The Maker Faire is coming around again this year and this weekend is your chance to have your project at Maker Faire 2009.

The fourth annual Maker Faire’s theme is Re-Make America and it “will showcase individual creativity and grassroots innovation in the largest festival devoted to DIY culture and technology in the country.” Personally, I’m a big fan and have been to the previous three, sometimes going both days because there is just so much to see.

So what are they looking for?

“We’re looking for anyone who has something fun to share, something they’ve made with their hands,” explains Dale Dougherty, Publisher & Editor of MAKE magazine. “It can be practical or impractical–it could be something simple like a creative costume or maybe some handmade jewelry. Or it could be something wild like a bike with ten wheels, or a dog-powered lawn mower. Whatever it is, the more creative and imaginative, the better!”

So if you are a Maker and would like to share your innovations with others at one of the year’s best events, bring your project downtown on Sunday March 8th.

* When: Sunday, March 8th, 2009 (noon – 4pm)
* Where: The Tech Museum of Innovation
201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113-2008
(408) 795.6225
* Admission: FREE
* Contact for Auditions: Sherry Huss, (707) 827-7074 or sherry@oreilly.com

[More Maker Faire audition details here]

Also – if you’d just like to stop by the Tech Museum, Sunday March 8th’s admission is FREE, as part of the Free Second Sundays Program.

The fabulous “Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future” exhibit at The Tech Museum of Innovation is closing this Sunday. There are special extended hours this weekend. The exhibit will be open until midnight this Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the exhibit will close for that last time at 8:00 pm.

If you have a Discover Downtown Card, you will save $3 on General Admission tickets to the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit.

Schedule well over three hours for the exhibit alone.

The Tech Museum of Innovation
Through Sunday, January 25

Tickets

Directions, Parking and Public Transportation

On Tuesday, December 30, Betsy Ortiz of Walnut Creek was the Tech Museum’s 100,000th visitor to the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit.

“We’ve reached a fabulous milestone with this groundbreaking exhibit,” president of The Tech Museum, Peter Friess said. “People are coming from all corners of the region to see this one-of-a-kind show that is educative, fun and exciting.”

The exhibit features the most comprehensive display of the innovative art, science and engineering works of Leonardo da Vinci and his contemporaries. The exhibit includes more than 100 life-size and scale working models, hands-on interactive machines, multimedia presentations and two priceless works of art.

The life-sized and scale working models are based on conceptual drawings and designs by Leonardo, Francesco di Giorgio, Mariano di Iacopo (Taccola), and others. These models recreated using tools and materials common in Leonardoís time. Most of Leonardoís machines were never built in his lifetime, as many could not have been built due to the lack of suitable parts.

The exhibit has been extended to January 25, 2009 due to popular demand. There may be a further extension if high attendance continues.

Schedule well over three hours for the exhibit alone.

The Tech Museum of Innovation
Through January 25, 2009

Tickets and Operating Hours

Directions, Parking and Public Transportation

Follow the Tech Museum on Twitter

The Tech Museum of Innovation once again is offering free admission to The Tech’s regular museum galleries on the second Sunday of each month.

The Free Second Sundays program runs through September 2009, except August. It does not include admission to IMAX or to special exhibits, such as “Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future.”

Peter Friess, President of The Tech: “By opening the doors of The Tech once a month at no charge, we hope many more people will take advantage of all the museum has to offer. We applaud the ScholarShare College Savings Plan and Fidelity Investments for their dedication to education and the community.”

Check the Tech Museum of Innovation’s Website for directions, parking, and a plethora of information.

Free Sunday Dates:

November 9, 2008
December 14, 2008
January 11, 2009
February 8, 2009
March 8, 2009
April 12, 2009
May 10, 2009
June 14, 2009
July 12, 2009
No FREE Second Sunday in August
September 9, 2009
More Free Second Sunday dates…

Leonardo: 500 Years into the Future represents the pivotal unity of art, technology and science of Leonardo da Vinci, Filippo Brunelleschi and the Sienese engineers of the Renaissance.

This is a world premier and exclusive U.S. showing at the Tech Museum beginning this Saturday September 27 and running through January 25, 2009.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (1452 – 1519) was an astronomer, sculptor, geologist, mathematician, botanist, animal behaviorist, inventor, engineer, architect, musician, and painter. Leonardo is probably best known as the painter of the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. Leonardo’s formal training in the anatomy of the human body and skill as an artist allowed him to make more than 200 drawings of the human body, visible anatomical features as well as internal organs. As an engineer, he drew plans for the submarine, helicopter, parachute, human powered flying machine, toothed wheels, pulleys and pulley blocks, crankshafts, flywheels, springs, shock absorbers, scissors, and the list goes on.

The exhibition, covering 30,000-square-feet in Parkside Hall, has a plethora of exhibits including art, sculptures, drawings, architectural projects, machines and mechanisms, anatomy, and aviation.

The life-sized and scale working models are based on conceptual drawings and designs by Leonardo, Francesco di Giorgio, Mariano di Iacopo (Taccola), and others. These models recreated using tools and materials common in Leonardo’s time. Most of Leonardo’s machines were never built in his lifetime, as many could not have been built due to the lack of suitable parts.

On display is a model of Leonardo’s Flying Machine where the wings are driven by back pedals, which the flier operates with alternating leg motions. The effect of this thrust is amplified by the hand-operated crank, which powers a hoisting device. Bring your wide-angle lens.

There is a cool planetary clock designed by Lorenzo della Volpaia. A planetary clock is not to keep time but to show the position of the heavenly bodies relative to the Earth, so that astrological influences could be calculated with precision.

Two Renaissance paintings by Leonardo’s disciples are included in the exhibition – Leda and the Swan and The Virgin and Child with St. Anne.

The curator of the exhibition is Leonardo da Vinci expert, Paolo Galluzzi, Director of the Institute and Museum of the History of Science – Florence, Italy.

Advanced “timed” tickets are required. Allow a minimum of two hours for the exhibition, as there are numerous displays and multimedia presentations.

Advance ticket sales have already exceeded last year’s Body Worlds exhibit.

This is a must see for the entire family.

The Tech Museum of Innovation
September 27, 2008 – January 4, 2009 extended to January 25, 2009

Tickets and Operating Hours

Directions, Parking and Public Transportation

Click for photos…

My newest obsession lately is goofing around in Second Life. I’m still very much a newbie, but I’ve found some pretty spiffy places to kill time in and I’ve made a few random objects.

What I like to do is find any of the corporate-created sites. For example, Scion has some land – Scion City. You can drive around a Grand Theft Auto-Vice City-ish land. Or if you do a quick search, you can find yourself in Comcast’s themepark.

I already knew about San Jose State’s virtual campus (classes are held there, students create work, etc) and I have to admit, being able to sit on the chair that dangles from the Tower – that was kind of cool (in of course, a completely silly way.)

But I found another spot – The Tech!

When you visit The Tech in Second Life you can check out all sorts of exhibits and art. Even the IMAX works. Actually I’m not 100% sure on that one.. it says it’ll play a movie, but I have yet to get it to work. (Remember, still a newbie!)

Oh and for those that are super confused…

Second Life® is a 3-D virtual world created by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the globe.

That’s not nearly enough to explain what Second Life is all about – check out the link to find out more.

Links:
Second Life
The Tech Museum SLurl: (this worked earlier, hopefully it’ll work for you – if it doesn’t, just search for “The Tech”)