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MAKE faire Austin, TX next weekend, HYDRA demo will be there! — Parallax Forums

MAKE faire Austin, TX next weekend, HYDRA demo will be there!

AndreLAndreL Posts: 1,004
edited 2007-12-07 04:07 in Propeller 1
Those that are in the Austin area, definitely come by and check out the MAKE faire on October 20th. I will be demoing the HYDRA each day at noonish at the MAKE booth. Also, you can buy them there if you have been waiting and wanted to see one in the flesh.

Anyway, MAKE is "interesting". Kinda a fusion of burning man, revenge of the nerds, a grundge concert and an electronics swap meet. You might like it or hate it, but there is a lot of cool things and cool people running around each time. Definitely worth checking out if you have nothing to do.

Andre'
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Comments

  • BamseBamse Posts: 561
    edited 2007-10-13 05:29
    Kewl...

    I've been looking forward to this event for over a month...
    I'll definitely have to stop by the MAKE booth and say hi...

    I could bring the "Gamepad 2.0", it goes really well with a lot of the games... wink.gif
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=675541

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    Living on the planet Earth might be expensive but it includes a free trip around the sun every year...

    Experience level:
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] Let's connect the motor to pin 1, it's a 6V motor so it should be fine.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] OK, I got my resistors hooked up with the LEDs.
    [noparse][[/noparse]X] I got the Motor hooked up with the H-bridge and the 555 is supplying the PWM.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] Now, if I can only program the BOE-BOT to interface with he Flux Capacitor.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] I dream in SX28 assembler...

    /Bamse
  • BamseBamse Posts: 561
    edited 2007-10-18 05:01
    Just got my ticket...

    Anyone else going ???

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Living on the planet Earth might be expensive but it includes a free trip around the sun every year...

    Experience level:
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] Let's connect the motor to pin 1, it's a 6V motor so it should be fine.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] OK, I got my resistors hooked up with the LEDs.
    [noparse][[/noparse]X] I got the Motor hooked up with the H-bridge and the 555 is supplying the PWM.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] Now, if I can only program the BOE-BOT to interface with he Flux Capacitor.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] I dream in SX28 assembler...

    /Bamse
  • BamseBamse Posts: 561
    edited 2007-10-21 02:21
    Just want to let you guys know that the Maker Faire was a blast...

    Andre' made a real good presentation and hopefully sold a lot of Hydras as well...
    AndreInAction.jpg

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Living on the planet Earth might be expensive but it includes a free trip around the sun every year...

    Experience level:
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] Let's connect the motor to pin 1, it's a 6V motor so it should be fine.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] OK, I got my resistors hooked up with the LEDs.
    [noparse][[/noparse]X] I got the Motor hooked up with the H-bridge and the 555 is supplying the PWM.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] Now, if I can only program the BOE-BOT to interface with he Flux Capacitor.
    [noparse][[/noparse] ] I dream in SX28 assembler...

    /Bamse
  • AndreLAndreL Posts: 1,004
    edited 2007-10-21 05:12
    I am not sure anyone new what and "IDE" was, but I tried my best. I had to rush my setup since the previous people were 15 mins over -- I hate that [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    Anyway, we tried to show as much as possible, I think most people came away thinking that it had something to do with video games and electronics [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    Andre'
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    edited 2007-10-21 18:44
    Nice move with the overhead mirror!

    Added to playbook...

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    Propeller Wiki: Share the coolness!
  • AndreLAndreL Posts: 1,004
    edited 2007-10-23 00:21
    I got the idea from watching late night tv on the spice channel [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    Seriously, they already had that. Common practice when you have stuff on a desk, it helps the audience see. Of course, it wasn't very stable and I was taking my life in my hands evertime I put my arms under it, I kept imaging it falling and cutting my arms at the wrists [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    Andre'
  • Paul_HPaul_H Posts: 85
    edited 2007-10-23 14:42
    Andre,

    ThoughI didn't get to chat with you or see the demo live, I was pleased when I saw you and your team had a visible spot the the Make Store. While I was browsing about on Saturday, there seemed to be a constant stream of people conversing with you. I thought the MakerFaire was a fantastic event, and not only because my kids now realize that I'm not the only crazy tinkerer out there.

    I hope the show was a success for you too.

    Paul
  • jbumataijbumatai Posts: 26
    edited 2007-12-07 00:49
    I am curious: now that Nurve has moved to Texas, will there be any events for demos in the San Francisco Bay Area?
  • AndreLAndreL Posts: 1,004
    edited 2007-12-07 01:33
    Well, the only events that happen in CA that I would be interested in showing our products at would be the MAKE faire, Vintage Computer Festival, Classic Gaming convention and maybe the embedded systems conference which I have attended / displayed at usually every year.

    You have to compute in the cost of travel, maning the booth etc. and then compute average number of sales. Most of these shows are more browsers than buyers, or lots of kids, so if you sell 10-20 units you are doing really well. Net out·$20-50 a unit and I think you can see that its a loss to go to the shows if you have to put a lot in, for example booth space for even these little shows can be from $500 - 5000 easy. So between the booth cost, travel, lodging, maning the booth, loss, etc. you really have to make a good argument with yourself to put forth the expenditure.

    The trick is to keep it simple and use local help if possible, also the SAME people tend to go to these shows, so that's another factor to consider [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    For example, we just did the northwest classic gaming con remotely. Mike park from this BB was nice enough to rep us there, we bought the space, printed media, and he basically spent the weekend showing the hydra off. So that cost < $1000, but we sold 0 units since he had none to sell. The question is did that generate any sales? Maybe, maybe not, you never·know, and that's the fuzzy nature of marketing.

    If you have the budget then you blast all channels. But, marketing is funny, you can put money into a channel over and over and over and get no ROI, then all of a sudden boom! it hits. But, then again, sometimes it doesn't. So the best approach is to have a mix between print, internet, shows, and then when you see one channel give a higher ROI then you really POUND on the channel and increase your input which further increases ROI from the channel.

    Alas, I am sure we will "attend" some of these shows, but I doubt that I personally will go since I work like 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. And its just really hard to do anything where I have to be away for more than a day or 2.

    Andre'


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  • JT CookJT Cook Posts: 487
    edited 2007-12-07 02:09
    When did Nurve move to Texas?
  • AndreLAndreL Posts: 1,004
    edited 2007-12-07 02:39
    Boy, you are out of the loop! I emailed you and told you 5 months ago [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    Andre'
  • JT CookJT Cook Posts: 487
    edited 2007-12-07 02:50
    Ok, I need to stop skimming emails. I kind of remember hearing you moving, I thought it was just to a different part of Cali.
    smile.gif·
  • AndreLAndreL Posts: 1,004
    edited 2007-12-07 03:23
    No skimming!

    Yes, we moved to austin, tx, all new information is on the xgs site of course in the about, contact section.

    Andre'
  • jbumataijbumatai Posts: 26
    edited 2007-12-07 03:34
    Andre,

    Well, I have been doing booths at the Expos in CA for over ten years until this last year. I have been taking a retreat. So, I know what you mean. I asked to find out if there are any reps in the area.

    JTCook,
    Texas is going to be named New California with all the techies moving there. [noparse]:)[/noparse]
  • AndreLAndreL Posts: 1,004
    edited 2007-12-07 04:07
    This is defintely silicon valley 2.0. Plus, the people are nicer, the weather is better, housing is cheaper, police are less corrupt, air is cleaner, and just in general its like the bay area, but not so stressed out. The music and art scene is amazing, there is ALWAYS something crazy cool going on. There are movie stars all over the place, cool bands, and its so green (like california of course). But, I don't live in texas, I live in Austin, BIG difference [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    There are a TON of game companies here, plus its the capital of texas, and UT austin is one of the best schools with more Ph.D programs then you could ever want.

    Andre'
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