Sep 21, 2015 | By Benedict
14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed, who made headlines last week after he was arrested for bringing a homemade clock into school, has already received praise from a number of familiar names such as Barack Obama and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. Now, to Mohamed’s further delight, tech giants Microsoft have pledged their allegiance to the whizz-kid in generous fashion. The multinational technology firm expressed their support for Ahmed, not through kind words, but by sending the young engineer a huge hamper of tech goodies, including a Cube 3D printer.
Mohamed, from Irving, Texas, was arrested when he brought a home-made clock into school to show his teacher. However, to the young innovator’s surprise, one member of staff thought the project suspicious, and police were called to the scene. The teen was questioned and taken into custody, with coppers identifying his seemingly innocent clock as a ‘hoax bomb’.
After being released without charge, the story of Mohamed’s misfortune quickly went viral, with many questioning the racial motivations behind the designer’s arrest and wondering how such an innocuous project could cause such a dramatic turn of events. Many posted messages of support for the youngster, with the hashtag #IStandwithAhmed eventually trending on Twitter. Some, however, were more sceptical about the schoolboy’s ‘invention’ and motivations.
Perhaps the most generous show of support for Mohamed has come from tech stalwarts Microsoft, who sent the young maker a bundle of gifts, including a Microsoft Surface Pro 3, a Microsoft Band, a Cube 3D printer, a Raspberry Pi, and a subscription to Microsoft Office 365. Although additive manufacturing isn’t yet on the curriculum at MacArthur High School, it is surely only a matter of time before for Mohamed is able to 3D print further impressive timepieces.
The Cube 3D printer, which has been an important name on the additive manufacturing scene since 2012, currently sells at £839. Built by 3D Systems, the Cube boasts impressive technical specs, which should prove adequate for Mohamed’s potential 3D printing needs.
After Alia Salem, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Dallas-Fort Worth chapter, tweeted a photo of a Ahmed with his gifts on Saturday, Microsoft replied via Twitter: ‘Enjoy… we can’t wait to see what you create with it all!’
Posted in 3D Printers
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Indeed, some racist geezer just fail to see how this authoritarian imprisonment badly portrayed USA. They reacted emotionally and fail their duty to act diligently, encouraging student's personal endeavors. I think he also received student grant and went in private high school. Good for him.
Barbara wrote at 10/5/2015 1:40:41 AM:
Keep doing this and every young person will be afraid to show off their talents. Perhaps Ahmed should wait until he gets to MIT to build cool things. College is where a person's true potential is revealed. College also protects people from getting bashed.
Tom McBaum wrote at 9/24/2015 11:30:11 PM:
I find it interesting that the Cube printer is the only non-Microsoft product in their gift basket. Indicative of their future plans, perhaps?
bob wrote at 9/23/2015 7:06:50 PM:
ita an alarm clock that he tuck apart ....and got all that for fuk all make me sick
Xavier wrote at 9/23/2015 3:55:36 AM:
Show's how pathetic USA has become and how gullible it is. He took the innards of a regular clock and purposefully put it into a briefcase to look he had invented some whizz and made it go off at the moment. Congratulations, you have now won the worlds attention
totaldisbelief wrote at 9/23/2015 3:16:00 AM:
Id really like for this young man to post schematics of his clock, an unpopulated board, and a BOM.
The Anti Race Bating Guy wrote at 9/22/2015 6:33:04 PM:
Nice fake clock. Next time learn to do it yourself vs taking apart and old clock to look like a bomb then cry racism. What a race bating little turd.
ThatGuy wrote at 9/22/2015 6:31:43 PM:
@Babs You really need to look into this past the superficial reporting done on it. This kid and his father appear to have gamed the system. He actually is guilty of a 'Hoax Bomb'. He took the internals from an 1980s clock radio and put them in a box and then waited until someone reacted. He wasn't getting the response that he wanted, so he set it so that the alarm would go off. In days when kids get suspended and disciplined for turning a Pop-Tart into the shape of a gun, this kid purposely tried to make something that looked like a bomb and then played the anti-muslim card. The kid can turn a screw driver and has a good PR schtick. He invented nothing. The only thing he built was a hoax. The real problem is that this kid gets all these kudos and gift baskets and kids with real skills and vision languish for resources. Expect nothing from this kid in the future. (It would be interesting to dust the box and the radio parts for finger prints other than the kids....)
Barbara wrote at 9/22/2015 5:26:04 PM:
This makes up for the arrest. When someone is trying to be creative and show their passion for technology, no one has the right to stop them. For all of you who are taunting or calling him a fraud, KNOCK IT OFF! He is a bright student with a bright future ahead of him.
Craig wrote at 9/22/2015 12:27:12 PM:
Eduardo You are an idiot
#DontStandForLies wrote at 9/22/2015 12:04:54 PM:
Who says terrorism doesn't pay? It will get you executed in China, but in the USA if your father has political connections you get rewarded.
Einstein wrote at 9/22/2015 2:25:15 AM:
He didn't build that clock. He (or his father) took the guts out of an old clock and put it in a briefcase to look home made/sketchy. Add Microsoft to the list of idiots who got played by these publicity seekers.
Skippythedread wrote at 9/22/2015 2:23:28 AM:
He didn't "make" anything, you retards.
Einstein wrote at 9/22/2015 2:22:30 AM:
He didn't build that clock. He (or his father) took the guts out of an old clock and put it in a briefcase to look home made/sketchy. Add Microsoft to the list of idiots who got played by these publicity seekers.
Eduardo wrote at 9/22/2015 12:25:08 AM:
Great job Ahmed, ask that teacher and the police officers that arrested you if they have learned the lesson. Racism is hard to overcome. But not impossible.
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