A lot of readers are likely familiar with Adafruit Industries, supplier and maker of many kits found in the Maker Shed. In addition to my role here at MAKE, as senior editor, I also work with Limor (Ladyada), helping her with the open source hardware kit business. I’ll have a few articles about general things we do around here to keep the ship afloat and charting new waters, but I thought I’d start this “Maker Business” article with an overview of how it all works and how we use many many web tools/services. One of the most asked questions I get from makers is “what shopping cart do you use?” The short answer is Zencart, and while I think it doesn’t actually matter what you use when you start out, this is what we’re using at Adafruit. A recent milestone, we just shipped our 50,000th order. We mostly create and sell open source hardware, most of the tools we use are open source — I’ve never seen an article detailing “everything” a business uses online, so here’s one. I think you’ll enjoy it. Let’s take a look…
The United States Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT) has warned that the software included in the Energizer DUO USB battery charger contains a backdoor that allows unauthorized remote system access. In an advisory, the US-CERT warned that he installer for the Energizer DUO software places the file UsbCharger.dll in the application’s directory and Arucer.dll in the Windows system32 directory. An attacker is able to remotely control a system, including the ability to list directories, send and receive files, and execute programs. The backdoor operates with the privileges of the logged-on user.
Could the same philosophy — the free and public dissemination of underlying code and specs, with multiple developers from disparate sources contributing to the design — work for tech gadgets as well? Will we one day commonly use smartphones, netbooks or other gadgets that have been developed under an open-source model, maybe even preferring them over proprietary products like the iPhone? After all, it’s possible today to design a device — including its electrical and mechanical architecture — on a personal computer with CAD and schematic design software, order nearly all the components needed for it online, and then process the manufacturing of a prototype through a low-cost supplier. So the idea of organizing an open-source project online to build a device isn’t far-fetched, nor is it one that requires millions in start-up funding. But can such gadgets succeed against those developed by established commercial manufacturers with deep pockets? Mark Driver, a Gartner analyst who specializes in open source, thinks that open-source gadgets have the best chance in markets where the technology has matured to the point that it is commonplace.
Von Hippel on patents (regarding the what Apple vs. HTC patent case could mean) – NYT…
Eric Von Hippel, a professor of technological innovation at M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management, noted that “only 5 percent of these types of cases actually go through the judicial system.” Even for a company like Apple, he said, they are just too expensive.
Mr. Von Hippel also said that these lawsuits pointed to a bigger problem with the patent system. “It’s a bad scene right now. The social value of patents was supposed to be to encourage innovation — that’s what society gets out of it,” he said. “The net effect is that they decrease innovation, and in the end, the public loses out.”
Openbench Logic Sniffer is an open source logic analyzer. It’s designed to support the SUMP logic analyzer software at the lowest possible cost. Download the source and design files from the Gadget Factory project page.
This project started in the comments on a post. Initial circuit design, PCB layout, development, and testing continued in the forum under the code name Project SUMP PUMP. Many, many people contributed ideas and advice, the Gadget Factory and Dangerous Prototypes coordinated circuit development and routed the PCB. We borrowed heavily from the Gadget Factory’s Butterfly Platform.
The Open Logic Sniffer is a purpose-built logic analyzer board designed to be low cost but high speed. It sacrifices a lot of the features you’d look for in a full-scale development board to achieve our primary goals:
* 70MHz+ sample speeds * 32 channels * 16 buffered, 5volt tolerant channels * USB interface, USB powered * USB upgradable everything * Make it as DIY as possible * Make it as open source as possible * $30-$40 price range
We didn’t quite hit our initial price range, but we got really close.
The concept is a wearable version of Conway’s Game of Life, that is controlled by the current state of your life. Essentially, a wearable extension of your heart, externalized in the form of Conway’s Life. A custom circuit includes an infrared EKG monitor that resets the Game each time a heartbeat is detected. Heartbeat data is analyzed by a hackduino which resets an ATMega48 chip, part of Adafruit’s kit controlling Life, which is embedded in the chest of a hoodie. Conductive thread is used to connect the 16 LED matrix to the circuit board which is kept in a pocket towards the bottom of the hoodie.
Even though they don’t make retail devices, the booths of component makers like Qualcomm, Broadcom, TI, and Marvell at trade shows are often great venues for actually seeing retail devices — these guys have to help showgoers make the connection between a boring chunk of silicon and an end product if they’re hoping to score orders, after all. Indeed, Marvell’s tent at MWC this year is a veritable cornucopia of Good Things, and we couldn’t help but notice that they’re showing what appears to be one of Chumby’s not-for-sale reference designs sporting an 800 x 600 display with an 800MHz Marvell Armada core (hence the appearance here in the booth). For the record, we’re told this is a successor to last year’s reference platform known as “Silvermoon” that had been running on a 1GHz PXA168 and that there’s a chance it’ll be available in retail form later this year. The UI’s attractive, but not really as multi-functional as Sony’s Dash — you can think of this as more of a giant Chumby One, really, with some extra screen elements designed to take advantage of the significantly higher resolution. There’s no guarantee this’ll ever be produced — or if so, when — so for the time being, our video UI tour after the break is about as close as you’re going to get.
But wait, there’s more! The Chumby guts (software guts that is) seem to be on a new Sony device…
Surprising attendees of CES 2010, Sony has dropped a $199 7″ color touchscreen device named “Dash” that is destined for the market in April. We originally spotted the Dash in a FCC filing referencing a HID-C10 model number in mid-December. It has built-in Wi-Fi, and an internal accelerometer which supports vertical flip, allowing for two optional viewing angles: upright, ideal for a table or nightstand; and tilted, perfect for a countertop. It also supports multiple user profiles and channels, allowing several members of the household to create and maintain their own customized view of the Internet. Did we mention free instant access to over 1,500 apps from chumby industries, inc, including popular social networking, news, weather, sports, live traffic feeds, and more? Sony has also integrated access to audio and video content from Sony’s Bravia Internet video platform, including YouTube, Pandora Internet radio, Epicurious, Crackle, Livestrong, Blip.tv, and many others.
Our prediction, Sony is not going to do “open source hardware” – they’re going to use all the software bits only for the Chumby, Flash stuff, server stuff, app stuff – but Sony is not and will not do OSH, ever. Sony, home of the: Memory stick duo pro plus extreme UMD format – they’re not going to do OSH folks, sorry
One of the many kinds of machines that we have never made before is a cocktail robot. But recently, after being invited to participate in Barbot 2010, we put together this little drink mixer. Cocktail robots are a funny breed. No two seem to work the same way and many (like ours) have few enough moving parts to barely count as robots at all. The granddaddy cocktail robotics event is Roboexotica (for which you can read about last years robots here, but we’re showing off our machine tonight and tomorrow night, much closer to home at the DNA lounge in San Francisco. Our machine is named “Drink Making Unit.” (Descriptive, isn’t it?) It has three fluid paths, and can produce cocktails with up to three components. It has an integrated 8×8 RGB LED matrix that it uses for data display, and an ice bucket to chill drinks as they go through the system.
Bug 2.0!… OMAP3, BeagleBoard compatible and Android development support – good stuff!
Today’s a big day for the BUG team. We are reporting to you from the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain with some really exciting news and some really incredible demos (be sure to check back for updates as they come in). If you have not yet heard the big news, we announced this morning a new addition to the BUG family of products – BUG 2.0. The second generation BUG will be a big leap forward for our little rapid prototyping device. We will be releasing plenty of details in the coming months on all of the planned enhancements, but right now all we can tell you is that the new BUG will have support for Android development and will be based on the Texas Instruments OMAP3 platform, allowing for full BeagleBoard compatibility. We are always looking to bring the open hardware movement to larger and larger communities of developers, and BUG 2.0 will meet that goal in a very big way. If you would like more info, be sure to check out the full press release HERE.
We will have many more updates coming out of Barcelona from Monday to Thursday. Be sure to check back often for the latest from Peter, the BUG team, and some of the incredible businesses we are working with on the ground here at the conference.
When hardware is as mashable as software, recipes for new gadgets that perform any imaginable function will be crowd-sourced and shared among a community of hardware hackers. Accelerating this trend toward open source hardware are prototyping platforms like Arduino and companies like Bug Labs, whose modular system of components anticipates the democratization of device design.
The TechShop San Francisco Building at 5th and Howard Streets (Signage Added Digitally). TechShop San Francisco will be located at 926 Howard Street, just 1 block from the Moscone Center, 3 blocks from the Powell Street BART station, and 6 blocks from Union Square. The building is 15,500 square feet and includes a private parking lot. TechShop San Francisco will feature all the tools and equipment that members enjoy at other TechShop locations, including:
Epilog Helix 60-Watt Laser Cutters
Tormach CNC Milling Machines
Stratasys 3D Printer
NextEngine 3D Scanner
Formech 600 24″ x 24″ Vacuum Forming System
Formech Heat Strip Bending System
Morgan Industries Injection Molding System
Janome Sewing Machines
Janome Serger Sewing Machine
Computer-Controlled 52″ Vinyl Cutter
Powder Coating System
CNC Plasma Cutter, 4′ x 8′
MIG Welders (Steel)
TIG Welders (Steel and Aluminum)
Oxy Aceylene Welders and Cutters
Hand-Held Plasma Cutter
Sheet Metal Spot Welder
Sheet Metal Brake, 16 ga x 50″
Rotary Sheet Metal Punch
Sheet Metal Corner Notcher
English Wheel and Planishing Hammer
Sheet Metal Shear, 16 ga x 50″
Sheet Metal Roller, 16 ga x 50″
Automotove Bay with Tools and Equipment
Sandblaster, Large
Metal Grinders and Sanders
Metal Chop Saw
Metal Horizontal Band Saw
Metal Vertical Band Saw
Computer Controlled Embroidery Sewing Machine
Quilting Machine
Silkscreen Printing Equipment
Electronics Testing and Soldering Equipment
Epson R1900 13″ x 19″ Achival Printer with Continuous Inking System
ShopBot 5′ x 9′ CNC Wood Router System
SawStop Professional Cabinet Table Saw
Wood Planer
Wood Jointer
Wood Band Saw
Wood Sanders
Wood Scroll Saws
Wood Lathe
Drill Presses
Metal Lathes, 14″ x 40″
Vertical Milling Machines with DRO and Power Feed
Granite Surface Plate with Digital Height Gauges
Lots of Machine Shop Accessories and Tooling
Lots of Fast Computer Workstations with 2D and 3D Design Software
A garage renaissance is spilling over into such phenomena as the booming Maker Faires and local “hackerspaces.” Peer production, open source, crowdsourcing, user-generated content — all these digital trends have begun to play out in the world of atoms, too. The Web was just the proof of concept. Now the revolution hits the real world. In short, atoms are the new bits.
Let me tell you my own story. Three years ago, out on a run, I started thinking about how cheap gyroscope sensors were getting. What could you do with them? For starters, I realized, you could turn a radio-controlled model airplane into an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone. It turned out that there were plenty of commercial autopilot units you could buy, all based on this principle, but the more I looked into them, the worse they appeared. They were expensive ($800 to $5,000), hard to use, and proprietary. It was clear that this was a market desperate for competition and democratization — Moore’s law was at work, making all the components dirt cheap. The hardware for a good autopilot shouldn’t cost more than $300, even including a healthy profit. Everything else was intellectual property, and it seemed the time had come to open that up, trading high margins for open innovation.
To pursue this project, I started DIY Drones, a community site, and found and began working with some kindred spirits, led by Jordi Muñoz, then a 21-year-old high school graduate from Mexico living in Riverside, California. Muñoz was self-taught — with world-class skills in embedded electronics and aeronautics. Jordi turned me on to Arduino, and together we designed an autonomous blimp controller and then an aircraft autopilot board.
We designed the boards the way all electronics tinkerers do, with parts bought from online shops, wired together on prototyping breadboards. Once it worked on the breadboard, we laid out the schematic diagrams with CadSoft Eagle and started designing it as a custom printed circuit board (PCB). Each time we had a design that looked good onscreen, we’d upload it to a commercial PCB fab, and a couple of weeks later, samples would arrive at our door. We’d solder on the components, try them out, and then fix our errors and otherwise make improvements for the next version.
