Make: Kit Reviews

The Egg-Bot is an art robot designed by Bruce Shapiro that’s fun to watch as it draws intricate designs on eggs or any other round objects 3cm–10cm in diameter, including ornaments, golf balls, and light bulbs. You design the patterns in the free app Inkscape, and the bot draws them using fine-point Sharpies, engraving tools, […]

Electronics and Controllers: arts, crafts, electronics, robotics

The Rainbow Cube is a nerdy but gorgeous accent light consisting of a 4×4×4 cube of red-green-blue LEDs. Depending on how it’s programmed, colors appear to move, pulse, or wash through the cube in all directions, which is fascinating to watch. The LEDs connect to the PCB base via an ingenious structure consisting of thin […]

Electronics and Controllers LEDs: electronics, LEDs

Android rocked the physical computing landscape last spring when it announced the Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK), an Arduino-based platform that combines the brains and connectivity of the Android with Arduino’s wealth of open source wares for controlling physical devices. The ADK presents almost limitless potential for projects. Now the ADK TinkerKit unleashes this […]

Electronics and Controllers Microcontrollers: Arduino, electronics, microcontrollers

Drawdio is an electronic pencil that lets you make music while you draw. It’s a great project for beginners: an easy kit with instant gratification. Invented by Jay Silver, it’s a very simple musical synthesizer that uses the conductive properties of pencil graphite to create sounds. The result is a fun toy that lets you […]

Toys & Games: art, audio, electronics, Games, toys

Have you tried taking video using your digital camera but never seem to have enough light? Does your camera have trouble focusing in the dark? LEDs are cheap, and so are resistors, so why not make your own LED Video Light? With this second-generation kit from ProdMod, you’ll transform a simple battery holder into a […]

LEDs: electronics, LEDs, photography

Although 5×7 pixels aren’t a lot to work with, it’s easy to get lost in Olaf Val’s Mignon Game Kit. This minimalist handheld gaming system is hands-on in more ways than one. The first step is to put it together; second is to hack code for the Atmel ATmega8 microcontroller that powers it; and third, […]

LEDs: electronics, Games, kids, LEDs, microcontrollers

The Video Game Shield is an Arduino add-on shield to make your own video games, including graphics, text, sound effects, and music! Using the power of open source, this shield allows you to make awesome black-and-white video games on your TV. It supports up to two Nintendo Wii Nunchuk controllers for an easy and familiar […]

Toys & Games: Arduino, electronics, Games, toys

Hobbyists are rediscovering the appeal of classic microcomputers from the 70s and early 80s, eager to tinker with computers at their fundamental level. Vince Briel designed the Replica I with permission from the Apple I’s original creator, Steve Wozniak. He sells it assembled ($199), as a kit ($149), or just the motherboard and specialized chips ($79). (Alternatively, […]

Electronics and Controllers: Apple, electronics, homebrew computers

The Voice Shield is an analog audio shield for Arduino and compatible boards that allows you to play audio files saved in WAV format, whether short sound bites or entire operas. It lets you easily add audio to your next micro-controller project, thanks to a unique and very user-friendly way to access different sound clips. […]

Electronics and Controllers Microcontrollers: Arduino, auidio, electronics, microcontrollers, WAV

The Mintronics Bundle from the Maker Shed is a great way to get started with Arduino and electronics. It includes a MintDuino — a mint tin containing all the components you need to build a full-featured Arduino-compatible microcontroller — plus the Mintronics Survival Pack, another tin containing over 60 über-handy components you can use for […]

Electronics and Controllers Microcontrollers: Arduino, electronics, microcontrollers