i3 Rocked ConFusion 2011

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What a blast!  ConFusion opened its doors and its arms to i3Detroit this past weekend.  Four of our hackers – Nick Britsky, Ted Hansen, Brad McMahon, and Ross Smith – spoke to the ConFused about the hackerspace movement, i3Detroit, and our many bizarre adventures. After talking about what hackerspaces are and their brief history, Ross handed the stage over to Nick for a virtual walk-through of our space.  Brad took control to lead our Maker Faire Detroit and project story session.  Ted rounded the event out by explaining FIRST robotics and what i3Detroit does to support local teams.

Many members of the audience immediately connected with the idea of a hackerspace.  We could practically see the gears turning and synapses firing.  Thanks ConFusion for giving us this chance to present our space to you!

Bob Ross Paint Along is Back!

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Back by popular demand, we are bringing back one of our most successful classes in i3 Detroit histroy.  We are bringing back the Bob Ross Paint-Along classes and in a big way.

Not only are we doing two 10-student classes but we are allowing the public to vote.  There will be a vote on which epsiode will be viewed at each class.  After the class, each painting will be uploaded online and the community will vote on the best one.  The winner will win a free class at i3 Detroit.  Don’t worry.  If you are embarased, you can use a false name.  Based on the ruckuss from last class, there will be many questionable paintings.  We still question how dinosaurs, volcanos and UFOs ended up on the last class’s paintings.

Join us 2/26 at 5pm and 7pm for an amazing event where you will find out if you can keep up with the legend, Bob Ross.  Only $20 gets you 1 hour of fun but the mockery you will get from hanging it in your living room will last a lifetime.  All materials will be provided at the class. Voting for the pictures will be posted next week.

Please RSVP
Class 1 @ 5pm – http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1251700871
Class 2 @ 7pm – http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1251722937

MakerFaire Brainstorm Session

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FRIDAY, Janurary 28th, 7pm.

Come one! Come all! And bring your thinking caps…or whatever cap you feel like wearing that day! We have a scheduled mind-meld this Friday, January 28th at 7pm to try to come up with this year’s brilliance that will take Detroit by storm at MakerFaire in July.

True brilliance takes time to make and build, so let’s get those creative juices flowing and come up with new ideas to show just how zainy and awesome we are!
Anyone is free to join in!

i3Detroit Panel at ConFusion

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Members of i3 Detroit will be hosting a panel at ConFusion this coming weekend.

ConFusion runs from Friday January 21st to Sunday, January 23rd at the Detroit Marriott in Troy, 200 W. Big Beaver Rd.

The Panel will be held Sunday, January 23 @ 12pm in Salon E.

The panel is called  “The Age of the Hacker: A Primer to Hackerspaces and DIY Culture.”

Excerpt from Program Book: “Hackers (not computer thieves, but rather the imaginative practitioners of the do-it-yourself mentality) are on the rise. The Internet has made all manner of technology more accessible and cost-effective to the ordinary hobbyist, providing everything from free project diagrams to cheap pneumatic valves. As a direct result, more people are exploring the world of at-home machining, crafting, and electronics-for-fun, profit, and home repair. Most of all they are getting out of their garages and into communities called hackerspaces, where they work, share, and learn together. Join a few members from i3Detroit as they explain the hackerspace phenomenon, demonstrate a few projects, and show you that we truly live in the Age of the Hacker.”

Panelists include: Nick Britsky, Ted Hansen, Brad McMahon, and Ross Smith.

For more information about ConFusion, check out http://confusion.stilyagi.org/

Winter LAN Party – this Saturday (1/15)

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LAN Party like it's 1999It’s almost here!!! i3 Detroit will be hosting the second annual i3 WinterLAN Social event, starting Saturday at noon and ending when the sun comes up on Sunday.

The event will be all about games – BYOC (Bring your own computer) gaming, Board gaming, and tabletop RPG.

The i3Detroit common space will be set up for computer gaming with plenty of power, tables, and chairs. The loft will sport a projector hooked up for console gaming (Got a vintage console you can bring?). Board games will take place in any of our multiple rooms.

If you have any kind of game people will enjoy, bring it, bring yourself, and bring your thirst for gaming. See you then!