Jam session, baby! – UPDATED

Combine a dozen geeks with a pile of musical instruments, and strange things happen. Like, for instance, strapping a camera to a drumstick.

The drumsticks-eye-view video has some pretty severe sync problems, but it’s definitely unique. There’s also a 9-minute youtube video of the whole shebang.

Also, FIRST kickoff today! Woohoo! Stream starts at 10am, if you want to watch online. UPDATE: Robotics festivities here at the shop (322 e. 4th st, 48067) will commence at 1 PM, including a replay of the broadcast.

Jam Session Tonight!

The day is upon us! Whether it clanks, whistles, growls, or buzzes, we want to hear you play it. i3Detroit’s Unusual Musical Instrument Jam Session starts tonight at 8pm. Got tix? (Registration isn’t strictly required — walk-ins are almost always welcome at our events — but it helps us anticipate demand, and is most appreciated!)

Arriving earlier than 8pm is great, of course. There will probably be someone in the space all evening, check Twitter for details.

Building a Boat

Stitched-plywood hull on table at i3Detroit

The boat currently taking shape in the shop requires a 14-foot work table, plus walking space at either end. Such dimensions are prohibitive if your only options are a home garage (too small AND too cold) or the living room (whose new carpet precludes its use as a workshop). But that’s why i3Detroit exists!

The canoe in question is a Moccasin, a computer-aided design from B&B Yacht Designs. While digital in origin, the plans arrive as paper in an envelope, and require a process called “lofting” to lay them out on the full-size sheets of plywood. The progress since that point is documented on my Flickr.

If you swing by the space in the next few days, you might find the boat stashed overhead so the shop can be used for other things, or you might find the rest of assembly and finishing in progress. Check i3Detroit’s Twitter feed for times.

Demystifying Basic Electronics, The Sequel

Back, by popular demand, it’s the next installment of Demystifying Basic Electronics, happening this Wednesday evening. As always, non-members are welcome. Go reserve seats already!

This class, like the last one, is intended for total newbies. If you’ve been looking for a chance to tinker with simple circuits in a relaxed setting, this is it. This week, we’ll be exploring Ohm’s Law, which is the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance. And if you’re not quite sure what those are, fear not, just show up!

WinterLAN Social TONIGHT!

The i3Detroit WinterLAN Social event is upon us! Have you reserved your seats yet?  If so, a few final preparations:

1. Bring snacks. We have a fridge full of pop, but munchies are up to you. Bringing your own drinks is great, too.
2. LAN gamers: Are you patch-current? We should be pummeling the uplink with Steam traffic, not Windows Update.
3. Tabletop gamers: We have a shelf of games, but you’re most welcome to bring anything you want to play.

That should do it! Shindig starts at 7 and runs all night.

(CC-licensed photo from WoofBC on Flickr.)