In this issue of Make: we make friends — literally! Build your own companion robot with a Raspberry Pi 5, and then give it a voice using AI and a large language model running locally. No internet required! Or keep it simple and build a friendly bot with a micro:bit and a few servos. Next, get an overview of the latest new dev boards, including offerings from Adafruit, Seeed, Sparkfun, Pimoroni, and more, that use Raspberry Pi’s second-gen, double dual-core RP2350 chip. And, get started with new Arduino libraries and example projects for cheap ESP32+LCD boards. Special Bonus — Make: Guide to Boards 2025 You know Raspberry Pi and Arduino, but the waters run deep for microcontrollers and single board computers. From wearables, to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, to AI capabilities, we show you 77 new boards that have exactly what you’re looking for to power your next project. Plus, 38+ projects: Embed tiny mirrors and mesh into your 3D prints to create sparkling fabrics Build an autotune kazoo Make a battery using your favorite sports drink Laser cut a creative ski chalet birdhouse for your feathered friends Use an Arduino for professional looking DMX lighting Make a walk-in camera obscura to project the outside world inside (and upside down) Expose spy tech with the budget K18 Bug Detector And much more!

A unique system for jump-starting artistic creativity, encouraging experimentation and growth, and increasing sales for artists of all levels, from novices to professionals. Have you landed in a frustrating rut? Are you having trouble selling paintings in galleries, getting bogged down by projects you can’t seem to finish or abandon, or finding excuses to avoid working in the studio? Author Carol Marine knows exactly how you feel—she herself suffered from painter’s block, until she discovered “daily painting.” The idea is simple: do art (usually small) often (how often is up to you), and if you’d like, post and sell it online. Soon you’ll find that your block dissolves and you’re painting work you love—and more of it than you ever thought possible! With her encouraging tone and useful exercises, Marine teaches you to: -Master composition and value -Become confident in any medium including oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolors, and other media -Choose subjects wisely -Stay fresh and loose -Photograph, post, and sell your art online -Become connected to the growing movement of daily painters around the world

Sci-fi master Theodore Sturgeon wrote stories with power and freshness, and in telling them created a broader understanding of humanity—a legacy for readers and writers to mine for generations. Along with the title story, the collection includes stories written between 1953 and 1955, Sturgeon's greatest period, with such favorites as "Bulkhead," "The Golden Helix," and "To Here and the Easel."

“I dream of a better world,” writes zinester and How and Why author Matte Resist in the intro to his new book. He continues, “To me, DIY culture is about grabbing a little piece of that dream.” What follows over the course of the next 176 pages is Matte doing what all dreamers must do: waking up from his dream, opening his eyes, and confronting what roadblocks and hurdles lie between him and his goal. Matte does this by laying down chapter upon chapter of blueprints for a better world. A sequel to our do-it-yourself handbook Making Stuff and Doing Things, How and Why gives us detailed, engaging, easy-to-use info on bicycles, home and garage, gardening, educating children, musical instruments, and the all-inclusive “everything else” section. If you dream of taking back your life and building a better world, How and Why might be your new best friend.