8 replies to this topic

[JerseyTechGuy]

So how was Maker Faire NY? I know Chris and Stefan were there. I tried viciously to rearrange an already busy weekend schedule to make it however I couldn't. Anyone see anything great and Netduino related?

[Chris Walker]

MakerFaire NY was very cool, as usual. I didn't get to wander out of the booth much, but there were a lot of new things this year. 3D printing seems to have really taken off...there was a dedicated tent for it. At our first MakerFaire two years ago, the question we got asked the most was "what is Netduino?" This year we ended up starting out conversations by asking people "do you already have a Netduino?" There were so many Netduino users who dropped by, wanting to see what was new. It was a pretty awesome feeling to know that Netduino has become a main thread in the open source hardware community. And when attendees came back a second time, bringing friends along to share what they had found, it made me smile. Chris

[AlfredBr]

MakerFaire NY was very cool, as usual.

And Stefan was there too! An honor and pleasure to meet you Sir!!

I got to see the Gadgeteer adapter and a whole bunch of GoBus modules (and Gadgeteer modules) that I have never seen before!

[ErikN]

I didn't get to go for as long as I did last year and even last year I missed a great deal of the exhibits! The trains from Manhattan were all screwed up and that ate into our day there. If you've never been, the event space is very big and split into zones. There's a lot to see but I find a great deal of the value is from listening to people ask questions - it really gives you insight into the way other people are looking at particular bits of technology and what they value. There are a lot of talks and presentations covering a wide variety of topics. It's all very family friendly (though they did add a Beer Garden this year). On top of the Maker events, the entire New York Hall of Science is open and you can browse their exhibits. This was the 3rd annual Maker Faire in NYC and compared to last year it seems to be maturing quite well which is amazing since it's already pretty awesome. Except the food lines. Those are emphatically not awesome. I brought some friends this year who previously had no experience with Maker culture. They both found things they were interested in and seemed to have a good time even if it was a short day for us. My dancer friend was really taken in by the acrobatic show and the arts and jewelry. My engineer friend wanted to check out wearables since he works on Augmented Reality in his day job but was disappointed that it was all just conductive thread and LEDs and Floras. He seemed to enjoy looking at things but we didn't have time to listen to any of the talks specifically. I had a ball. Normally I'm not very comfortable in crowded places but there's something about the crowded place being populated by people who all have similar interests that makes it easier. I struck up a few conversations and helped people navigate the nightmare subway system and was still buzzing with energy when I got home despite being completely exhausted. Long story short - it's a great thing to visit. The event is maturing, there is a wide variety of booths, demonstrations and talks to fill up your entire weekend and the people are just about the friendliest and most inquisitive you can find. It's really amazing the type of people you meet in completely random encounters. When I had people coming up to visit me, I let them know it was Maker Faire weekend and attending was not optional. I compromised though and only went one day. I regret it. I missed so much! Oh well, there's always next year! -Erik

[JerseyTechGuy]

It sounds like it was a great event. My hope next year is to be there and show off some of the paranormal tools I am working on especially the Netduino based ones.

[Dr Who]

MakerFaire NY was very cool, as usual. I didn't get to wander out of the booth much, but there were a lot of new things this year. 3D printing seems to have really taken off...there was a dedicated tent for it.

At our first MakerFaire two years ago, the question we got asked the most was "what is Netduino?" This year we ended up starting out conversations by asking people "do you already have a Netduino?" There were so many Netduino users who dropped by, wanting to see what was new. It was a pretty awesome feeling to know that Netduino has become a main thread in the open source hardware community. And when attendees came back a second time, bringing friends along to share what they had found, it made me smile.

Chris

Hello!
Actually yes it was completely amazing. I found the spot for Secret Labs by the simple expedient of asking the first crowd from the Maker Shed where the other half was, and then continued that way. Finally there, it was good to be recognized, and by name as it happens. What was shown there was as everyone described. And as it happens I did meet (nearly) everyone involved.

[patduino]

Soooo, exactly what is this Maker Faire? There's one coming to town soon and I was wondering if I should go. And is it kid friendly?

[Nevyn]

Soooo, exactly what is this Maker Faire? There's one coming to town soon and I was wondering if I should go. And is it kid friendly?

I can only speak about the Mini Maker Faire we had in the UK a few months ago but that was a mixture of people (technical, artists, hobbyists) who employ their tallents to be creative. A lot of the displays were interactive and everything was child friendly. From memory, some of the thngs on display/stands were:

- Electronic reseller
- 3D printing
- Many novel musical instruments
- Sewing circle
- Jewelry makers
- Soldering lessons

There were a lot of interactive stands with programmed slots for parents and children to take part (paper planes seems to stick in my mind).

Hope this helps,
Mark

[patduino]

Thanks! I think I'll make plans to go. I think I'll invite my 2 nephews, they like that kind of thing too.
I like your signature line. It took me a few seconds to figure it out, but I did ... I'm one of those who can read binary :-p
Oops. I just realized I wrote it wrong in my signature, it should say 10. Maybe I can't read binary after all :-( ha!