TechShop is a maker space where, for a monthly fee, members get access to equipment and software, from a ShopBot CNC wood router to a 3D printer. Since opening its first location in Menlo Park in 2006, TechShop has expanded to six locations across the U.S.
CEO Mark Hatch described it as the democratization of hardware. Instead of paying $30,000 or $300,000 to start a hardware business, creators can invest a few hundred dollars in materials and a maker space membership and launch something big.
Hatch said there have been five inventions from TechShop members that he believes changed the world. There was Square, which gave anyone access to a payment system. Then there was a nitrogen detection machine that can tell farmers the minimum amount of fertilizer they need to apply. An improvedirrigation system, cooling cabinet for servers and low-cost sleeping bag that protects premature babies from hypothermia were also prototyped at TechShop.
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Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: New Python Releases, an ESP32+MicroPython IDE and Much More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
