The toys:
The Robot Giraffe and Bicycle Carousel were both very cool. The robot giraffe walked forward and backward with a leggy lope, controlled by a crane-like joystick, and moved its mouth to talk. The wiring and hydraulics and power system were all visible. The bicycle carousel was a two-person ride in a horizontal circle, powered by happy looking folks pedalling. The esthetic was thorougly anti-disney; the technology and power was all visible, there was no illusion or slickness. Participants are engaged, not transfixed.
The hacks.
* the 3D printer at TechShop (and the rest of the TechShop gear)
* the two open source cellphone projects ( OpenMoko and Silicon Valley Homebrew Mobile Phone club, both of which claim they will have kits available in a month or so.
* the plants that call you on the phone to tell you they need to be watered
* the hand gesture UI glove
Brainstormed with Liz about ways of using digitized fabric and clothing to bridge the Make and Craft worlds. A blue jeans patch keyboard? A wristband remote control? A gps system that gave a light tap on the foot instead of lecturing with directions.