I walked by the news stand this morning and saw a familiar face. Ms. Limor Fried was there looking back at me with a strong and powerful glance on the cover of Wired Magazine. Amazingly, according to Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, this is the first time a female engineer has been featured on the cover. 

Tonight, one of the greatest cult fashion technology films is coming back to the big screen. TRON (insert dramatic sound here), is returning with a cast of super sexy sci-fi characters, inspirational lighted costumes, and a digital covered in electroluminescent wire and backlighting.

If you are feeling left out, or just want to light up your holidays with electronic pulse, put on one of Opening Ceremony's Tron-inspired fashions. Disney collaborated with OC to bring high-tech aesthetics and futuristic designs to the fashion forward.

 If you fancy some real light in your life, then make this DIY EL Wire Tron Bag made by the amazing LadyAda and Becky Stern for CraftMag. It is just the spice you need to light up the night. >

My time at the Mozilla Drumbeat Festival is a three-part story about the supportive open-source community, the passion for free learning, and opportunities for change in the midst of extreme personal loss.

 
The steady beat of open source learning has called me to beautiful Barcelona this week for Mozilla’s 2010 Drumbeat Festival.

I'll be speaking about the methodology behind Switch Craft and the empowering possibilities of fashion-based projects as an entry point for igniting that tech spark! 

Mozilla’s Science Faire

On Wednesday, November 3, 8:30 - 11pm

At the end of Week 2, after a rough workshop with IDEO, I came to the realization that my ability to lead and work with international teams needs some work.

After a full day of lectures and yoga I attended a talk by Scott Summit from http://www.summitid.com. I was wowed by the beautiful 3D printed prosthetics for amputees. The limbs are created by scanning a person's un-injured body part and then that data is used to print a highly personalized prosthetic limb. Talk about on-demand body parts! 

Terracycle, a company specializing in eco-friendly products, opened their Green Up Shop at the Port Authority in NYC. The products don’t incorporate circuits, sensors, or motorized parts, but they can provide you with some nifty ideas for upcycled materials and sustainable textiles. The creators of the products make sustainability look easy. Surely, you can step it up a notch and integrate some wearable tech!

Christina Liedtke's fabulous couture gown is made from M&M wrappers.

The pop up shop was supposed to end on May 1st, but it’s sticking around till May 21st. You’ll find vinyl billboard messenger bags, sustainable activewear, candy wrapper couture gowns, and a ton more upcycled stuff than you can shake a soldering iron at. Head over and grab some eye-opening inspiration. If you’re not in NYC, visit the Green Up Shop website (http://greenupshop.terracycle.net.

One of the things I love about the online crafting and the DIY community is our ability to help each other. Right now, a good friend is working on an amazing project to make an open source jacquard loom. What this means is that the software and hardware to control the loom will be designed for the general public and free for all. This technology can help craftsman in developing countries, give artists and local fashion designers control over their own woven designs, and give educational institutions the ability to afford and customize a loom to their needs. This idea is revolutionary.

Be a part of the OSLOOM revolution! Go to Kickstarter, and support OSLOOM. There are some really great prizes for donating to this cause. (more after the break)

According to their maker, Becky Stern, these designs are called Body-Technology Interfaces and they are created for “privacy, warmth, and concentration in public spaces.” I understand that these designs are supposed to be funny commentary on how our computer devices are taking over our lives. I'm just not sure if these cozy techno-covers are a serious DIY project for the geek on the go, or if they would be better displayed in a WTF (What The Frank) technology post. I leave it for you to decide.

Hi Kittens!  I am getting ready for the Smart Fabrics Conference where I am holding a workshop in DIY electronic craft. This is a big event and I have not had time to post. Hopefully this DIY and video of the tilt/touch switch that I made for the workshop will keep you from having Switch withdrawal.

Here is how it works: The string of beads in the middle has a conductive bead on the end. This bead carries the power and as it turns and moves on the conductive fabric pieces the corresponding LEDs light up. Simple but powerful! What can you make with this idea? 

Materials:

• conductive fabric
• LED Sequins
• regular craft beads
• conductive thread
• 3V battery holder
• one large silver bead.

NOTE: In the video I had small silver beads and they didn't work too well, I added the larger one later.

Fabric Tilt Switch from iHeartSwitch on Vimeo.