This is what happens when [Mitch Altman] comes together with hackerspaces nationwide to have a contest. In short, 5 hackerspaces will “take on the machine” and come up with 5 original ideas for existing devices. There are a few more rules, but you can catch them in the video in the link above. There is hinting at a slot machine that mixes drinks, a bike that makes ice cream, and more. What do you guys think is in store?
This is also a great opportunity to mention the hackerspaces wiki, find a community (or start one!) near you today and maybe [Mitch] will call on your hackerspace next competition. For now, we’ll keep you up to date with each hackerspace’s project and progress.
[Thanks Deven]
The spaces in question, for those that would like a link to check them out:
Too distracted by the hair to read the article.
So, it’s a bit like top chef, but for hackers. Cool
Larry David and David Carradine had a kid!?
I want to start a hackerspace in the San Fernando Valley, but there’s no way I could afford to rent a warehouse/storefront/vacant building… and I wouldn’t want to charge dues.
Hair only a 50 something acid freak would think looks good.
@xeracy see if a local (community) college would help you out. Maybe make it an “official” class where attendees just pay the minimum credits to have a (sciences) teacher babysit the group? Not all classrooms/studios are occupied all day.
“and I wouldn’t want to charge dues.”
That is kind of the issue with the one “near” me, its over an hour away they have a up front membership charge and monthly dues
which they say is fair, and really it is a fair price but its not something I would run to on my lunch break or hang out at multiple evenings a week so its a breaker for me
in before “get a haircut you hippie”
Guy kinda looks like David Carradine. Except, you know, less autoasphyxiated.
And he only called on hackerspaces “nationwide” why? most of them arent even on his side of the world.
I’ve met Mitch before, when he came to my local hackerspace. He’s actually really cool.
His hair is still freaky in real life, though. ;)
A bicycle that makes ice cream? A local bike co-op here in Baltimore has bikes with blenders that make smoothies. They set up at farmer’s markets and you can have one made or “pedal your own”. Easy to convert to an ice cream maker.
You’d think one of them could build some scissors :P
I keed I keed
to mjrippe
I don’t live that far from Baltimore (25 min subway ride) I need to find this guy and see this ice cream making bike for my self.
@xeracy – Unfortunately, making a hackerspace that’s both awesome and useful typically requires a fair amount of money. You want space for people to work on projects, space (and money) for machining/fabrication tools, you probably want internet access, you need to pay for utilities and taxes too (particularly if you teach classes to raise money).
Our local space, in addition to being full of pretty cool people, is a pretty good deal financially compared to owning your own machine shop, laser cutter, 3D printer, etc.
There’s a bike powered smoothy maker out in Hana, HI too. By necessity – there is no power there. Oh and its a DIY smoothy too. You want one, you ride the bike. Come check it out.
And yeah, we’d all like free access to tens of thousands of dollars of cool high tech equipment and parts. TANSTAAFL
The guy in the video is the inventor Mitch Altman. What did he invent? First, he was one of the inventors of virtual reality.(at VPL Research with Jaron Lanier) Second, he invented IDE RAID. Third he invented TV-B-Gone. Forth, he invented the Brain Machine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Altman
David
Mitch is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. And he’s pretty much dedicated the last few years of his life to bouncing around the planet convincing people that electronics are fun and totally easy to get into.
He is from SF though, so that’s probably the whole hair origin.
That being said… GO NYC RESISTOR!