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The DrawBag backpack is made of paper leather that can be customized with your artwork

NEWS – Are you someone who likes to blend in with the crowd by carrying a boring black backpack, or do you like to show your style by choosing a backpack that will turn heads when you walk by? If you answered yes to the second question, you’ll want to check out the DrawBag backpack.

The DrawBag backpack is a 15.5 x 10.5 x 4.25 inch backpack that is made of leather, but not the leather that comes from cows. This material is called paper leather. What is paper leather you ask? It’s kraft paper, which is strong and tear-proof. When I asked them if their backpack would fall apart if it gets wet in the rain, I was told:

No, it won’t fall apart in the rain– You can actually run it through a washing machine without a problem (although I advise hand-washing because of the metal hardware which in a machine could bang up against the interior metal walls during the cycle). It’s incredibly tear-resistant due to the process by which the paper is made, and has even been used for bags of concrete mix.

True to its name, you can draw your own designs on the DrawBag. It even comes with markers. The Classic DrawBag comes with 3 markers and the Signature DrawBag comes with one marker since it’s designed to be signed instead of drawn on.

But won’t the ink bleed and run if it gets wet? Apparently not:

The included pens are permanent markers and will last through rain and washing. Likewise, acrylic (or oil) paints will last. If you wanted to remove the artwork, you could use water-based inks or paints. Additionally, If you wanted to use water-based inks or paints and make them permanent, adding a coat of fixative or acrylic sealant (just as you would for protecting artwork on drawing paper, etc.) also works. So there’s some versatility in how the bags can ultimately be fashioned by the owner or artist.

What about the interior of the backpack? It has a blue nylon interior with open pockets and one zippered pocket to help keep your gear organized. So what do you think? Will your next backpack be made of paper?

You can find more info or order a DrawBag for $50 at thedrawbag.com

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The DrawBag backpack is made of paper leather that can be customized with your artwork originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 25, 2018 at 2:00 pm.

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Jarvis Farley with give you inspiration to turn your home into a smart one

What is Jarvis Farley you ask? It’s the home automation digital assistant that Matt Farley created that controls almost every aspect of his home from security cameras, to TVs, music, thermostats, etc. This system even gives his kids credits when they do their chores that they can then redeem for time allowances for watching TV and playing video games.

Matt, who has a background in software development and has been working as an IT Manager for a large company (Chevron) for 11 years, created the Jarvis system including programming the interface. He worked on Jarvis on and off for the past 3 years but started ramping things up in the past 12 months when he and his family moved into their new house. When I asked him how much money he had put into the system he replied:

I haven’t tracked this, but not much.. I already had my home server. The 7-8 cameras were about $150 ea, the 8-10 Amazon Echos were $50-100 each. 2 thermostats $150 ea. WiFi sprinkler system $200, wifi power monitoring  device $200, hmm what else? The LiFX wifi lights were a fortune. 20 lights or so at $80 a piece, and then two string lights were like $300, and the light beam was $200-$300. Finally, all our TVs were expensive – 4 LCDs. Oh and the three touchscreens were $200-$300 each. The vehicle tracker was $120. The 2 tinkerboards were $80 ea., 3-4 raspberry pis $30 ea. Each TV is run by a Linux machine, they were$400 each x4 TVs. I may be forgetting something.

Matt and his kids made a series of short YouTube videos that demonstrate the power of Jarvis. Check out the video playlist and watch all the clips to see all the features of his impressive DIY system.

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m inspired by what Matt Farley has built and plan to create something similar for my own home. You can read more about Jarvis by visiting jarvisfarley.com

The post Jarvis Farley with give you inspiration to turn your home into a smart one appeared first on The Gadgeteer.

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Jarvis Farley with give you inspiration to turn your home into a smart one originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 11, 2018 at 12:00 pm.

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CreaClip will save you money and a trip to the salon

I like to keep my hair short because it’s easier to take care of and I think it looks better that way. Heck, I even loved it when I was bald due to chemo 7 years ago. It was liberating not having to shampoo and blow dry my hair every morning and pay $20 or more every few weeks for a haircut. Not that I want to go to that extreme for hair care convenience now.

To save money and time, I sometimes have Jeanne trim my hair in between haircuts. She does a pretty good job at trimming bangs and around my ears and neck, but I’ve not had her try cutting the rest of my hair because she’s not trained and doesn’t feel confident. I’m thinking that maybe the CreaClip might be just the gadget to turn that around.

The CreaClip will let you cut your own hair or someone else’s hair. It’s a snap together clip with a built-in level that provides a guide so that you can trim bangs and even layer hair. You can check out their video on the CreaProducts website and you can buy a CreaClip set which comes with two sizes of clips for $24.95 on Amazon.

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CreaClip will save you money and a trip to the salon originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 6, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Invent nearly anything with Makey Makey

In 2015, The Gadgeteer introduced to Makey Makey Go:

Makey Makey Go makes your spacebar edible

Almost three years later, Makey Makey is back; new and improved. The possibilities are endless with this wildcard of a toy. Turn bananas into a xylophone, your own drawing into a touchpad, play-dough into a game controller, buckets of water into a dancing platform, or your staircase into a giant piano! 

Confused? Watch this informational and awesome video made by the creators:

Makey Makey is essentially a circuit board with alligator clips that connect to your computer via USB, making any objects connected interactive and fun.

With Christmas around the corner, you and your kids will love the time you’ll be able to spend together, inventing new gadgets using your household items!

No programming knowledge is required, no software is to be installed, and Makey Makey is compatible with Mac and Windows computers.

I’ll be right back… I’m going to scroll through Facebook using marshmallows as arrow keys… and then…  not… eat them when I’m done…

Get your Makey Makey for $49.93 while they’re in stock now from Amazon!

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Invent nearly anything with Makey Makey originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 2, 2017 at 9:45 am.

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World Maker Faire New York 2017

This past weekend I attended the 8th Annual World Maker Faire New York held at the New York Hall Of Science. Started in 2006 by the publisher of Make: magazine and sponsored heavily by Barnes & Noble, Maker Faires are “family-friendly festivals of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement.” Everything a gadget lover could ever desire is represented in some form at a Maker Faire.

I spent two whole days touring the exhibitions and still feel like I might’ve missed out on some cool stuff.

Mainstays of the Maker Movement, like microelectronics, 3D printing, drones, and robotics are always represented well at these events. Several big names like Dremel, Mimaki, and Otterbox often display and demo prototypes of up-and-coming tech that they’re working on. It’s a great chance to get hands-on with the next level of DIY gear.

3D printers abound at Maker Faire, there’s a whole section devoted solely to vendors selling the biggest, smallest, fastest and cheapest 3D printers on the market. In addition, plenty of booths and exhibits showcase every type of 3D printing accessory and artwork.

Kids are definitely the target audience for a good part of the exhibits and the DIY spirit is strong. Little Makers were able to craft everything from a cardboard pinball set to their own soap to PVC marshmallow guns. All types of kits and workshops were being offered and enjoyed throughout the weekend.

With a strong emphasis on STEM learning, even the toys and fun workshops were geared toward teaching the participants critical thinking and the basics of science and mathematical theory

Art and music are also a big focus of Maker Faire. There are roaming street bands and tech-inspired performers making music nonstop.

The art on display tends toward the big and impressive sort. Where else can you see a fire-breathing dragon/bus as well as a robotic dinosaur being controlled by a hacked Nintendo Power Glove?

Competitions at Maker Fair are a great diversion after spending the day deciding which of the hundreds of vendors you’ll be giving your money to.

The Power Racing Series, known as “the only sub-$500 electric vehicle racing series that features grown-ups driving kids cars,” is great fun and offers a lot of thrills and spills.

Drone Racing, featuring competitors from the Aerial Sports League, is a fan favorite as well. With races running all weekend long, there was always something cool happening by the race area.

This year drone racing was even more exciting because fans were able to “ride-along” during races by donning FPV goggles that tapped into racers’ feeds.

And no Maker Faire would be complete without some Coke and Mentos shenanigans. The crowds lined up each day for the soda fountain fun.

If you like technology, are a nerd at heart, or just like arts and crafts, there’s something for you at a Maker Faire, be sure to check one out. To find a Maker Faire near you visit Make: magazine or the Maker Faire website here.

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World Maker Faire New York 2017 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 26, 2017 at 8:00 am.

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