Let's Go, Robot!

This clamped contraption will hold a hammock on my front porch...

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:21:08 -0500

This clamped contraption will hold a hammock on my front porch by the end of the evening. (Taken with instagram)

This is a really, really great idea. zachklein: I’m passionate...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:35:00 -0500

This is a really, really great idea.

I’m passionate about what we’re building.

diy:

Introducing DIY

We started building DIY a few months ago and now we’re sharing the first thing we’ve made. This is a company that we hope to spend decades crafting, but it’s important for us to build it out in the open, bit by bit, to encourage our community of kids and parents to share feedback with us continuously. From Zach’s experience making Vimeo, we understand that this sort of culture fosters collaboration and admiration between a company and its community, and ultimately leads to something that is loved.

Our ambition is for DIY to be first app and community in every kid’s life. It’s what we wish we had when we were young, and what we’ll give to our kids. Today we’re releasing a tool to let kids collect everything they make as they grow up.

We’ve all seen how kids can be like little MacGyvers. They’re able to take anything apart, recycle what you’ve thrown away – or if they’re Caine, build their own cardboard arcade. This is play, but it’s also creativity and it’s a valuable skill. Our idea is to encourage it by giving kids a place online to show it off, so family, friends and grandparents can see it and easily respond. Recognition makes a kid feel great, and motivates them to keep going. We want them to keep making, and by doing so learn new skills, use technology constructively, begin a lifelong adventure of curiosity, and hopefully spend time offline, too.

We’re looking to you parents as partners to make it all work. It used to be that you hang your kids’ work on the fridge to let them know you’re proud. Now the Web is becoming a part of their life at home and school — and there’s a new opportunity to connect you to their creations and cheer them on.

When you get your kid to join DIY early, you’re helping to recognize creativity as an essential part of every kid’s education, and possibly a requirement for their satisfaction as an adult. Sadly, most adults don’t believe they’re creative although we’re all capable of it at any age! We believe that to accept yourself as a creative adult you must start as a kid who is fearless of learning new skills and doing it yourself. Encouraging your kids to be inventive and self-reliant now will better prepare them to participate in a world that keeps changing.

Here’s how it works today:

DIY kids sign up and get their own Portfolio, a public web page to show off what they make.

They upload pictures of their projects using diy.org or our iOS app.

Kids’ projects are online for everyone to see, you can add Stickers to show support.

You also have your own dashboard to follow their activity and to make sure they’re not sharing anything that should be private.

Kids are ready for this. They’re instinctively scientists and explorers. They’re quick to build using anything at their disposal. They transform their amazement of the world into games. They’re often drawn to learning that’s indistinguishable from play (think about bug collecting!). And, most important, they embrace technology.

We’re grateful for your help to make this company, and grow the next — hopefully larger — generation of creative kids.

- Zach Klein, Isaiah Saxon, Andrew Sliwinski, Daren Rabinovitch
(and Dave, Brian, Mike, Courtney, David, Lucas, Shawn, and Sean!)

PS. See our Parents page for more information. Or you can follow @DIY to see important updates.

Another reason why Rdio > Spotify. Radio Time Machine plays...

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:54:00 -0500

Another reason why Rdio > Spotify.

Radio Time Machine plays songs from the Billboard Top 100 based on the year you select, 1940-2012.

Built by @westervelt using Rdio’s API.

Amazon Supply is live. Free 2-day shipping for Prime...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:27:22 -0500

Amazon Supply is live. Free 2-day shipping for Prime members.

Now all I need is Amazon Lumber and Amazon Components to be a thing. Time to get back to all of those delayed projects.

My new computer came in the mail today. #rasbpi (Taken with...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:59:00 -0500

My new computer came in the mail today. #rasbpi (Taken with instagram)

My current development setup. (Taken with instagram)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:07:14 -0500

My current development setup. (Taken with instagram)

Facebook to Buy Instagram for $1 Billion in Cash, Stock

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:00:18 -0500

Facebook to Buy Instagram for $1 Billion in Cash, Stock:

Well, that was fun. Looks like Twitter and Svpply might be the only social networks I’m engaged with pretty soon.

idrawnintendo: I liked this panel, so I colored it!

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 08:38:01 -0500

idrawnintendo:

I liked this panel, so I colored it!

Well, this fits squarely in my wheelhouse of interests. Jim...

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:39:18 -0500

Well, this fits squarely in my wheelhouse of interests.

Jim Henson’s 1963 short film “Robot,” created for AT&T.

Also, in memoriam, Soda Popinski (aka Vodka Drunkenski).

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:00:00 -0500

Also, in memoriam, Soda Popinski (aka Vodka Drunkenski).

Do you guys listen to Javelin? You should listen to Javelin. Did...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:59:40 -0500

Do you guys listen to Javelin? You should listen to Javelin. Did you play Punch-Out!! as a kid? You should play Punch-Out!! (as a kid or as an adult). Here’s their song “Soda Popinski” (Javelin’s, not Punch-Out!!’s).

Easily the greatest advert I’ve ever seen for mineral...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:44:17 -0500

Easily the greatest advert I’ve ever seen for mineral water. Somewhat NSFW-y if you’re office-folk.

Morrissey/The Smiths fans, check out The Holiday Crowd.

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:33:00 -0500

Morrissey/The Smiths fans, check out The Holiday Crowd.

Made a new shelf for our pantry this weekend. (Taken with...

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:30:38 -0500

Made a new shelf for our pantry this weekend. (Taken with instagram)

Will Ferell’s 1995 “Bug Off” sketch from...

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 16:09:00 -0500

Will Ferell’s 1995 “Bug Off” sketch from Saturday Night Live. I’m posting this because it seems extremely relevant to the cockroach problem present at the Austin crew’s Blanco House.

Pretty sure that kitchen is your’s Tim, Matt, et al.

Moebius’ artwork always reminded me of a more grown up...

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:56:49 -0500

Moebius’ artwork always reminded me of a more grown up version of a lot of Winsor McCay’s work. Sad to see him go.

Tom the Dancing Bug’s take on The Lorax.

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:46:00 -0600

Tom the Dancing Bug’s take on The Lorax.

Ingmar Bergman responds to 1960 Oscar nomination for “Wild...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:26:32 -0600

Ingmar Bergman responds to 1960 Oscar nomination for “Wild Strawberries”.

Talking Cthuluian politics on Twitter.

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:57:00 -0600

Talking Cthuluian politics on Twitter.

This glam-rock ballad by Kate Bush has been on repeat in our...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:46:13 -0600

This glam-rock ballad by Kate Bush has been on repeat in our household for awhile now.

Listen on Spotify or download from iTunes.