Arthur C. Clarke famously wrote in 1961, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." In the next issue of MAKE (Vol. 23) we'll show you the technology sufficient to make things that seem like magic. In this special GADGETS issue, devoted to machines that do delightful and surprising things, we'll show you how to make the following: a magic suitcase that contains an animated soothsayer, an electromagnetic gadget that shoots aluminum rings, a clever wooden gear mechanism invented by Renaissance gadgetmaster Leonardo Da Vinci, a miniature electronic Whack-a-Mole arcade game, a tiny but mighty audio amplifier, and a creepy mechanical box that's only purpose is to turn itself off. All this and much, much more in MAKE Vol. 23. MAKE continues to be a leader in the tech DIY movement due to its uncanny instinct to engage the curiosity, vitality, and passion of the growing community of Makers -- DIY enthusiasts, hobbyist engineers/designers, and others who like to tweak, disassemble, recreate, and invent cool new uses for technology in amazing projects they undertake in their backyards, basements, and garages.

Mark Frauenfelder is a writer and illustrator living in Los Angeles, and the editor of MAKE. He is the cofounder of the popular Boing Boing weblog and was an editor at Wired from 1993-1998.