, it includes the company's Easel design software, which runs in a computer web browser (you can also use any CAD and machine control software).
Don't miss Reggie Watts, Mark Frauenfelder, Sparkfun, Techdirt and Sol Design Lab at Expand NY!
With every subsequent post, our excitement for Expand New York grows -- and this is a particularly good one. We might go so far as saying that this is our most exciting speaker post yet, but we'll leave that for you to decide. Improvisational musician / comedian Reggie Watts will be on stage discussing and demoing his sampling setup. We'll also be joined once again by Boing Boing founder and Make Magazine editor-in-chief Mark Frauenfelder, along with Sol Design Lab founder Beth Ferguson, Techdirt CEO Mike Masnick and Sparkfun's educational outreach coordinator, Jeff Branson. And, of course, we've already announced a number of folks who will be joining us on November 9th and 10th, including LeVar Burton, Ben Heck, Peter Molyneux, Ben Huh and folks from companies like Google, Sony, Pebble, Adafruit and The Electronic Frontier Foundation -- and we've still got plenty to come. Check out the full list below.
Expand and World Maker Faire: Two great events at one smart price!
What's better than getting to attend a hands-on technology event with thousands of like-minded enthusiasts? How about attending two such shows for one low price?! We've teamed up with our good friends at MAKE Magazine to make that a reality: now for $50 you can pick up a bundle ticket that gets you into both World Maker Faire in New York City on September 21st and 22nd (choose your day pass when purchasing the bundle), plus our own Expand NY on November 9th and 10th. That's two amazing opportunities to see and interact with some of the most interesting projects and people in technology, from the next great inventors to the biggest names in consumer electronics. Don't miss it...
Flutter: A $20 wireless Arduino with a long reach
If the words "ARM-powered wireless Arduino" send your heart aflutter, then you might be interested in... Flutter -- a development platform with the aforementioned qualities. The Kickstarter project claims the device has a usable range of over half a mile, letting you nail that wireless letterbox-checker project with ease. Similar tools, such as Xbee and Zigbee already exist, but the $20 price tag for the Flutter basic, and $30 for Flutter Pro (adds battery charging, another button, more memory) make this a tempting option for tinkerers on a budget. So, if building that mesh network of quadrocopters has been sitting at the top of your to-do list for too long, we recommend you get backing right now.
Watch a Google Project Loon launch Friday, witness the cloud navigate clouds
Fancy yourself a balloon maven? Well, tomorrow, Maker Camp's Field Trip Friday event is going to Google X for a Project Loon launch. Don't worry, you're invited too. Starting at 2PM ET, Make is interviewing those who've made stratospheric internet-distribution possible, via a Hangout on the magazine's Google+ page and its YouTube channel. What's more, the girl who floated Hello Kitty into space, Lauren Rojas, joins Maker Camp's festivities on Friday. To kill time between now and then, we suggest contemplating the whole "cloud in actual clouds" thing, it's kept us busy for a while.
Maker Camp 2013 kicks off six weeks of DIY fun for teens (video)
Ah, summer camp. Those halcyon days of imagining every creepy nighttime sound is a hungry, angry bear. Starting today, Google and Make (the brains behind Maker Faire) are launching a different kind of summer extravaganza with Maker Camp, a free six-week program open to Google+ users between the ages of 13 and 18. The online camp will offer daily DIY activities -- like a bike-powered phone charger -- with a live Google+ Hangout to discuss the project with expert makers. Additionally, campers will go on virtual field trips every Friday to places they otherwise might never see, like NASA's Ames Research Center. This year, Maker Camp will also include affiliate campsites at local libraries and youth centers, stocked with nifty gadgets like soldering kits, LEDs, Raspberry Pi boards and Arduino microcontrollers. For more info, check out the video after the break or register by following Make on Google+. Hungry, angry bears need not apply.
Get $100 off MAKE's Hardware Innovation Workshop this May 14-15!
We come bearing tidings of good savings from our friends at MAKE: get $100 off the regular price of the second annual two-day workshop designed for makers turning their projects into real businesses. The Hardware Innovation Workshop kicks off at the College of San Mateo just before Maker Faire Bay Area on May 18-19, and features big names in the world of making and innovation as well as startups you haven't heard about -- yet. The workshop will focus on innovative tools and technology, platforms and projects and devices and designs based on open hardware. Read on to find out who's speaking...
Make Magazine offering free six month subscriptions to Expand attendees!
By now you know we really, really want you to join us at Expand this March. And if you've been waiting for Just One More Reason to attend the event, how about a free 6-month subscription to Make Magazine? Our friends at Make share our enthusiasm about independent inventors, tinkerers, and makers of all stripes driving innovation in the technology world, and we're excited to welcome them as an official Expand media partner. They'll also be joining us at the show, so look out for more fun announcements around their participation in the coming weeks. We're also thrilled to be able to offer half a year's worth of Make goodness to all of our full weekend Expand attendees if purchased in advance. When buying your ticket there will be a form where you can input your home address. If you've already bought a full pass ticket from us, don't worry -- we've got you covered too. Look out for an email coming from Eventbrite (sent to the address you used to purchase your ticket) with instructions on how to provide us your mailing address and start receiving your free subscription. See you at Expand! And don't Forget... Insert Coin audience voting is open right now! Get your votes for the best of our 10 semi-finalists in by Wednesday, February 27 at 3:30pm EST If you're a company that would like to work with us on an exhibition or sponsorship level, please drop us a line at sponsors *at* engadget *dot* com (DIYers and small startups, please ask us about our new Indie Corner option!) If you're interested in speaking at the event, please contact expand *at* engadget *dot* com to inquire If you're a member of the media interested in covering Expand, please contact engadget *at* shiftcomm.com for more information.
Visualized: DeLorean hovercraft cruises around McCovey Cove, wins the internet
What do you get when you multiply a crazy Make project with a Kickstarter fund? You get the answer to our childhood dreams, that's what.
Maker Camp brings DIY fun to teens via Google+ Hangouts
Summer camp doesn't have to mean poorly ventilated cabins, boring activities and terrible food. In fact, put the concept in the hands of Google and Make, and there's not even a need to leave the comfort of your own home. The two have teamed up to deliver Maker Camp on Google+, a six week summer program designed to encourage kids to embrace their inner maker. The sessions will run every weekday starting July 16th. On Mondays through Thursdays a new set of instructions for the teen participants to tackle will be posted on Google+, then, in the afternoon, a counselor (often one of Make's own editors) will hold a Hangout to discuss the project and let the campers share their photos, videos and thoughts. Every Friday Make will host "field trips" via Hangouts. There's no need to register and no fee, the only requirements are that you be between the ages of 13 and 18, and have a Google+ account. Check out the videos after the break and the source links for more info.
Bug-zapping lightsaber built in minutes, ready to fry pests
Simulated Jedi training not passing muster? Something more firmly grounded in reality might fit the bill. Hack a Day's bug zapping lightsaber, for instance, is suitably real -- and what it lacks in actual lasers it makes up for in insect annihilation. As the amalgamation of a Star Wars toy and an electrified bug racket, the zapper saber isn't exactly a looker -- two layers of metal mesh wrap awkwardly around the toy's telescoping blade, secured only by electrical tape and the sheer will of the force. All told, the contraption was constructed in roughly 20 minutes and Hack a Day reckons that more elaborate ones can be crafted with a tad more time and materials. Head past the break to catch the build process in motion.
