I wasn't able to attend the World Maker Faire in New York City, but at I did get to try one of the hot products that debuted there, Marbleocity. The folks at Tinkineer reached out the me to review their Mini Coaster (currently selling for $30 on Kickstarter). They had me at DIY marble roller coaster. My boys are teens now, but they when they were young, my little engineers loved making marble roller coasters and watching them in ... [ Read More ]
Meet Hardware Developer Alicia Gibb: It’s STEM Girl Friday!
Alicia Gibb is an advocate for open hardware, a researcher, an entrepreneur, and a hardware hacker. We connected online after I heard about the Kickstarter campaign for one of her inventions, Build Upons, light-up LEGO®-compatible bricks. I've heard a lot about how under-represented women are in computer science, but it seems there are even fewer women involved in the hardware end of things. How did you get involved? I got involved through ... [ Read More ]
The Maker Mom’s Kickstarter Picks
A Facebook friend recently started a conversation about charitable donations. She was wondering if, in addition to any major donations, her friends also set aside a chunk to dole out in bits of tens and twenties for friends doing charity projects, like cancer cure walks and such. I've wondered along a similar vein in terms of Kickstarter projects. Of course, Kickstarter projects are typically business projects. But I have an increasing number of ... [ Read More ]
Cirkits: Stitch Cards with a 21st Century Twist
I'm so excited about Cirkits, a new Kickstarter project, that I couldn't wait until STEM Girl Friday to post about it. Cirkits is the brainchild of a group of STEM girls (okay, women, and a guy, too) at the University of Pennsylvania. It's a fun new way to explore electronics. Cirkits relies on an old-school method, stitch cards, to help today's kids learn about modern technology. Forget about grandma's yarn on these cards! Cirkits uses ... [ Read More ]
The Maine Game
Chicago Museums, take note of what a group of high school students from Maine is doing in partnership with the Maine Discovery Museum. Students from The Maine Game Club are developing interactive STEM games for the museum's young patrons. The teens are currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to offset their travel expenses and the occasional pizza (they are teenagers, after all) as they develop fun, interactive games to teach ... [ Read More ]
Innovators by Walter Isaacson
Apparently I've been under a rock because I'm just learning about Walter Isaacson's new book, The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. It comes out tomorrow and is on sale on Amazon right now for just $21.81. Though at the regular price of $35.00 it will qualify for free shipping. D'oh! I just ordered a few books last week. (Side note: you can now give Amazon Prime, which provides free two-day ... [ Read More ]
Meet the Miss Possible Founders. It’s STEM Girl Friday!
Founded by University of Illinois Engineering students Supriya Hobbs and Janna Eaves, Miss Possible strives to give young girls strong role models and valuable experiences through play. They are currently running an IndieGogo campaign to bring a line of dolls and apps for 5-10 year olds to fruition. The Miss Possible line will feature famous women in STEM with the first doll representing Marie Curie. They plan to add dolls for Bessie Coleman, Ada ... [ Read More ]