Wearable electronics fans, rejoice! Never has there been a more exciting year to delve into e-textiles and wearable computing. There are more big companies and kit makers in this space than every before, so here are my picks for the best gifts you can make and wear this holiday season:
FLORA GPS Starter Pack – Get started with the fabulous Adafruit Flora platform with this lovely starter kit. Included are plenty of parts to make a few different fun projects! There’s a Flora motherboard, a GPS module that can also perform location data logging, eight ultra-bright chainable RGB pixels, a battery holder and batteries, two types of our high quality stainless steel thread, alligator clips to help you test out your parts, a USB cable for reprogramming the Flora, and some parts to make a wearable remote control (or TV-B-Gone!): NPN transistors, long range IR LEDs, and matching resistors. Over $120 worth of goodies, for under $100.
Aniomagic Sparkle Kits – These kits contain parts necessary for an easy, low cost introduction to e-textiles. You get the Sparkle controller board, 4 sewable LEDs, some conductive thread, and a battery with little adhesive bits to make your own holder for it. Complete instructions finish the picture so even the least experienced electronics n00b can make a stunning e-textiles creation.
Stainless Thin Conductive Yarn / Thick Conductive Thread – This 316L stainless steel thread falls somewhere between a thick thread and a thin yarn. Because the thread is thick and has the ‘furry’ soft feel of yarn it won’t work well in sewing machines or for most e-textiles/wearables projects. However, the high conductivity and softness make it a great thread for making iPhone gloves!
Fitbit One Wireless Activity & Sleep Tracker – Like many out there, the Fitbit activity tracker gives you stats on your daily life – your stairs, steps, burned calories, and even sleep cycle are tracked. I like how the fitbit can be clipped in a variety of places like your pocket or bra, so you don’t have to wear it around your wrist. I found I was climbing between 30 and 40 flights per day, that is before I accidentally tossed fitbit in the wash (twice, actually… the first time, it survived).
iNecklace and iCufflinks – Sophisticated. Elegant. Open Source. The iNecklace and iCufflinks are made from gorgeously machined aluminum with subtle pulsating LEDs. Perfect for the playa or with Prada. This is a new type of product for Adafruit, we want to create wearable electronics that are subtle, classy and fun to wear.
The necklace pendant and cufflinks are CNC machined from the finest 6 series aluminum for durability and beauty. They feature a screw-in backing that allows easy access to the battery.
Bare Conductive Paint is a multipurpose electrically conductive material perfect for all of your DIY projects! Bare Paint is water based, nontoxic and dries at room temperature. Available in a cool paint pen, they work the same way as glitter glue pens, and are designed for people of all ages to explore electronics, and learn about circuit making using a handy, easy-to-use format.
Ascii Heart <3 Necklace – Show that you <3 with this geeky necklace depicting an ASCII heart, like you’d see in email or text messages! The pieces are laser-cut in Sterling silver, then hand soldered to silver tubes that hang from the 20″ curb chain. The necklace is polished and has a high-shine finish and is treated to reduce tarnishing. The pendant measures 1.5″ square, and the two pieces dangle freely with a silver bead between them. This necklace makes a great gift for any special occasion, especially Valentine’s Day or for anyone who needs more <3 in their life.
SquareWear is an open-source microcontroller board specially designed for wearable electronics projects. It is small in size, low-cost, simple to use, and provides an all-in-one solution for wearable electronics projects. It builds on Microchip’s PIC18F14k50 mcu, and comes with a few different colors and two battery options. The coin version has a built-in 20mm coin battery holder and measures 1.6″x1.7″ in size; the li-po version uses an external li-po battery and measures only 1.6″x1.6″ in size.
Transistor Man Shirt – Did you know that inside every transistor is a little man whose job it is to watch the incoming base current and adjust the collector-emitter impedance to match the datasheet? It’s true! And now you can celebrate this hard-working guy with this fabulous Transistor Man tee shirt.
The front of the shirt has the legendary Transistor Man diagram from Horowitz & Hill’s “The Art of Electronics”. Not only did we get a blessing to make these from Cambridge Press, we even got a scan of the original artwork transparency from Professor Horowitz! These are without a doubt, the coolest NPN shirts we’ve ever seen.
LilyPad Development Simple Protosnap Kit – The ProtoSnap series is a new way to prototype your project without a breadboard. Everything is wired together on a single board, which makes it easy to explore the possibilities of the components before snapping them apart and building them into your project.
The ProtoSnap LilyPad Simple Development board is a great way to get started in programmable e-textiles. By combining a LilyPad Simple board with four LED boards and a buzzer, the ProtoSnap LilyPad Simple Development board gives you everything you need to learn the basics. The kit also includes our LilyPad FTDI basic for programming the Simple board, conductive thread and needles and a Li-Po battery pack. The board also includes two pads to connect sensors using alligator clips (or use as a nifty touch-sensor).
Circuit board necktie “Resistor” – How can you resist? Impress any guy (or girl!): computer scientist, programmer, electrician, engineer or maker who is proud to wear his nerdiness as a badge of honor. Is dad, grandpa, boyfriend or husband a tinkerer with solder and blinky things? Perfect for groomsmen and bride’s boys of the geeky persuasion. Nerd power!
Embroidered Speaker Kit – Hannah Perner-Wilson makes these charming kits with everything you need to embroider your own soft speaker coil!
Conductive Fiber – Stainless Steel 20um – This solid stainless-steel conductive fiber is super interesting! It’s great for felting and could also be spun into yarn if that’s your thing. We tested many different fiber thicknesses for needle felting and found that this one (20um fiber thickness, 316L steel, straight fiber) is the most pleasurable to work with. Use about 0.2g of the stuff to make a felt touch button suitable for use with the MaKey MaKey or capacitive touch sensing circuit. Make felt controllers or felt buttons onto an existing wool sweater!
SHIPPING DEADLINES
Here are your 2012 shipping deadlines for ordering from Adafruit. Please review our shipping section if you have specific questions on how and where we ship worldwide for this holiday season.
UPS ground (USA orders): Place orders by Friday 11am ET – December 14, 2012 – Arrive by 12/24/2012 or sooner.
UPS 3-day (USA orders): Place orders by Wednesday 11am ET – December 19, 2012 – Arrive on 12/24/2012.
UPS 2-day (USA orders): Place orders by Thursday 11am ET – December 20, 2012 – Arrive on 12/24/2012.
UPS overnight (USA orders): Place orders by Friday 11am ET – December 21, 2012 – Arrive on 12/24/2012.
UPS International: Place orders by Monday 11am ET – December 17, 2012. Can take up extra time due to worldwide delays and customs. Should arrive by 12/24/2012 or sooner.
Please note: We do not offer Saturday service for UPS.
Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, Christmas, no UPS pickup or delivery service.
Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, New Year’s Day, no UPS pickup or delivery service.
United States Postal Service, First Class and Priority (USA orders): Place orders by Friday – December 14, 2012 – Arrive by 12/24/2012 or sooner.
USPS First class mail international (International orders): Place orders by Friday – November 23, 2012. Can take up to 30 days ore more with worldwide delays and customs. Should arrive by 12/24/2012 or sooner, but not a trackable service cannot be guaranteed to arrive by 12/24/12.
USPS Express mail international(International orders): Place orders by Friday – December 14, 2012. Can take up to 15 days or more with worldwide delays and customs. Should arrive by 12/24/2012 or sooner.
Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 17th 2012! We are pleased to announce our annual Adafruit’s Father’s day sale, 10% off all tools and iCufflinks & ties (in stock) through Sunday 6/17/2012 (11:59pm ET). Give Dad the gift of electronics and pick up a soldering iron, accessories for building things or if you just want to get him a gift certificate, we have those as well. The 10% off applies to the tools section only (and iCufflinks and ties) and cannot be combined with other discounts. To get the discount use the code fathersday on check out in the discount code area on check out. Limit 1 use per customer. Here are some Adafruit goodies we think Dad will love!
iCufflinks - Sophisticated. Modern. Open Source. Gorgeously machined aluminum with a subtle pulsating LED. Perfect for Father’s day or for that geek who loves technology and needs to get dressed up for a special event. Welcome to the future!
Panavise Jr. PV-201 – This awesome little circuit board vice makes it easy to work on small PCBs (like most Adafruit kits!). Once Dad has one, he won’t know how he made things without it.
USB Microscope – Give Dad the gift of SUPER VISION! As electronics get smaller and smaller, you’ll need a hand examining PCBs and this little USB microscope is the perfect tool. Its smaller and lighter than a large optical microscope but packs quite a bit of power in its little body.
Circuit board necktie – printed from a vintage circuit board silkscreen, this tie is black with silver ink.
1 GS/s Digital Storage Oscilloscope – The ultimate debugging tool for Dad’s electronics, this oscilloscope will turn Dad into a “Circuit Whisperer”.
Beagle USB 12 Protocol Analyzer + Sticker – USB complexity got Dad down? Does he need a hand with enumeration? Is Dad Reverse engineering a USB device? Dad will fall in love with the Beagle 12 USB Analyzer.
Precision screwdriver set (6 pieces) – This set contains 6 screwdrivers, 3 Phillips (#1, #0 and #00) and 3 flat (2.4mm, 1.8mm and 1.4mm). These sizes will open up pretty much any consumer electronics you come across. We picked this set to carry because it is better quality than most low cost sets.
STOCKING STUFFERS FOR ENGINEERS – Circuit board necktie “Resistor” – Olive with gold ink, narrow. We’re going to have a stocking stuffer-per-day post now until the holidays. Here is today’s suggestion!
Circuit board necktie Resistor – Olive with gold ink, narrow. Resistor. Super detailed resistors and capacitors oh my! How can you resist? Impress any nerdy guy or girl: computer scientist, programmer, electrician, engineer or maker. Is dad, grandpa, boyfriend or husband a tinkerer with solder and blinky things? Perfect for groomsmen and brides boys of the geeky persuasion. Nerd power!
This print extends very high up on the tie, approx. 18″ (46 cm) from the bottom point; perfect to be seen from under a vest or jacket. The tie is made of a soft microfiber, having almost the same hand as real silk and is printed with high-quality, non-toxic, water-based ink. The tie is available in narrow, 58″ long. All new materials! For reference, narrow is 2.75-3″ wide at it’s widest point.
This print extends very high up on the tie, approx. 18″ (46 cm) from the bottom point; perfect to be seen from under a vest or jacket.
It appears these were for appliance controls (particularly ovens and cook-tops) in the late-80′s. When fabricating actual circuit boards, silkscreens are used to print etch-resistant inks on to the board to protect the copper foil. Subsequent etching removes the unwanted copper and one is left with the desired copper pattern for conductivity.
LIMITED EDITION! As is the nature of vintage screens, once these screens die, that’s it.
The tie is made of a soft microfiber, having almost the same hand as real silk and is printed with high-quality, non-toxic, water-based ink. The tie is available in narrow, 58″ long. All new materials! For reference, narrow is 2.75-3″ wide at it’s widest point.
Cyberoptix only prints with high-quality water-based inks. They’re invaluable for the health of their shop, the environment, and they perform much better on delicate fabrics. Water-based inks have a much softer hand on fine fabrics and will never crack over time as Plastisol inks (the industry-standard for large-run shops). Not to worry, our water-based inks are as or more durable than harmful solvent-based inks.
Microfiber is Vegan-safe and our most common finish – why not exclusively silk? Many who choose not to consume animal products for ethical, dietary and religious reasons are concerned about the silk industry and wear nothing derived from living things. In the interest of not being exclusionary, they have decided to carry ties in synthetic microfiber. As dry cleaning is not always an option, this makes the synthetic finish far easier and more practical.
NEW PRODUCT -Circuit board necktie Resistor – Olive with gold ink, narrow. Resistor. Super detailed resistors and capacitors oh my! How can you resist? Impress any nerdy guy or girl: computer scientist, programmer, electrician, engineer or maker. Is dad, grandpa, boyfriend or husband a tinkerer with solder and blinky things? Perfect for groomsmen and brides boys of the geeky persuasion. Nerd power!
This print extends very high up on the tie, approx. 18″ (46 cm) from the bottom point; perfect to be seen from under a vest or jacket. The tie is made of a soft microfiber, having almost the same hand as real silk and is printed with high-quality, non-toxic, water-based ink. The tie is available in narrow, 58″ long. All new materials! For reference, narrow is 2.75-3″ wide at it’s widest point.
This print extends very high up on the tie, approx. 18″ (46 cm) from the bottom point; perfect to be seen from under a vest or jacket.
It appears these were for appliance controls (particularly ovens and cook-tops) in the late-80′s. When fabricating actual circuit boards, silkscreens are used to print etch-resistant inks on to the board to protect the copper foil. Subsequent etching removes the unwanted copper and one is left with the desired copper pattern for conductivity.
LIMITED EDITION! As is the nature of vintage screens, once these screens die, that’s it.
The tie is made of a soft microfiber, having almost the same hand as real silk and is printed with high-quality, non-toxic, water-based ink. The tie is available in narrow, 58″ long. All new materials! For reference, narrow is 2.75-3″ wide at it’s widest point.
Cyberoptix only prints with high-quality water-based inks. They’re invaluable for the health of their shop, the environment, and they perform much better on delicate fabrics. Water-based inks have a much softer hand on fine fabrics and will never crack over time as Plastisol inks (the industry-standard for large-run shops). Not to worry, our water-based inks are as or more durable than harmful solvent-based inks.
Microfiber is Vegan-safe and our most common finish – why not exclusively silk? Many who choose not to consume animal products for ethical, dietary and religious reasons are concerned about the silk industry and wear nothing derived from living things. In the interest of not being exclusionary, they have decided to carry ties in synthetic microfiber. As dry cleaning is not always an option, this makes the synthetic finish far easier and more practical.
NEW PRODUCT -Circuit board necktie Resistor – Emerald with gold ink, narrow. Resistor. Super detailed resistors and capacitors oh my! How can you resist? Impress any nerdy guy or girl: computer scientist, programmer, electrician, engineer or maker. Is dad, grandpa, boyfriend or husband a tinkerer with solder and blinky things? Perfect for groomsmen and brides boys of the geeky persuasion. Nerd power!
This print extends very high up on the tie, approx. 18″ (46 cm) from the bottom point; perfect to be seen from under a vest or jacket. The tie is made of a soft microfiber, having almost the same hand as real silk and is printed with high-quality, non-toxic, water-based ink. The tie is available in narrow, 58″ long. All new materials! For reference, narrow is 2.75-3″ wide at it’s widest point.
This print extends very high up on the tie, approx. 18″ (46 cm) from the bottom point; perfect to be seen from under a vest or jacket.
It appears these were for appliance controls (particularly ovens and cook-tops) in the late-80′s. When fabricating actual circuit boards, silkscreens are used to print etch-resistant inks on to the board to protect the copper foil. Subsequent etching removes the unwanted copper and one is left with the desired copper pattern for conductivity.
LIMITED EDITION! As is the nature of vintage screens, once these screens die, that’s it.
The tie is made of a soft microfiber, having almost the same hand as real silk and is printed with high-quality, non-toxic, water-based ink. The tie is available in narrow, 58″ long. All new materials! For reference, narrow is 2.75-3″ wide at it’s widest point.
Cyberoptix only prints with high-quality water-based inks. They’re invaluable for the health of their shop, the environment, and they perform much better on delicate fabrics. Water-based inks have a much softer hand on fine fabrics and will never crack over time as Plastisol inks (the industry-standard for large-run shops). Not to worry, our water-based inks are as or more durable than harmful solvent-based inks.
Microfiber is Vegan-safe and our most common finish – why not exclusively silk? Many who choose not to consume animal products for ethical, dietary and religious reasons are concerned about the silk industry and wear nothing derived from living things. In the interest of not being exclusionary, they have decided to carry ties in synthetic microfiber. As dry cleaning is not always an option, this makes the synthetic finish far easier and more practical.
Suw Charman-Anderson, Violet Blue, Margery Conner, Xeni Jardin, Annalee Newitz, Gina Trapani, Sara Winge, Cindy Cohn, Shari Steele, Kellie Brownell, Andrea Chiang, Eva Galperin, Gwen Hinze, Marcia Hofmann, Rebecca Jeschke, Cherese Logan, Lori McCoy, Corynne McSherry, Abigail Phillips, Rebecca Reagan, Rainey Reitman, Katitza Rodriguez, Julie Samuels, Stephanie Shattuck, Lisa Wright, Jillian York, Laura Baldwin, Addie Wagenknecht, Diana Eng, Sylvia, Syuzi Pakhchyan, Benedetta Piantella, Jennifer Magnolfi, Cynthia Breazeal, Catarina Mota, Carolyn Porco, Erin RobotGrrl, Gabriella Levine, Myriam Ayass, Jan Axelson, Amanda Wozniak, Daniela Antonietti, Jessica Uelmen, Melissa Godsey, Yuki Nakagawa, Carol Reiley, Christy Canida, Shawn Connally, Bethany Shorb, Bonnie Ignico, Kate Hartman, Mary Lou Jepsen, Leah Buechley, Dustyn Roberts, Helen Greiner, Jenny Holzer, Jeri Ellsworth, Louise Glasgow, Sherry Huss, Lenore Edman, Becky Stern, Alicia Gibb, Ayah Bdeir.
If we missed anyone it’s only because we ran out of time or it’s because we’ve been up for a day working on this Please be sure to post a special woman in your life who inspires or has inspired you.
See you next year! Or perhaps sooner – this can be everyday, right? “We are what we celebrate!”…
Each hour we are featuring a woman we admire who is currently doing amazing work right in the tech/maker/art/science space. Woman of the hour, Bethany Shorb.
Holding an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, New York area native Bethany Shorb has dabbled and excelled in disciplines ranging from sculpture, to fashion and graphic design, to photography, to multimedia and music. She has performed around the country as Toybreaker and as half of DethLab. As founder of Cyberoptix, she has designed a vast catalog of innovative couture, including the costumes for Skinny Puppy’s 2004 world tour. Some of the more complex, custom made ties are made with deconstructed vintage, recycled or other environmentally sustainable materials. Her work has been featured in various design blogs and print publications such as The New York Times Style Magazine, Details, Fiberarts, Bust, BPM, Adorn, and Industrial Nation.
Bethany Shorb of Cyberoptix TieLab recently acquired a stash of old used silkscreens to be reclaimed and reused to print her tie designs. But a closer inspection revealed something too interesting to wash out, and these industrial cast-offs generate some truly unique ties. Check out Bethany’s ties at Maker Faire New York September 17th and 18th.
People always ask me why I “just make ties,” like it’s a bad word. Ties are always spoken of with such derision and sneer. They’re the perpetual punchline in songs and jokes, and consistently maligned as the most boring gift to give or receive. Think of Dad muttering, “Oh a tie. Thanks.” I wanted to change that. The necktie is such an interesting design problem; its shape gives the designer a challenging “canvas” to design on (dimension-wise, as it’s so long and thin, unlike a T-shirt).
Conceptually, the tie is a traditionally hated object, one that symbolizes restraint, conformity, and is the symbol of corporate American drudgery. What fun and challenge is there in designing something that people already love? I enjoy subverting traditional tie patterns and motifs without venturing too much into gauche “novelty tie” territory. I have many clients who have jobs in the arts and want to wear something that is still artful, handmade, and well designed — but not stifling creatively.
Detroit-based visual artist Bethany Shorb’s “Supplemental Restraint System” is born from classic American and vintage European sports car parts harvested from wrecked vehicles. Her work is tightly wrapped in an outer skin made exclusively from previously deployed airbags, beaded and sutured back together forming another protective barrier in an imagined automotive crash narrative, then further fetishized in glass scientific vitrines. Also included in the show are neon and automotive emblem text assemblages as obsessive tropes on car-culture.
Holding an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, New York area native Bethany Shorb has dabbled and excelled in disciplines ranging from sculpture, to fashion and graphic design, to photography, to multimedia and music. She has performed around the country as Toybreaker and as half of DethLab. As founder of Cyberoptix, she has designed a vast catalog of innovative couture, including the costumes for Skinny Puppy’s 2004 world tour. Some of the more complex, custom made ties are made with deconstructed vintage, recycled or other environmentally sustainable materials. Her work has been featured in various design blogs and print publications such as The New York Times Style Magazine, Details, Fiberarts, Bust, BPM, Adorn, and Industrial Nation.
Detroit will re-invent itself and prosper through the help of makers, thinkers, and entrepreneurs who thrive while operating on a lean budget, without the bloat that has caused the demise of many of our once-venerated large corporations. True, lasting change cannot happen overnight, but with a little patience, room to operate, and a lot of sweat, we can entice both our young people to stay in the area and help in this reinvention while enticing other artists and makers — who may be claustrophobic operating in other cities — to stretch out and make Detroit their home.
Tonight, Saturday 3/27/2010 – 10pm ET – “Ask an Engineer” – Adafruit’s weekly LIVE video chat! What is “Ask an engineer”? From the electronics enthusiast to the professional community – “Ask an Engineer” has a little bit of everything for everyone. If you’re a beginner, or an seasoned engineer – stop in and see what we’re up to! We have demos of projects and products we’re working on, we answer you engineering and electronics questions and we have a trivia question + give away each week. To see previous chat event videos, please visit the forums.
Chumby project! Tonight we will reveal an upcoming “hack” with the Chumby!
Drill press – help us find the best one… We are going to get a (better) drill press for the Adafruit shop, as we do research we’re wondering what all you folks use or have some good suggestions.
Each hour we are featuring a woman we admire who is currently doing amazing work right in the tech/maker/art/science space. Woman of the hour, Bethany Shorb.
Holding an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art, New York area native Bethany Shorb has dabbled and excelled in disciplines ranging from sculpture, to fashion and graphic design, to photography, to multimedia and music. She has performed around the country as Toybreaker and as half of DethLab. As founder of Cyberoptix, she has designed a vast catalog of innovative couture, including the costumes for Skinny Puppy’s 2004 world tour. Some of the more complex, custom made ties are made with deconstructed vintage, recycled or other environmentally sustainable materials. Her work has been featured in various design blogs and print publications such as The New York Times Style Magazine, Details, Fiberarts, Bust, BPM, Adorn, and Industrial Nation.
Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging (videologging, podcasting, comic drawing etc.!) to draw attention to the achievements of women in technology and science. Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognized. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines, whatever they do. It doesn’t matter how new or old your blog is, what gender you are, what language you blog in, or what you normally blog about – everyone is invited.
Who was Ada? Ada Lovelace Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852) was one of the world’s first computer programmers, and one of the first people to see computers as more than just a machine for doing sums. She wrote programs for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, a general-purpose computing machine, despite the fact that it was never built. She also wrote the very first description of a computer and of software.
Printable catalog (PDF)
Please be sure to post a special woman in your life who inspires or has inspired you. 
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