Modkit Blog

[modkit]

Modkit @ Maker Faire (featuring Modkit for VEX, TI Launchpad, and Wiring++)

It's Maker Faire time again! This is the first year since we started working on Modkit that we do not have a booth at the Bay Area Maker Faire. But that's not because Modkit won't have a presence at the event that runs all day tomorrow and Sunday at the San Mateo Fairgrounds in San Mateo California. We actually have our hands in three different booths:  VEX Robotics, Texas Instruments, and the Wiring Project! Here's what we're up to booth-by-booth:

At the VEX Robotics booth, we'll be demoing Modkit for VEX, our new programming environment for the amazing new VEX IQ robotics system.  Stop by the VEX Robotitcs booth to see how Modkit and VEX are changing the STEM education equation together!

Next, the Texas Instruments booth will feature Modkit and its new support for the Launchpad family of boards.   Support for the MSP430 Launchpad has been under testing for the last few months and we're finalizing some initial support for the Tiva-C launchpad (formally Stellaris.) Stop by the TI booth to try out Modkit support for your new favorite microcontroller platform! If you're itching to try this at home, we're planning to add these boards to our publicly available Modkit Micro preview this weekend. Stay tuned via our Google+ page for updates on when this goes public!

And last but certainly not least, we'll be at the Wiring Project booth  showing off Wiring++, a project we've been collaborating on for some time.  Wiring ++ brings important computing concepts including multi-threading and event-driven-programming to the world of Microcontrollers.  If you don't know the Wiring Project, it is the basis for everything Arduino and is celebrating its 10th birthday this summer.  Wiring++ is an important next step for what has proved to be an important project over the last 10 years.  Come meet Wiring's creator, Hernando Barragán and try out the amazing new Wiring++ APIs!

[modkit]

New Release

We're excited to release a new version of Modkit Micro and Modkit Link for all platforms (Web, Linux, Mac, Windows).  This release is nicknamed RC5 (for Release Candidate 5.) 

For Alpha Club members you can get the download links at http://modk.it/alpha and the public preview of Modkit Micro is at http://modk.it/micro/editor/

For the public preview, we're hosting Modkit Link downloads here until we update our homepage: Modkit Link for OSX 10.5+ | Modkit Link for Windows XP+ | Modkit Link for Linux

For the most part, you can follow the tutorial we posted back in December: http://blog.modk.it/2012/12/happy-holidays-modkit-micro-open-for-all.html  But we do want to highlight an important improvement to the board auto-detection.  In the previous tutorial we assumed you were using an Arduino Mega 2560 or Arduino Uno which should be autodetected right out of the box (assuming you preinstalled the drivers).  But what if you're using a different board?  In this example let's assume you're using a Lilypad sewable electronics kit and that you installed the FTDI driver from http://modk.it/download.

The first time you connect the board, it won't auto-detect so you'll need to "choose board from list." 

You can then pick your particular board from the growing list of supported boards.

You could then skip into the editor just to play around, but we'll choose "Setup Board Now." 

You'll be asked to unplug the board (including the FTDI cable since we're using a Lilypad.)

You'll then plug your board back in.  This helps Modkit determine which board you're configuring. 

You'll need to wait a bit for your board to be detected and stored on your computer. 

You may need to repeat these steps but if all goes well, you can launch into the Modkit Micro editor. 

The next time you open the editor, Modkit should auto-detect your board.  For further instructions please see our previous post: http://blog.modk.it/2012/12/happy-holidays-modkit-micro-open-for-all.html and as always, please leave us any feedback in the comments below.  If nothing else, just leave us a quick note with the board you're testing and how it all worked.

[modkit]

Help Wanted!

Hi Everyone!   We know that many of you have been really excited about Modkit Micro and we often get asked how you can help.  So here we are...  We need your help! We're looking for interns for our Cambridge, MA office (and sometimes the Boston Fab Lab).  On a daily basis, our projects brings us from web design/development in Javascript/HTML/CSS/Python to desktop and embedded systems programming in Python and C/C++ .  But beyond the technical work we also need help with answering emails, finding bugs and running workshops for kids and novices.  Does this sound interesting to you or someone you know? Great!  But just as important as these technical and organizational skills, we're looking for individuals who are just as passionate and excited as we are about democratizing programing and engineering.  And don't forget, even when we're finding bugs, we're doing it by playing with electronics and robots! We can't imagine a more dynamic environment to work and play in, and would like your help in finding candidates who have one or more of these skills and are willing to learn more.  Please pass this along! Location:  Boston Area Time: 2-3 afternoons or mornings per week Who: college students, recent grads, or anyone interested! Compensation: based on experience Get in touch: jobs [at] modk [dot] it Thanks! Modkit Team

[modkit]

Happy Holidays Everyone - Modkit Micro: Our Gift to You!

In the spirit of sharing and just in time for the winter holiday, we wanted to give everyone a chance to try Modkit Micro so we opened up the Modkit Micro preview (previously Kickstarter and Alpha Club members only) to anyone with a google account. We also wrote up this quick post to walk you through getting started with Modkit Micro. Since we've been posting all of our updates on our Kickstarter page, we know we need to get more content on the blog, but in the meantime let's get you started with Modkit Micro!

1. Download and run  Modkit Link

Get the latest version of Modkit Link for Windows, MacOSX, or Linux (Ubuntu).  Once you download Modkit Link, you'll need to run the installer on Windows, drag the App to your Applications folder on Mac, or unzip and read the README instructions on Linux.  After that, you should be able to run Modkit Link and see the M-icon show up on the Windows task bar, OSX Menubar, or GNOME Notification Area on Linux. (Note: this version of Modkit Link (RC4) has been heavily tested with Arduino Uno and a new release will be available with improved support for other board so check back soon.)

2. Install your board drivers and plug in your board

You'll need to install any required drivers for your board before using your hardware with Modkit Micro.  Assuming you are using an Arduino UNO, you'll only need a driver if you're on Windows.  You can grab the .inf file and follow these instructions.

3. Launch Modkit Micro and choose your board

Launch Modkit Micro by browsing to http://modk.it/micro/editor/ and logging in through google when prompted.  Once Modkit Micro loads, click "Get Started" and if you're using an UNO, your board should  be automatically detected.  Select your board and click "Continue."

(Note: If you're using a board other than the UNO, we'll post instructions along with the next update of Modkit Link.)

4. Configure your hardware

Once you've chosen your board, you'll be in "Hardware" view where you can add addtional hardware components.  First, let's configure the built-in LED by dragging out an LED block and selecting PIN13 from the dropdown list.  

5. Build a small program

Once we're configured the hardware in "Hardware" view we can move to "Blocks" view by clicking the icon at the top of the app.  We can then drag out a "forever" block and drop two "setLED" and "delay"blocks into it like the screenshot shows.  When dragging the blocks, you'll notice that the blocks will highlight to show you how they can be connected.  If you drag a block out by mistake, you can drop it back in the "drawer" where you first dragger them from.

6. Press "Play" to test your program

Once, we're done laying out our new program, we can press the "play" button to send it to our board.  If all goes well, you should see "Programming Ok" and the program will then be running on your hardware.  

7. Check out "Code View" and play around a bit

Once you've ensured you can program your board with Modkit Micro, it's a good time to play around with the editor a bit.  Make sure to check out "Source" view to see (or edit) the code generated by the blocks you built.  

That's it for now.  We'll be back soon with more updates.   Until then leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

[modkit]

Fabkit/Fabduino in the Big Leagues: How my humble Open Source Hardware Project made it to the NBA All Stars

Fabkit/Fabduino built by MIT classmate Ella Peinovich. Photo courtesy of Ella Peinovich

When I developed the original Fabduino board back in ~2007, I didn’t have any lofty goals for the project. Sure, it was a cheap (~$5) microcontroller development board that we could produce in the Boston Fab Lab in about an hour.  You could modify the board design to create a physical user interface right in the Fab Lab by adding and arranging sensors such as buttons and then putting the modified board into a larger project.  It worked with the up and coming Arduino project, which meant that it would work with the Modkit programming environment I started to prototype in the following years. While at the MIT Media Lab, I revived the project and shared it with my How to Make Almost Anything (HTMAA) classmates to use as a base for their fabricated projects.  After renaming the updated board Fabkit, dozens of modified boards were produced by my classmates to support a diverse set of final class projects.  After leaving the Media Lab to focus on Modkit full time, I checked in on the class again last winter to find that the Fabkit/Fabduino board had sticking power.  At the final project expo, I identified at least a dozen Fabkit boards or derivatives out of about 30 projects. I’ve been pretty focused on our Modkit Micro release for the last few months so I missed a lot of things happening out there in Internet world.  Now that Modkit Micro is up on Kickstarter, I’ve been looking for ways to drive traffic to the page.  Imagine how surprised I was to find the following video featuring a Fabkit derivative being used by my former colleagues at the Media Lab to sense the forces exerted (by the ball on the net) in the NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest.

You really can’t miss the Fabkit derived board.  It makes cameos at 00:58, 01:55, 02:11, and 02:28.  If you’re interested in making your own Fabkit board, instructions are available here.

[modkit]

Kickstarting Modkit Micro

The Modkit team had an eventful weekend! While at the Maker Faire in the Bay area, we launched a Kickstarter campaign for our latest project: Modkit Micro.

You can find out everything about the project by visiting the Modkit Micro Kickstarter page. We appreciate your ongoing support and hope that you'll back our Modkit Micro work. Your support will help us launch a desktop (offline) version of Modkit Micro. Supporters who contribute more than $25 will get early access (as early as 6/1/12) to the new Modkit Micro online version through a membership to our Alpha Club. Help us keep the momentum going by spreading the word!

[modkit]

4.28.2012 Modkit presents the Mass Ave (Mini) Make-it Market

If you will be in the Cambridge/Boston area on Saturday April 28th, come check out an event we're co-hosting with EMW Enterprises.

What: The Mass Ave (Mini) Make-it Market. Where: East Meets West Bookstore in Central square 934 Massachusetts Avenue. When: Saturday April 28,1PM - 5PM Why: Because you want to... -Meet makers -Support them by buying what they make -Get access to new electronic gadgets, DIY kits, locally-designed clothes, amazing art, fabulous food, and fun! We will provide more information about vendors in the coming weeks. For now, save the date. Looking forward...

[modkit]

Just in time for the Holidays!

We thought we'd unwrap something of our own this holiday!  Modkit Micro will be the first official release of our visual programming environment for microcontrollers and here's a sneak peek. If you've been following the Modkit project, this screenshot tells a lot.  Did you think we decided to show the Seeeduino just because of it's festive red color?  Maybe a little, but the Seeduino represents Modkit's move to support more third party boards.  Oh, but that's a Seeeduino Mega?  Right..  Modkit will now have support for the Mega line of Arduino  compatibles.  You might also notice the new drag-and-drop hardware components.  We completely redesigned the hardware drag-and-drop to make it easier to add more components.  Oh and if you're really paying attention, you'll notice that we haven't just added things, we've taken something away: the serial port drop-down menu.  I wonder what that's about? That's it for now.. More later..  Enjoy your holiday.

[modkit]

Engaging Young Women in Electronics and Programming: Lilypad workshop w/ Modkit Japanese version

A while ago, we wrote about an unofficial Japanese version of Modkit, created by an educator named Manabu Sugiura from Tsuda College in Japan.  He recently got in touch and shared some pictures from a Lilypad/Modkit workshop designed to engage high school girls in electronic design and programming. 

The Lilypad toolkit was created by Leah Buechley who heads the High-Low Tech research group at the MIT Media Lab.  Leah was my adviser at the Media Lab before I decided to take time off to focus on Modkit full time.  A number of the High-Low Tech group’s research projects are centered around diversifying access to programming and electronic design through tools like Lilypad and Modkit and we’re excited that this important work is being adapted by our colleagues accross the world.

We know that many educators are running their own Modkit workshops or using Modkit in the classroom and we’d love to hear about your work.  Leave us a comment about what you’re doing with Modkit and maybe we’ll feature you and your students in an upcoming post.  In the meantime, there are too many photos from the workshop to post them all here, so check out the slideshow on Youtube.

[modkit]

Modkit in Make: Korea vol.2 and Maker Faire NYC Recap

Volume 2 of Make: Korea featuring Modkit!

We met Make: Korea editor Hee Jung while demoing Modkit at the World Maker Faire in New York last month.  She told us that Modkit would be featured in the second volume of Make: Korea's print magazine.  It seems that the format of each volume is to feature some new content as well as some translated articles from earlier volumes of Make.  Yesterday, Hee Jung let us know that Make: Korea v.2 had been released.  It turns out, volume 2 features a full translation of our article from Make: Volume 25 where we introduce our graphical programming environment and show readers how to make their own Crimp Card from everyday materials and a few electronic components.  They even mentioned the article on the front cover!  Very cool: Modkit: 그래픽 인터페이스에서 프로그램하기 Speaking of Maker Faire and Crimp Cards, we have been busy working on the next wave of features and we didn't get a chance to mention our trip to Maker Faire in NY last month.  While at the Maker Faire, we set up in the Maker Shed and demoed the Modkit graphical programming environment along with Modkit Crimp Cards.  Crimp Cards are little circuits that teach the basics of input and output and that can be built without soldering.  We did a pre-sale of Modkit Crimp Cards and got even more feedback on the kits. 

Kofi Baafi (age 10) demos Modkit to other kids 

One of the highlights from the Maker Faire was when 10 year old Kofi Baafi took over the demo sessions, showing kids and adults just how easy programming can be with Modkit.  We look forward to bringing Kofi along to more events in the near future!

Kofi let's the kids do the programming while others check out the Crimp Cards

We had a great time at the Faire and even received another Editor's Choice Award for our engagement with the crowd.  As always, we met so many new people and ran into many old friends.  While the Maker movement has not yet reached everyone, the NY Maker Faire definitely has a bit more diversity than the Bay Area one and we can only work to increase that.  We hope to see you all there next year!

[modkit]

Remembering Steve Jobs' DIY Beginnings: From Hobby to Hollywood and Beyond

 Apple co-founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs using an early Apple computer in the mid 1970's

Death of an Icon - Many Americans who were alive in the 1960's say they know exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.  In the African-American community, you'll often hear similar accounts around the deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.  Each of these leaders died prematurely, being shot and killed amidst the social and political turmoil of the 1960's. While Steve Jobs was not a political figure and was well known to have been battling pancreatic cancer, his death yesterday was still quite shocking.  Just as many Americans can remember where they were and what they were doing when they got news of Kennedy's death, I believe many will remember where they were, what they were doing, and most importantly how they heard of Steve Jobs' death.  Perhaps someone sent you a text message on your iPhone, or you saw the trending topic on Twitter.  Maybe you saw a post on someone's Facebook wall, or you opened up to the news in your RSS reader.  Others opened the Safari browser on their Mac to see Apple's homepage replaced with nothing but Steve Jobs' name, picture and the subtle news of his death, "1955-2011."  No matter how you heard about Jobs' death, chances are, he played a part in how that information reached you. In my case, Collin and I were working late at the Starbucks in Harvard Square.  I was busy working on porting Modkit's web based editor to our new web application framework (more on this soon) and Collin was working on reorganizing our home page structure to tightly integrate with our blog and other user generated content.  Collin had just shown me a mockup of the new homepage and asked "Did you see this?", switching to Apple's homepage.  We talked for a bit about his resignation from Apple a little over a month ago and how he must have known he didn't have much time.  After a short conversation we got right back to work towards democratizing programming and engineering. Hobbyist Beginnings - Today, I've been reflecting a bit on why Steve Jobs' was important, both to our society as a whole and to our work on Modkit.  I've thought for a bit about a talk that I gave at TEDxKids in Brussels and particularly about one slide titled "Hobby to Hollywood."  I used that title (inspired by LL Cool J's similar trek from "Hollis to Hollywood") to talk about how Apple grew out of the excitement of a community of hobbyists and how their first machine, the Apple I, was marketed only as a barebones kit.  As we're attempting to make programming as mainstream as personal computers and mobile devices have become, Apple's story can provide important insight into how we can make this transition by providing graphical programming tools, just as the PC became accessible through the introduction of the graphical desktop.  The re-emerging DIY electronics and fabrication communities can also learn from the story of the of Apple and the personal computer in general.  Strong parallels can be drawn between Fab Labs and hackerspaces of today and the Homebrew Computer Club that helped spawn Apple and the personal computer industry in the mid 1970's. Arduino and MakerBot are reminiscent of the early Apple I kit and these modern enthusiasts have created a base that will surely help spawn new industries.

Apple's first computer was designed for DIY hobbyists

Hollywood and Beyond -  Jobs eventually left the young Apple and turned what could have been considered just another hobby, computer animation, into a multibillion dollar industry with the acquisition of what would soon become Pixar.  He did in fact take Pixar to Hollywood when it released its first feature film "Toy Story."  The rest of the Jobs and Apple story is, well, history and I encourage anyone involved in the DIY space to look at how it all played out.  There are many lessons Modkit has learned from Jobs and Apple and I'm sure we'll revisit this soon.

[modkit]

Modkit Japanese Edition and the importance of internationalization and localization

Last month, we received an email from Manabu Sugiura, a researcher at Tsuda College in Japan.  He was setting up a workshop for a little over a dozen middle school and high school girls using the Lilypad Arduino and Modkit.  He got in touch again last week to say that he had made a private version of Modkit and translated the whole interface, including code blocks, into Japanese.  Below are some screenshots and a video of Manuba’s Japanese translation of Modkit.

Manabu’s email, and all the effort he put in to the translation has us thinking about the importance of graphical programming tools in another aspect of democratizing programming and engineering: Internationalization and Localization.  Computer languages are largely English centric.  While there are many non-English programming languages and many localizations of popular English-based programming languages, these seem like second class citizens in the English dominated world of computer programming.  In many cases, localization simply means translating an IDE’s menu buttons.

Blocks based graphical programming environments like Modkit have the opportunity to change this.  Scratch, used by over a million kids and novices for game and animation programming, already has many localizations which has been instrumental in its worldwide adoption.  As we continue to dispel myths that graphical programming environments can’t be as powerful as traditional tools, we are reminded that in many cases such as internationalization, graphical programming tools can be more powerful.  We’ll be working on a way to make localizations easier.  Thanks to Manabu for the inspiration!

[modkit]

"Tweet and Win" - Modkit Alpha Club Twitter Contest

Tweet to Win Modkit MotoProto Boards and Alpha Club Memberships

We recently launched the Modkit Alpha Club to offer early access to our supporters as we develop and test new features.  We're happy to announce that the features available to Alpha Club members now include drag-and-drop hardware components (really cool!), variables, text-code-view, and cloud based project saving and loading.  If you haven't already done so, we encourage you to join or learn more about all the public and member-only features by visiting our Alpha Club page. In order to get the word out about our Alpha Club and all the new features, we're running a little contest.  We know you all like to spread the word about cool things like Modkit's drag and drop Arduino programming environment and figured we'd make it that much sweeter with some cool prizes including a lifetime Alpha Club membership and Modkit/Sparkfun MotoProto Shields for robotics and prototyping applications. Basically all you have to do is 1) Follow Modkit (@modkitlabs) on twitter. 2) Retweet our Alpha Club message: "#Arduino programming couldn't be easier than Modkit's drag and drop programming environment.  Sign up for early access: http://modk.it/alpha" 3) Optionally sign up for the Alpha Club or compose your own tweets mentioning @modkitlabs and a link to our blog, homepage, or Alpha Club page for more chances to win. At the end of July, we'll pick the following winners: A) "Alpha Club Retweet" prize - We'll pick one of our followers who retweeted our Alpha Club message to win a Modkit MotoProto Shield from Sparkfun as well as a 1 year Alpha Club Membership. B) "Most Modkit Mention Retweets" prize - The originator of the most retweeted mention (must include @modkitlabs and a link to our blog, homepage or Alpha Club page) will also win a Modkit MotoProto Shield from Sparkfun as well as a 1 year Alpha Club Membership.  So be creative in your mentions of @modkitlabs to get the most retweets. C) "Alpha Club Members only" Prize - As a reward for those of you who sign up for our Alpha Club (as well as existing members) we'll pick a random Alpha Club Member to receive a MotoProto Shield as well as an upgrade to a lifetime membership (if the winner is already a lifetime member, they can choose a 1 year membership for a friend). That's it.  Good luck and thanks for helping us spread the word!

[modkit]

Alpha Club Update and Amon Millner @ IDC 2011

First we have a quick update on our newly launched Alpha Club:  As a thank-you for your continued support, we've set all existing alpha testers (including our Kickstarter supporters) up with a free six month Alpha Club membership.  If you are an existing alpha tester, simply log in at http://modk.it/alpha  and start using the Alpha Club features today.  

The Alpha Club is a membership based club that allows Modkit fans and users to support our efforts while receiving early access to new features as they are completed.  We have already launched some exciting Alpha Club features, so consider signing up today and getting involved.  We're grateful to all our supporters and Alpha Club members who are helping us bring robotics and Arduino programming to everyone, including children, artists, and everyday engineers.  Make sure to spread the word to your friends and colleagues through your social networks as every new member helps us get closer to our vision. 

Amon Millner's IDC Presentation - In true "Computer as Chalk" fashion

Now for some news: Amon will be demoing Modkit at the 10th annual International Conference on Interaction Design and Children in Ann Arbor Michigan this week.  IDC's goals are "to understand children’s needs and how to design for them, by presenting and discussing the most innovative research in the field of interaction design for children, by exhibiting the most recent developments in design and design methodologies, and by gathering the leading minds in the field of interaction design for children." Amon officially joined Modkit after earning his Ph.D. from the MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten Group for his work including research on physical computing as an extension of the popular Scratch programming environment.  Amon's doctoral dissertation was titled "Computer as Chalk" and featured many hand-drawn (actually finger-drawn with an IBM Trackpoint - now that's dedication!) sketches of youth engaged in designing physical computer interfaces such as the above IDC presentation snippet.  If you're out at IDC or in the Ann Arbor area, make sure to check out Amon's Modkit demo on Wednesday.

[modkit]

TEDxKIDS@Brussels + Design Blocks

I'm back from TEDxKIDS@Brussels.  I did my first TEDx talk and ran two Modkit workshops for about thirty 10 year olds.  For the talk, I focused on the idea of Generation D: Digital. Democracy. DIY.  The talk started with the digital (personal computer) revolution and its roots in the hobbyist/hacker culture.  I then jumped to the democratization of the internet and how the internet helped democratize many domains such as commerce, publishing, fabrication, etc.  This all set the stage for the question:  If hackers (programmers) can help democratize all of these domains, what if hacking (programming) itself was democratized?  This is of course the motivation behind Modkit!

 From Hobby to Hollywood - Ed Baafi talks about the Apple I's move from homebrew to mainstream 

For the TEDxKIDS workshops, I only had about 45 minutes with each set of 14 kids, just enough time for an introduction to the Modkit environment and a proper "Hello World" exercise.  As many of you know, a typical Hello World exercise consists of printing "hello" to the screen or in the case of embedded systems (physical programming) it usually means blinking an LED on and off.  Of course, we started with the typical blinking "hello" using the built-in Arduino LED, but moved on to a more interesting (and appropriate) "Hello."  We used the new Modkit MotoProto Sheilds along with a servo motor and potentiometer knob.  I had the kids trace and cut out their hands on construction paper.  They then, taped the paper hands to the servo and programmed the potentiometer and servo so that they could make their paper hands wave "Hello."  They had a lot of fun!

Evelyn Eastmond's DesignBlocks project on Kickstarter 

Unfortunately I just found out about this, but our friend Evelyn Eastmond is raising money for her Design Blocks project on Kickstarter.  There's only a few hours left and she's not yet close to her goal, but we just pledged hoping for a last minute sprint.  Like Modkit, DesignBlocks takes the graphical programming ideas of projects like Scratch and aims to apply them to different domains. In this case the idea is to enable artistic expression, similar to the processing project.  If you see this in the next few hours, make sure to go pledge.  If not, go send Evelyn a comment and encourage her to repost the project.  That way we can all help her spread the word next time.

[modkit]

Modkit Founder Ed Baafi at TEDxKIDS

Check out Ed's talk and the rest of TEDxKIDS online tomorrow, June 1st. It's available to stream live but you'll have to get up early to catch Ed's presentation (it's at 6:12am Eastern Time). Also check out the other great guests in the Full Program.

[modkit]

Alpha Club Launch and Maker Faire Recap

Award Winning: Ed, Collin, and Amon show off Modkit's Editor Choice and Educator Choice awards. 

We're back from the Bay Area Maker Faire where we had a great weekend, caught up with old friends and Modkit fans and met a bunch of great new people. Modkit was recognized with a Make Editor's Choice award as well as two Educator's choice awards.  Thanks to all the attendees who continuously make this one of our favorite events.

Kid Friendly: Adults watch on as young people learn how to build Modkit programs.

We set up a couple Modkit stations where kids and adults alike learned how easy it is to get started with micrococontrollers using Modkit's graphical programming environment.  We also showed off the new Modkit MotoProto shields now available at Sparkfun.

Alpha Club Launch: Faire attendees were some of the first Alpha Club Members 

At the Faire, we gave a preview of the Modkit Alpha Club.  While we are committed to providing powerful tools for free, users can help support us in extending the toolkit by joining the Alpha Club.  Club members get early access to the newest features and help shape the future of Modkit.  We'll be extending all current Alpha testers an invitation to the club shortly.  If you supported us on Kickstarter or have helped us test all along, we want to continue giving you something back. 

New Alpha Features:  Code View, Variables, and Drag and Drop Hardware previewed at the Faire

Speaking of new features, we launched the Alpha Club's Code View, Variables, and Drag and Drop Hardware while at the Faire.  We're really excited about all of these features, especially Drag and Drop Hardware, which allows users to configure actual components (not just pins) by dragging out the components they want to use and selecting the microcontroller pins that they are connected to. Blocks for the attached components then show up in Block view, allowing you to easily control your attached hardware.  These features will be available in the Public Beta soon, but if you like where we're heading and want to see us get there faster, or simply want early access to these innovative features, make sure to join the Alpha Club today.