makers

Ford Motor Company Sees Open Source

Ford today announced the launch of its OpenXC vehicle application research platform. Open-source hardware and software toolkits are now available to anybody who’s interested in building hardware and on the OpenXC platform. It is a joint effort with BugLabs (what a great name!). The launch of OpenXC marks the second developer platform to be offered [...]

Read the full article →

SOPA and PIPA Start Packing

I believe that SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act ) and PIPA (Protect IP Act ) are inimical to the maker and DIY communities. It is my view that they would stifle innovation and cripple small businesses. It was perhaps the largest online protest in history, and blackout banners all over the internet as well as [...]

Read the full article →

Expanding to Wholesale Jewelry with Pamela Bellesen

The story of Pamela Bellesen’s wholesale jewelry line and metalworking studio called Wide Mouth Frog Designs can be an inspiration for other makers and artisans. Metal is her passion, but she also had to take care of the business side of things. Ms Bellesen realized that being a savvy business person was as important as [...]

Read the full article →

The Hobbit and Tintin Created by Makers

The Weta Workshop is crawling with makers according to Magnus Hjert, marketing manager. After all they are the people who make costumes, armor, vehicles, jewelry and just about anything films such as Tintin and Hobbit require. The Weta Workshop’s Maker Space (loosely speaking) is in Wellington, New Zealand, one of the most amazing in existence, [...]

Read the full article →

Crowdfunding for Makers and Artisans with IndieGoGo

Funding startups and new ideas has been historically difficult and notoriously so. IndieGoGo and the concept of Crowdfunding aim to change that. Salva Rubin tells me IndieGoGo is a commercial venture that brings together the collective resources of people who in turn help to fund efforts of others. Starting a cancer research charity at age [...]

Read the full article →

Moving the Economy: The Future of the Maker Movement

The idea of the brave new entrepreneur is fascinating – the inventors, designers, builders, tinkerers – these are part of what I like to call the Maker Movement; people who have the power to change the world and more immediately fix the ailing economy. Steve Jobs urged in his iconic speech from 2005 at the [...]

Read the full article →