SparkFun: Why Open Source?

Over the past few years, SparkFun has had some amazing success. And that’s due in no small amount to the idea of open source. SparkFun: Why Open Source? article tells about how SparkFun ended up open sourcing many of their electronics products.

3 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Adafruit, Sparkfun point to the democratization of hardware
    http://www.edn.com/article/520867-Next_gen_video_codec_hits_milestone.php?cid=EDNToday_20120209

    One of the not-so-obvious side benefits of the miniaturization of electronics is that folks far removed from the realm of electronic engineering become comfortable with small electronic devices and think, “Wouldn’t it be neat if I had a [gizmo] that did…?”

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Voices: 15 steps to starting your own electronic-kit business
    This engineer started her own successful electronics-kit business. You can too.
    http://www.edn.com/article/470126-Voices_15_steps_to_starting_your_own_electronic_kit_business.php

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Young DIYers with that engineering spark
    http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/other/4375795/Young-DIYers-with-that-engineering-spark?cid=EDNToday

    Does the name Nathan Seidles ring a bell? He’s the young entrepreneur who started SparkFun Electronics from his bedroom while he was in college. That was nine years ago

    In interviewing Nathan, he noted the company’s new education Web site, Learn.SparkFun.com

    Its aim is to help build and support a community of educators, newbies, kids, and everyone in between looking to get started in DIY (do-it-yourself) electronics, but who don’t know where or how to begin.

    The site hosts a plethora of free curriculum, tutorials, how-to guides, information and more.

    Nathan also mentioned that the SparkFun education team would be at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, DC, in April as part of an East Coast tour.

    Participants learned how to solder by putting together a functioning SparkFun Simon memory game, the company’s Lectro Candle Kit (an LED-based “candle” that cycles through the colors of the rainbow), or the Weevil Eye Kit (a DIY night-light and e-textiles kit that responds to how dark the room is). The kits were being soldered by the kids under parental and SparkFun engineer supervision.

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*