The Bay Area Maker Faire is the big daddy of all the Maker Faires, and boy, do my feet hurt after two days running up and down its exhibition halls and fairgrounds. Eben did two presentations on stage (both have been videoed, and we’ll make them available when the editing guys have done their magic); we spoke to a kajillion or so members of the press and recorded some podcasts (links to come) and video (ditto) interviews, and we met a lot of friends old and new from the Raspberry Pi forums – it’s been particularly good to put faces to names like SeanD, Bakul, Simon Monk and Jim Manley. I am missing loads of you out; it was fantastic to meet so many of you.
There are simply no words to describe what a Maker Faire is like. Cross Mad Max with My Little Pony, a flamethrower and a handful of resistors, and you’re part-way there. Here are some pictures.
We don't know what the flaming umbrella thing behind Eben is, but we want one for the office.
Motorised cupcakes. These give you a hell of a shock when they sneak up behind you.
Liz buys some art. (It's from www.unusualcards.com - Francesca also does non-blasphemous subjects. Click the picture to visit her website. This is going in my study.)
One of the guys from Dual Core Music asked Eben to rap with him. Remarkably, he did.
We surprised Joey Hudy, maker and White House Science Fair honouree, with a Raspberry Pi. Can't wait to see what he does with it. (In this photo I appear to have spotted something hilarious in the corner of the ceiling. I go to useless bits when there are cameras and microphones around.)
Eben has spent the whole of the last three days doing interviews (this one with Matt Richardson from Make)...
…and more interviews. This one's with Hak5, who have some interesting plans for their Raspberry Pi. Yes, that's a scrap-metal dragon with a flaming nostril over the interviewer's shoulder.
A rare quiet moment, brainstorming for a panel discussion with Matt, the guys from element14 and Ben Heck, King of the Modders.
And I realised a childhood dream. I was, for the six seconds it took to take this picture, the happiest person in the entire Western Hemisphere.
I’ll be linking to a few of the video and print interviews we did over the last few days when they go live. What a weekend!
