Melbourne Mini Maker Faire – follow up for bits, bobs and knobs. #steampunk #hackers #robogals #arduino #geekgirl
The atrium at Swinburne Jan 14th, (2012) for Melbourne Mini Maker Faire was bursting with busy people making ‘things’. Cardboard boxes were de rigueur: so were peeps travelling from one session to another like industrious ants scurrying to erect a new home. Such are the vicissitudes of people who make things – synapses crammed with crafty ideas and soldered attitudes. It was a pretty good arvo, with all ages and sexes, from whack to knack, hackers to robogals! Here are just a few of things I discovered: plus I now know I really want a 3D printer, and that red teapot (or any teapot) made by @atosha.
@atosha http://www.mortartown.com About My name is Atosha McCaw and I am a graphic designer. I work for a trade union. I am also one of the founding directors of Creative Unions, www.creativeunions.org, a not for profit aimed at improving the level and reputation of graphic design in trade unions.
Prof. Uncle Festa Steampunk Inventions – Inventor – Explorer – Artist – Philosopher profunclefesta.wordpress.com About I grew up with steam trains, well model ones at least. Some of my earliest memories are of beautiful old trains roaring around a track, and a live steam engine making a wheel turn rapidly. Very exciting! And then along came Michael Moorcock’s great book “Warlord of the Air” which I read in about 1974 at the ripe old age of 14. Then I got fully into cyberpunk novels and the whole cyberpunk role-playing and sub-culture in the 90s.
Jump forward to Neal Stephenson’s “Diamond Age” in the late 90s and I was fully hooked on what became known as Steampunk. I’ve always made things rather than buy them where possible, from a very simple mechanical computer in the mid 70s, through to a kit computer in late 70s, to a fish-pond recycling system last year, and along the way various steampunk things. Well I’ve missed out 20 years of various cyberpunk and steampunky things, but I’ll show some on this site…stayed tuned old chaps and ladies.
freetronics www.freetronics.com About Freetronics designs, sells and supports a range of flexible, easy to use Arduino-compatible boards and modules (right here in Melbourne). Arduino is the most popular microcontroller board in the world/ It’s been used to make robots, home automation gadgets, automotive projects, for sensing and controlling lights, motors, locks and servos, sound and video, interative objects like animated sculptures, toys and games, radio link and just about anything else you can dream up!
Hack melbourne Connected Community HackerSpace http://www.hackmelbourne.org/ Next meetup CCHS Tuesday general meeting Tue, 31 January, 18:00 – 22:00 Camberwell, Victoria General meeting, open to all. Email AndyG at Geekscape or Twitter DM @geekscape for specifics.
Humanity+ @Melbourne with Aubrey de Grey (picked up a flyer) Aubrey de Grey has seen much attention about his theories on robust rejuvenation.
Here is an article in the Age in 2005:
“With the right engineering and maintenance, humans can live until they are 1000″, says Aubrey de Grey. John Elder investigates.
AUBREY DE GREY looks like a scrawny Ned Kelly, with his beer-catching beard and red-rimmed eyes, a thriving survivor of the long past. His name suggests someone born a long time ago. Maybe it’s a name that will come back in vogue hundreds of years hence?
Dr Aubrey de Grey — despite his love of ale and junk food — hopes to be there, walking around in that far-away future. De Grey says he knows what is required to cure ageing.”
See Aubrey speak at Humanity+, 5 -6 May 2012 — Location to be announced.
Squarebit www.squarebit.com.au facebook.com/squarebit About Squarebit is an online store stocking useful electronic bits for students, hobbyists, hackers, experts and anyone else interested in learning about electronics!
robogals Melbourne http://melbourne.robogals.org.au About Robogals is an International, student-run, organisation whose goal is to increase the number of females pursuing engineering in their tertiary studies and in their careers.