I was invited to participate for a day in the 5-in-5 Challenge, a competition to complete a creative project every day for five straight days. The 5-in-5 Challenge takes place at the Interactive Telecommunications Program, a Master’s program at New York University. If I could go back in time, I would be seriously tempted to try and get into this hands-on technology program. By the time students graduate, they have learned a lot about physical computing and can make pretty much anything they can imagine.

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I also had the chance to interview Robert Moon about his ecofabulous wallet, Adam Parrish about his pixel linocuts, and Joshua Berry about his summer mittens. This is just a taste of the projects that are coming out of the 5-in-5 Challenge. To learn more and to watch the projects that emerge over the week, check out the 5-in-5 blog.

My guest Michael Zeltner of GRL Vienna and I worked on a Frankenface project to play with videos in the same way you can play with collages.

Etsy Street is a video series about things I see in the world and want to share with the Etsy community. Check out the first post here.  Feel free to give me feedback and let me know what you think!

I’ve had a number of inquiries about the rules of the soldering championship all set to happen at 7:15 at M1-5 this Tuesday.

Here’s the details that have been revealed so far.

With solder irons blazing, and the power of molten metal at their finger tips, New York City’s electricity enthusiasts and hardware hackers will connect components to complete circuits for the glory of being the fastest soldering gun in NYC.

On stage and under hot lights, contestants will complete an electronics kit in the shortest time possible while still maintaining the integrity of the circuit. Who will be New York City’s soldering champion? You’ll need to be there to find out!

Pre-Registration Required.

Doors open at 6:30. Competitor check in until the competition starts promptly at 7:15 PM.

$30 entry fee to cover the cost of the kit. It’s a really cool kit! (Undisclosed so you can’t practice on it!) We will have power strips available.

Here are some bonus details.

1. The kit you will be assembling is a through-hole kit that an experienced solderer can complete in less than 30 minutes. It’s a cool and practical kit that you’ll actually use. (Next year, with more lead time, I want to create a kit that has an surface mount component just to be evil.)

2. There will be a trophy for the fastest and I’ll have a few NYCResistor T-shirts to give out for the first 3 people there to check in.

3. You can use any soldering iron that you bring. (Next year, I may make you use a crappy super cheap iron just to be evil.)

4. No helping hands. (There had to be at least one evil rule!)

I am really looking forward to this competition. See you at M1-5 on Tuesday for check-in and may the best solderer win!

This event is part of Ignite, a geek night that Brady and I founded. There will be awesome presentations after the championship that you should stick around for.

Ok, we make things and we can make video. It’s time for a collaborative project!

What is your most essential or favorite tool? Make a video that shares your most essential or favorite tool. Feel free to do it in whatever style you like!

Woodmosaics has already made one about his pedal powered table saw, check it out!

If you want to just turn on a webcam, press record, and show your favorite tool, that would be dandy. If you want to make a stop motion animation of your favorite scissors eating cookies… um ya, that would be awesome too.

Make your video. Upload it to the internet. Tag it “toolproject”. Feel free to join the handmade video group if you want to discuss the possibilities of video for people who make things.

This is going to be great! I can’t wait to see what your favorite tool is! Feel free to blog about this project and invite your friends to participate!

And they are having a graffiti art show!

Come check it out! My friend Michael Zeltner from Austria is going to be there showing off his insanely cool “drip sessions” project where he documents via video and programming the way that graffiti artists draw. Really totally rad. Be there or be aware that you are missing a vital event. - Link

I made a pinhole lens from a camerabody-cap today for my digital slr. - Link

This weekend, take some time to escape from the business and stress of your daily grind and make a hammock and lay around in it.

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Watch the video and print out this snazzy PDF.  Now get to it!  You’re going to need a few other materials to create this project:

1. 3 1/2 Yards of durable fabric. (less if you’re shorter than me - I’m 6′1")
2. Rope that is rated to hold humans.  Climbing rope or that kind of strapping that’s used to tie down stuff on the back of pickup trucks. Use better judgment than I did.  Clothesline is not an option! (My butt still hurts!)
3. Sewing machine and thread.

Make a double folded hem for the sides and a tube at the top and the bottom.  Go ahead and customize it if you like.  On one of the hammocks I made for a friend, I added pockets!

Make sure to take photos and upload them to flickr and put them in the Etsy in Action flickr pool. 

Safety: As you can see in the video, you do this project at your own risk. In retrospect, I wish I had used better rope rated for holding up humans and also had my hammock closer to the ground so I wouldn’t have fallen so far! I’m going to go get some climbing rope or strapping to avoid hurting myself again. (I bruised my butt!)

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