To Explore Open Technologies and Hardware Startups at the Heart of the Maker Movement
SEBASTOPOL, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 12, 2012) - MAKE, the media brand and magazine devoted to the growing community of makers who create, build, design, tinker, hack, and invent, will host a workshop May 15-16, 2012 to explore the defining characteristics of the maker movement sweeping the country, and why it has the potential to fundamentally change business processes, from prototyping and manufacturing to sourcing.
"There are three contributing factors that distinguish the innovations of the maker movement from past technological shifts impacting business: open source hardware, collaboration in design, and new fabrication tools," says Dale Dougherty, founder and publisher of the MAKE division of O'Reilly Media.
"As open source software did for the rapid proliferation and growth of the web economy, open source hardware has been the key driver inspiring innovation in design, products, and devices from makers at the forefront of the movement," Dougherty adds. "Already we are seeing its impact in critical areas dependent on new technology, like medical devices and scientific instrumentation."
The premiere event will be held at PARC, a Xerox company in Palo Alto, that has its own legacy as a source of technology innovation. Held the week leading up to Maker Faire in the Bay Area, the business conference will also feature makers who will be displaying their projects the following weekend, May 19-20, 2012, at Maker Faire (makerfaire.com). Registration for the MAKE Hardware Innovation Workshop (makezine.com/go/hiw) includes two passes to Maker Faire.
MAKE magazine, called "a central organ of the maker movement" by The Economist, was launched seven years ago. Maker Faire was launched a year later on Earth Day, 2006 in the Bay Area. Since then, the magazine and annual event held in both the Bay Area and New York has helped to foster growth in what's become known as the maker movement.
Today, gaining momentum on the backs of some core technology and tools, such as the Arduino microcontroller and 3D printers, the maker movement has been chronicled by the mainstream business press and the subject of research by august academic institutions like MIT Media Lab and Stanford.
Hosted by Dougherty and Tim O'Reilly, CEO and founder of O'Reilly Media, the workshop will introduce a number of hardware-related startups and showcase the platforms and new tools and technologies for prototyping and fabrication.
Other featured speakers and presenters include:
For more details about the event and to register for the workshop, visit makezine.com/go/hiw.
About MAKE:
MAKE is the first magazine and media brand devoted entirely to makers and the maker movement and the powerful combination of open source hardware + personal fabrication tools + connected makers, to generate sweeping changes from the classroom to the boardroom. MAKE media properties enable the use of technology to create fun, inspired, and innovative projects, from the wildly popular MAKE website (makezine.com); to Maker Shed, the online store featuring MAKE branded kits (makershed.com); to Maker Faire, the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth (makerfaire.com). MAKE is a division of O'Reilly Media and based in Sebastopol, CA. "The maker movement has brought the pre-1970s world of basement workshops and amateur tinkering into the digital age." --The New York Times
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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