Back in June, 2010, we posted this photo submitted to the MAKE Flickr pool by user Lee C. (aka Triggerdog7). It shows the custom wooden crank Lee built and retrofitted to his Model 201 because he “got fed up with the super slow to turn knob on the Panavise Jr.” A neat, classic little maker story. Within two days, the president of PanaVise appeared in the post’s comments:  Here's the deal. Go to PanaVise.com. Look for the link at the top titled contact. Select my name, Gary Richter, President.
Tell me the following: Swing arc (center of the 201 knob to the center line of the crank handle) you want. Easy on,easy off vs attaching a screw (in other words, do the course adjustment with a larger crank and then remove the crank quickly or leave it in place). Plastic or die cast metal. We have a very full plate making new products right now. Not something we will do next week. Maybe by the fall. Fill out the above and we will send you one to test comment on and or other goodies. Thanks for listening and a very cool idea. Gary
Five months later, Panavise Sales Director Tom Simpkins e-mailed us these pictures of the developing prototype add-on based on Lee’s mod: 
And just last week, Tom confirmed that the new product—Panavise catalog number 239—will be available for purchase in 4-6 weeks. Check it out: 
That kind of responsiveness to makers, modders, hackers and do-ers—the real, hands-on end users of products—is exactly the kind of behavior we created the Makeys to reward. Panavise doesn’t just want you to open, tinker with, repair, and improve their stuff—they want you to tell them all about how and why you did it so they can make their stuff better. Here’s looking at you, PanaVise. Keep up the good work. If you have a suggestion for a company to be nominated for “Most Repair-Friendly,” or one of the other three 2011 Makey awards, please send us an e-mail or leave a comment, below. 
When I asked Michael Greer of Leatherbound Book Works if he only did books in atoms (as opposed to books made of bits, he said that he does, in fact, have a book he’s working on in binary form. However, the leatherbound Book of Genesis (the first four chapters at the moment) is in fact printed, but it’s expressed entirely in binary. In this video, Michael uses this binary book to explain some of the basics of bookbinding, from signatures through stamped leather cover. 
This silly business makes me really happy and is a great way to celebrate the dads who go out of their way to have fun with their kids, make a creative environment for them, and demonstrate that you don’t always have to paint inside the lines. OK, so this dad, who greets his 16 year old son’s school bus every morning in a different kooky costume, might be a bit over-the-top for many dads, but the amount of effort he puts into it and the anticipation and yucks it must generate on the bus each morning, is definitely inspiring. And I love looking at the costumes and imagining the conversations on the bus and how the son might feel (hopefully he’s a good sport).
This costume is a head scratcher. I imagine the son getting on the bus and everybody asking: “What is he? What is he!?” The son, heaving a dejected sigh as he plops into his seat: “He’s a pine tree.” [via Laughing Squid]
Wave at the Bus 
Kipp Bradford and I are out at Mini Maker Faire North Carolina all day, and it’s less than an hour away from opening its doors. Come by and check it out: Makers, Crafters, Inventors, Evil Geniuses, Scientists and Artists will come together for a day of family-friendly fun and inspiration. From home-made cookies to home-made robots, Maker faire NC promises something for everyone in a showcase of the American creative spirit. Bring the whole family out to Maker Faire NC at the NC State Fairgrounds, Saturday June 18th from 10am-5pm, and get your creative juices flowing. Maker Faire: NC is fully sanctioned by O’Reilly Media but it is an independent event planned and coordinated by Raleigh/Durham locals. Our goal is to bring together Makers, Crafters, Inventors, Evil Geniuses, Scientists, Artists, and everyone else for a day of fun and inspiration.
I sure hope Valentin Ruhry took advantage of his electronic component distributor’s volume discount to create Hello World, a site-specific installation made of 4,750 (by my calculation) illuminating rocker switches. The piece is currently on display as part of an exhibition called Fünf Räume at The Austrian Cultural Forum in New York City until September 5th. [via Triangulation]
Makers, Crafters, Inventors, Evil Geniuses, Scientists and Artists will come together for a day of family-friendly fun and inspiration. From home-made cookies to home-made robots, Maker Faire NC promises something for everyone in a showcase of the American creative spirit. Bring the whole family out to Maker Faire NC at the NC State Fairgrounds, Saturday June 18th from 10am-5pm, and get your creative juices flowing. Maker Faire: NC is fully sanctioned by O’Reilly Media but it is an independent event planned and coordinated by Raleigh/Durham locals. Our goal is to bring together Makers, Crafters, Inventors, Evil Geniuses, Scientists, Artists, and everyone else for a day of fun and inspiration.
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