Alex Brooke

Click here for a silly animation about the iPhone

Tokyo Hacker Space is now running iPhone and iPad programming classes every Monday in Shirokanedai. If you are new to programming, don’t worry because it is for complete beginners.

It costs 1500 yen for non-members of Tokyo Hacker Space.

This is a great opportunity to learn a new skill, create cool software and meet experts in the field. The classes will also be generating new online tutorials which will be posted on the main site.

Please feel free to come along and check out the classes.

Info:

Tokyo Hacker Space

Sign up form and extra information

WHAT: Learn to build a Brain Machine

WHEN: Sunday 11th October 2009

WHERE: Tokyo Hacker Space, Shiroganedai

HOW MUCH: 2500 yen for members / 5000 yen for non members. (Includes all material and tuition costs)

RESERVE A PLACE: Places are very limited so please send an email to daac2000(at)yahoo(dot)com to reserve your place

Interested in building a brain machine? The cool cats at the Tokyo Hacker Space are running a workshop on how to make them. Also called Trip Glasses, these spectacles have flashing LEDs and headphones emitting sounds programmed at various changing frequencies to induce meditative brain states. They also cause mild hallucinations as your visual cortex tries to make sense of what is going on.

These are seriously good fun to make and use. Check out this video I made at 4nchor5 La6 (Anchors Lab ).

The workshop includes all materials and full instruction and assistance.

I made my own Brain Machine at the Make fair in Tokyo in May this year. The inventor Mitch Altman did a workshop and showed us basic soldering skills and how to put the device together. It was great fun to make it myself and as an added bonus, the damn thing actually worked.

So check out the workshop in October, it’ll be a fun and different way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Geeking out on circuits

I was very impressed by the Tokyo Hacker Space meeting last night held at the Pink Cow in Shibuya (9th June 2009). The meeting went well with around 20 people and some of them had really done their homework in trying to make this a reality.

I’m purposefully going to be a little vague as it maybe a little early to discuss the details of the meeting. Also, I’d like to wait for other members to digest what was put out there and respond before I comment on proposals that might change in the future. Suffice it to say, a comprehensive and well thought out proposal was made regarding a space that could be used as well as the financial framework to run the whole project. Excitng things are happening in Tokyo and it would be great to be involved with such a diverse and intelligent group of people.

What’s my interest in all of this? I actually only have a very rudimentary knowledge of computing and anything that needs to be plugged into a wall. However, as a musician, I would be interested in collaborating in some art – music – tech crossover projects. If the latest books are to be believed, it’s not enough to make things function, they have to look pretty too. These books are of course written to make artists and musicians feel better about themselves.

Before I digress, here’s to Tokyo Hacker Space becoming a reality. Again, I will write more one more responses have come in regarding last night’s meeting.

Next meeting Meeting at at Respekt Cafe 2f 7pm Tuesday June 16th 2009