While packing my bags (gadgets, chargers, extra batteries, cables) I realized why Maker Faire is so important for the DIYer: meeting like minded people. Maker faire allows us to share ideas, obtain advice, see new things; it exercises our innate passion for creating things – cavemen were Makers!

I recall the experience of building my first robot. There I was with a RIM 850, an 8051 micro-controller and a toy tank. I had learned to program blackberries during a summer internship, 8051 assembly during a course, and had some knowledge of basic electronics. I new I could control actuators via an H-bridge with the GPIO pins of the 8051 but didn’t know how to interface the RIM 850 with the micro-controller. At that point I perused the Blackberry Hardware Developer’s manual and realized that the gold plated connector at the bottom contained the signals for serial communications. Unfortunately, my 8051 provided TTL levels instead of RS232. This was a road block.

Fortunately, as I was drinking some water near an electronics lab, I overhead a classmate discussing the same issue with a professor. When my classmate walked out of the lab into the hall way, I stopped him and told him I was interested in converting RS232 levels to TTL. He relayed what the professor had told him and introduced me to Maxim’s RS232 transceivers.

A simple question turned into full-blown discussion where we exchanged our ideas, solutions, and feed back. I can’t imagine what will happen while I’m at Maker Faire, but I encourage everyone to ask us questions about BUG and other related topics; as I know I will be asking other Makers many similar questions.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that MAKE magazine was the trigger that persuaded me to start Bug Labs.  Before I saw the first issue, I assumed that I was on my own in thinking that I wanted more control over the gadgets in my life.  MAKE changed all that.  I used it in my initial investor pitches and continue to do so.  In many ways, what Make is promoting is exactly what we aspire to here.  Give users more control over the products they use and amazing things can/will happen. 

Maker Faire is a terrific extension of the publication and gives everyone the ability to actually see, hear and feel all he excitement going on inside every issue.  If you are at all interested in hacking, crafting or just plain having fun with the gear in your life in and above what’s presented in the instruction manual, I recommend attending the event!

I have been informed by my marketing department that I have the authority to give away five(5) passes for FREE admittance to Maker Faire which is taking place in San Mateo, CA this weekend!   We’re offering them up to the first five people who submit their best/favorite hacks to us.   It’s simple to enter.  Here’s what to do:

1 – Write an email summarizing the coolest hack idea you have.
2 – Send it to bugcontest@buglabs.net.   
3 – We will contact you tomorrow if you’ve won!

So use your imagination and send us an email.  You could be the lucky recipient of a free pass to the coolest event in the Bay area this weekend!