My son is thinking about competing in a science fair this spring. I can tell you one thing -- science fairs are not what they used to be in the 70s and 80s. Just look at what's out there now.
And then there's this gadget called the Arduino. It hails from the land of Italy and over 100,000 have been sold already. You can get it in Toronto at Creatron on College/Spadina. Can you imagine your own 3D Printer to make your own, well, anything? Download a coat hook design and print it yourself in any colour or size. Yes, Virginia, possible. Today.
Hardware Libre -- I like the sound of that.