Energy & Sustainability

If youโ€™re a maker just starting out your journey in sustainability, it can be overwhelming to figure out how to get started. From understanding the types of materials to utilize, learning what steps will help reduce waste and emissions, and finding inspiring new ways to explore creativity that donโ€™t have a negative environmental impact. The good news is there are plenty of resources available for DIYers looking for ways to make their projects more sustainable โ€“ from simple switches you can make today, big-picture ideas for longterm change, or exciting new ways makers are helping push sustainability into the future. In these blog posts weโ€™ll look at tips tricks and ideas specifically tailored towards diyers and makers on the road to creating projects with greater eco consciousness so that not only will you create something beautiful but also respect its impact on our planet!

Posting photos of a 1,306 km (812 mile) car tripโ€ฆ

Posting photos of a 1,306 km (812 mile) car tripโ€ฆ

95520985 C510B4134C SToday is the drive from San Francisco from Seattle, as this happens Iโ€™ll upload photos every hour or so via a Kodak Wifi camera, an EVDO connection and a my own little wifi network. If you happen to need wireless and will be on I-5 for the next 13 hours, let me know โ€“ the network will be up and running the whole time :-] Here is the Flickr photo set if you want to tune inโ€ฆLink. I would geo tag them, but you canโ€™t use them with google maps/earth for nowโ€ฆ Iโ€™m sure any day now Flickr is going to do geotagging with Yahoo maps since they have the super talented Dan from Geobloggersโ€ฆ

How Golf Clubs Are Made

How Golf Clubs Are Made

PingHere is this weekโ€™s โ€œCool stuff being made!โ€ โ€“ โ€œKarsten Manufacturing Corporation began in the 1950โ€™s garage of Karsten Solheim, when he set out to build his own club to improve his golf game. What started with a custom line of putters has grown into a full line of drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons and putters. Today, Karsten Manufacturing is utilizing the latest alloys, aerodynamic technology and experiences of professional tour golfers to continually improve upon their design and make some of the best selling equipment in the world of golf.โ€ Link.

The digital hourglass

The digital hourglass

Img 314HourglassExcellent project โ€“ โ€œThe digital hourglass is a German design project, developed by Susann Hamann and Fabian Hemmert from Germany. The project was created for two classes in the โ€œInterface Designโ€ course of study at Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, supervised by Prof. Reto Wettach. Aiming to create a new alarm clock, Susann and Fabian focused on the amount of sleep, not on the time of waking up. Also, the interaction should be intuitive and close to what would be done with a real hourglass.โ€ [via] Link. More here (German).

Bedside Saddle

Bedside Saddle

Bedsidesaddle
โ€œAction Heroโ€ blogger Melissa made her own beside saddle, a nice convenient place where she keeps her key items such as NY Times crossword puzzles, a journal, iPod Shuffle, glasses and the like. Melissa says โ€œThe nightstand I have on the one side of my bed is a series of three stacked metal boxes with the surface being large enough to only hold my alarm clock and a pile of books. However, there was no way I was going to spend $98, so I made my own.โ€ There are complete step by step photos up on her Flickr. Link.

Skateboards for schools!

Skateboards for schools!

H1Javier writes โ€œCool idea for enabling kids to actually make something usable in shop class: from the website: โ€œThe fact is, kids have always wanted to make skateboard decks in their woodshop classes but teachers and students never knew how to put the concave shapes and turned up nose and tail in the wood. Decks cut out of plywood and pine stock just donโ€™t work! And where do you drill for correct wheel placement in order to get proper flex and balance? Well, Skateboardsforschools.com has taken care of all of that for you!โ€ [via]. Link.

New Brother Innovis Sewing Machine in Japan

New Brother Innovis Sewing Machine in Japan

Brothersewing
Forget mobile phones, even the coolest crafty gadgets seemed to get launched in Japan first. Starting in Feb, Brother will launch a new line of three embroidery/sewing machines that have preprogrammed designs from Peanuts, Disney and Hello Kitty (of course)! This one doesnโ€™t seem to have a USB attachment option to a computer, but there is a card reader so you can also do your own designs and load them up on the machine. You can also download more designs from their special site on the Net. Brother also will be selling software so you can convert your digital photos into embroidery. Not sure if its an update to their existing software mentioned here in a software review. Link and translated press release.