Maker Faire thinks big in Texas

Do-it-yourselfers gather for a weekend in Austin to revel in gadgetry and mad science at this alternative carnival. Imaginations are wowed, stretched and captured.

The making of Maker Faire

Shadowing the organizers of weekend's Maker Faire in Austin, Texas, is an illuminating experience.
October 22, 2007

Photos: Maker Faire fare

The alternative do-it-yourself carnival includes balloon speakers, fireballs, a liquid nitrogen dessert, a camera van and a wooden iPod.
October 22, 2007

Making safety invisible

At Maker Faire, the safety officer's job is done best when no one notices he's there.
October 21, 2007

Pleo will change the toy game

The realism of the animatronic dinosaur is hard to believe, and when it becomes available, it will set the toy industry on its ear.
October 20, 2007

'Dirty Art Car' is beautiful art

With all the high tech here, it's hard to believe that one of the most amazing things was purely analog: drawings in dirt on the side of a car's window.
October 20, 2007

Destroying things wantonly can be great

A promotion for the blog Toolmonger.com gives an audience a chance to watch a shack get hacked to pieces.
October 20, 2007

Eepy Birds rock Maker Faire Austin, fire ants attack

If there's one thing people love, it's watching the Eepy Birds guys put on their Diet Coke and Mentos fountain show.
October 20, 2007

Ah, there are the makers

Half the exhibitors hadn't shown up with just hours to go before the gate opened, but everyone was in place by mid-morning.
October 20, 2007

Where are all the makers?

Sixteen hours before the gates are set to open, less than half of the exhibitors, or "makers," have shown up.
October 19, 2007

Photos: Marking their Maker Faire turf

Do-it-yourselfers put last-minute touches on their contraptions just before the celebration at the Travis Country Fairgrounds.
October 19, 2007

Photos: Making magic at Maker Faire

Dozens of "makers" gather in Austin to showcase their creations at the third Maker Faire.
October 19, 2007

Defying death on the Star Wheel

At Maker Faire Austin, the crew behind the giant Star Wheel put together their bike-tech-powered carnival ride for the first time outside of Burning Man.
October 19, 2007

Fabricators descend on Maker Faire Austin

Leaders of the "personal fabrication" movement gather in Austin to discuss how to bring such tools to a wider audience of people.
October 19, 2007

Jamming TVs in Austin

Using an open-source kit called the TV-B-Gone, it's possible for anyone to build a device that they can use to turn off annoying televisions.
October 18, 2007