Two upcoming workshops on technology, beginners welcome! These aren’t workshops being put on by us, but they are right in the neighborhood.

Upcoming workshops for January 2011 – foulab.org

Crafthacker – Wikileaks: Craft your own leak!

Saturday January 8, 2pm, at Foulab, presented by grapefruit

Why should you care that Wikileaks is under attack, and what are you going to do about it? At the first crafthacker (ever!) we will analyze and adorn Wikileaks by re-expressing its non-secrets in crafty and creative ways. Select from among myriad leaks and knit sew solder sculpt embroider crochet collage program or draw your favourites in whichever ways inspire you. This crafthacker will also be a venue for individuals and groups to brainstorm about the upcoming pro-free-information rally scheduled, tentatively, for Saturday January 29. Bring your favourite arts-and-crafts tools and any materials you want to share with the rest of us. We’ll have a bunch of supplies on hand, including a large collection of leaks. Freedom of information is every one’s concern. Teach, learn, plan, and make something crazy!

Crafthacker is a community event that facilitates skills sharing and dialogue about crafts in their social context. Each crafthacker is based around a theme, beginning with a presentation followed by a workshop and then a free-for-all craft session. There are two crafthackers each month, one at Foulab, the other at the Geek Out. Share your ideas and skills! Stay tuned here and at geekmontreal.com.

Suggested donation: 5$

Introduction to Assembly Language for AVR Microcontrollers

Saturaday January 8 at 6:30pm, presented by Legionlabs

Do you like the Arduino, but wish it were cheap enough to include in more projects? Are you new to the exciting world of microcontrollers, and would like to learn some basics on a tight budget? If so, this is a course for you! You will learn about different 8-bit AVR microcontrollers, their price, and how to order them. We will cover a basic review of assembly language suitable for beginners, as well as write a few programs. We will cover fuse bits, clock source selection, how to get your awesome programs onto the chips themselves, and other useful topics. We will also review a few programs I’ve written, and conclude with a roundtable of project ideas. You will be provided with a microcontroller or two to keep (a shiny ATMEGA16 at the very least), as well as the supporting electronics required to keep it running nicely. This is an entry-level course, no experience with electronics or programming is required. It is not necessary to bring a laptop, but if you do, you can start writing programs immediately and I will program your chip with them.

Cost: 25$