blog.makezine.com
Dec 3, 2007
SourceIt's been a year since our last
open source gift guide - this year there is so much going on in the world of MAKE, open source, and beyond that we have a series of gift guides for this holiday season. The first one is our open source hardware gift guide - these are physical things you can buy that fit in to the new and exciting category of hardware we call open source hardware.
What is open source hardware? Glad you asked - we have a very long and
detailed article here you can check out here, but a good way to think of it is: source code and hardware under a license (or arrangement such as the public domain) that permits users to study, change, and improve the software and hardware, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified form. Electronic hardware can be divided up into layers, each of which has different document types and licensing.
The open approach to hardware has already made better and new projects from the open projects out there (as you'll see in this guide!). When you're thinking of giving a gift this year, consider supporting open source hardware and the makers who are challenging the way physical objects are made and distributed. Each of the kits, projects and open source hardware gifts in our guide represents more than just a holiday gift, it's a chance to support this nascent hardware movement. If you know someone who likes to make things, or wants to learn, these are the gifts for them!
Open source 3D printers, TV-turn-off devices, iPod chargers, music players, Wi-Fi companions, educational electronic kits and more! Let's get gifting!...
Read on...