I happen to love and appreciate music hardware (such as the JoMoX XBase09) and software (such as Ableton's Live), so I was immediately attracted to the Monome 40h MIDI control interface. Designed and produced by "a group of people creating versatile hardware interfaces that emphasize user adaptability," the Monome is a simple device with a grid of 8-by-8 buttons (green when activated) that can be programmed to trigger a variety of audio and video functions or scripts. I've seen my share of MIDI controllers, but this beautifully minimal object behaves in many nontraditional ways. Just check out the video. A 16-by-16 version is in the works.

You can check out the Monome and many other cool inventions in person at Maker Faire, which is happening this weekend in San Mateo, California.

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