Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire

PAL Improves Outcomes for Preemies

tmw2010 — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:24:23 +0000

Some inventions are creations of convenience, like the Snap-a-Loop media device holder. Some are fun, like BrickStix. Some are useful in very specific ways, like SnapIt Screw eyeglass repair and the E-sort potato sorter. And some have enormous social potential, like adjustable focus eyeglasses.

The Pacifier Activated Lullaby, or PAL, is a niche invention that falls into that last category, in a marvelous and touching way. Developed by music professor Jayne Standley at Florida State University to help premature babies learn the proper muscle movements to be able to suck and feed.

According to the PAL page at Florida State University,”More than 500,000 premature babies are born in the United States every year, each requiring significant medical treatment to ensure their survival and minimize life-long health challenges.”

Officially, the “Pacifier Activated Lullaby (PAL®) is an FDA-approved, patented system that utilizes music reinforcement therapy to stimulate non-nutritive sucking and the breathe-suck-swallow reflex in pre-term infants.” And results are already producing shorter-term hospital stays with a commensurate reduction in hospitalization costs (on average saving $10,000 per infant) and a higher likelihood that premature babies will thrive once they leave the hospital.

IEEE-Spectrum gives some interesting technical details. “The pacifier is outfitted with proprietary piezo sensing technology that detects the baby’s sucking motion. Feedback algorithms determine when the motion is correct, and a signal is sent via wire to a speaker that plays a soothing song when the baby gets the breathe-suck-swallow reflex right. The system can be calibrated to each baby’s needs.”

Check PAL out at http://www.research.fsu.edu/pal/about.html

Tampa Bay Couple Invent Media Device Holder

tmw2010 — Tue, 29 May 2012 18:28:00 +0000

Bryan and Rozana Karle of Tampa got tired of dropping their phones.

“It happens to everybody,” Rozana told WTSB 10 News recently.

So she and Bryan did some research to find out what might be available to help users hang onto their mobile devices and said there were surprised at the lack of helpful gadgets that fit the bill.

“I mean cell phones have been out for how long and people have been dropping their phones for years. It’s just amazing that nothing else has come up,” Rozana told 10 News.

So, like the good makers they are, they came up with their own solution – and patented the Snap-a-Loop, and adhesive-backed loop that comes in various sizes and sticks to the back of a phone, iPad, Kindle, or iPod.

On the market for just a couple of weeks now, and retails for $10. The Karles say everything from the manufacturing to the packaging of their new product is done right here in Tampa.

Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire Video

tmw2010 — Tue, 22 May 2012 21:25:01 +0000

Check out the great little video our student videographer, Ryder, made at this year’s Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire!

Adam Savage’s Commencement Address at Sarah Lawrence College

tmw2010 — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:08:49 +0000

“Stay obsessed. That thing you can’t stop thinking about? Keep indulging it. Obsession is the better part of success. You will be great at the things that you can’t not do.” – Adam Savage

Words of wisdom from one of our most treasured Makers! “Remember that you have time to figure out what you want to do. Who you need to be. Where you want to go. You have time to fail. You have time to mess up. You have time to try again. And when you mess that up, you still have time. Just so long as you’re willing to work hard.” Read his full commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College.

An Inside Look at CyberCraft Robots

tmw2010 — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:15:36 +0000

Check out this great little documentary about CyberCraft Robots , a popular Maker at our recent Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire, who will also be appearing at the Orlando Mini Maker Faire next week!

My Cool Inventions Broadcasting from Tampa Bay

tmw2010 — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:57:27 +0000

Think you have the next hundred million dollar product idea? My Cool Inventions radio show invites you to submit your product idea. Run by Akos Jankura ‘The Solutioinist’ and John Cremeans ‘The Doctor of Shopology” who offer to guide inventors in their product development, the program offers listeners an opportunity to vote on their favorite ideas.

Recently, the show maxed out the voter capacity during its premier boradcast when when the inventors of the Activator (home security) Knuckle Racquet (sports/exercise) and Credit Clean Extreme (DIY Credit Rating) pitched their ideas live and created “a text to vote frenzy. The text to vote platform for the one-hour show reached capacity with thousands of votes coming in from Tampa Bay and around the country.”

Akos hosts the 90-second week-day Radio Feature following the news break at 1:30 pm EST on 970WFLA with live streaming on 970WFLA.com in the top rated time slot in the Tampa/St.Petersburg/Clearwater market. The feature is scheduled for national syndication this year MyCool Inventions is Featured Saturdays at 4pm on 970 WFLA, in Tampa, and iHeartRadio.Com nationwide.

Homemade Derby Hat Nets Zephyrhills Woman Day at the Races

tmw2010 — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:22:57 +0000

A creative daughter-in-law helps a Zephryhills woman win at the day at the races, with this creative Derby hat!

Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire Joining in Orlando Mini Maker Faire!

tmw2010 — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:24:45 +0000

We had so much fun at our Faire we want to do it again! So we’re heading over to the Orlando Mini Maker Faire on May 26 to play some more!

At least a couple of our TBMMF friends will be there – CyberCraft Robots and Makerspace Tampa Bay - and quite possibly a couple of others. Because if there’s anything more fun than a Maker Faire , it’s TWO Maker Faires!

We’ll be there as part of Learning is for Everyone’s Maker booth, with award winning FIRST Tech Challenge Team Duct Tape, the NetBot and some fun hands on photography projects for OMMF guests to enjoy.

Go check out the website and get your OMMF tickets soon!

Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire 2012 in Pictures!

tmw2010 — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:27:29 +0000

Check out our Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire Photo Album!

Thanks to all for a Wonderful 2012 Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire!

tmw2010 — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:01:23 +0000

Our inaugural Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire 2012 was a resounding success, with over 300 people enjoying over 20 Maker exhibits indoors and out – at least until some torrential Florida spring rains came, driving everyone indoors – where the party continued right up until closing time!

There were robots to drive, custom chess pieces to make, duct tape and paper crafts to create, patent searches to, cool inventors to talk with, 3D printers to marvel at, great art, great food, and great people to share it all with!

Many, many thanks to all the great volunteers who helped make our event so successful, from the great FTC Team Duct Tape family that staffed our registration table all day to the wonderful University Area Community Development Corporation volunteers who helped guests and Makers and aided in the smooth and swift movement of Makers from the patio to the gym when the skies opened up. It all went so smoothly, no one missed a beat in activities or fun!

We’ll share more photos and stories soon. And you can find more on our Facebook page, too.

Tampa Bay Mini Maker Faire 2012 totally made our day!!