Many notches above a regular drone and radically different from the helicopter, the Volocopter has carved its own niche and is one ride that we are awaiting with much anticipation. Apparently, once its given the air-worthy green signal, German residents with a private pilot license will be able to fly e-volo’s Volocopter in the near…
How spoilt is your fish? Like, do you take it for a walk, buy it a fancy tracking collar with camera or feed it in a diamond-encrusted bowl? Blah, no excuses, the least you could have done was get it a new set of wheels and made it independent. Yup, if you would have invested…
We all need to collectively thank ZUtA Labs for their innovative ZUtA Pocket Printer. We shudder to imagine the outcome of our guilt and shame if another decade had passed by without any radical thought given to this humble computer peripheral! Almost every aspect of computing has changed but this, and like we mentioned –…
We’ve seen quite the gamut of keyboards within the past decade ranging from iterations on the same clickity-clack behemoths of yesteryear to the slim, clean and wireless Bluetooth offerings that can enable a user to type from across the room. More recently, we’ve been seeing various attempts at omitting the keyboard altogether due to an…
The patent pending 3d Weaver is a loom designed specifically to weave three-dimensional structures using the x y and z coordinates. As a recent graduate of the Royal College of Art (RCA) we can only imagine the kind of pressure points the guy must have gone through; no wonder his first project is a dynamic…
For those who joined the party late, good old Franky Zapata is the father of ‘the future of water sports’ – or that’s what we’d like to think of him as. We did a profile on him a while back here, where we got to know more about his Flyboard and his stunt videos left…
Virginia Tech students are lucky to have easy access to the DreamVendor, an interactive 3D printing station. Think of it as your 3D Printing Vending Machine, where instead of putting in cash for a pack of chips, you put in an SD card that contains 3D printer code and dispense out a 3D part.
No, SolidSmack is not reporting on recipes to cook the best pizza sauce and neither are we reporting on La Tomatina, however we are simply marveling at the strange bedfellows technology makes. News is that Ford and the ketchup guys H.J. Heinz have gotten together and are working on ways to get tomatoes into the…
You have to hand it to the Japanese who are making art out of drinking your daily dose of tipple. *hic* Suntory Whiskey is a brand that is urging all to enjoy whiskey in a more innovative way. Their “3D on the Rocks” campaign suggests that you savor your whiskey with beautiful ice sculptures, forged…
We are totally freaked out with the OutRunner – The World’s First RC Running Robot, kinda reminds us of the Roadrunner from the Looney Tunes cartoons! The only thing missing is the “beep-beep”! Anyways, sound effects aside, this Kickstarter project is kicking some ass, thanks to the lovely videos showcasing OutRunners’ running talents. We got…
It’s almost as if we can hear Chef Gordon Ramsey bellowing at the participant who dared to experiment with molecular gastronomy and 3D Printing Fruits! In the name of marrying technology with necessity, we know that NASA is exploring the possibilities of food printing for their missions in space, so is it really necessity that…
My mind is spinning right now; I just saw that Lomography has managed to raise more than $500k for their Kickstarter Campaign …. But first… Let’s take a #Selfie! *snap* Ok, back on track. We are in an era where everything is digital, and analogue triggers nostalgia. Moreover, instant photography died with Polaroid, so why…
It’s late at night, I’m drinking stale coffee and as I file this report, New Matter’s MOD-t 3D Printer has crossed the three hundred thousand-dollar mark and is 80% funded. It’s been up on IndieGoGo for less than 24-hours where the early-bird specials sold out within the first two hours, and every other pledge is…
Even before they could go live with their Kickstarter Campaign, Kudo3D – the makers of Titan 1 DLP desktop 3D printer – have gone down the wires for being pompous a**es who thought it was cool to infringe on other designers’ rights. Yes, they have an innovative approach towards 3D Printing, and yes, they used…
Funded by the European Commission with whopping grant of €3.5 million ($4.86 million), the MatHero Project takes on the onus of providing us with environmentally friendly, organic photovoltaics that are efficient and cost effective. As a part of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), one of Europe’s leading energy research establishments’ initiative, you can expect some…
At the pace this industry is moving, there will come a time when we will have designers dime-a-dozen, churning out half-baked ideas as the next big thing. Feeding fodder to their imagination will be a new generation of 3D Printers that are affordable and easy to experiment with. Leading this new generation is New Matter’s…
If imaginary flying is what takes your fancy then you’ll have to fly (pun intended) to Zurich, just to experience the vomit-inducing delight of the Birdly interaction platform a dedicated team of flight enthusiasts/researchers has prepared for you. The setting is quite simple and straightforward, an awkward perch modified to suit your bodily flight, an…
If you want to learn the art of space management then just look into one of the many decommissioned Submarines housed in our museums. The space crunch is so bad that everything is rationed, even toilet paper! The last thing you’ll find there is stacks of recreational books. The question now is; what do you…
If you know any girl between the ages of 13 and 21 years, then you know that their world revolves around makeup and videos that show them how to apply the newest shade of purplish peach eye shadow! If that’s even a color! One woman who knows them well is Grace Choi, a true visionary…
After suffering a life-altering crash in 2000 that severely injured his spinal cord, race car driver Sam Schmidt will finally be able to get back on the racetrack after 14 years at the upcoming Indianapolis 500 race later this month. In collaboration with Arrow Electronics, Sam will be driving a specially-outfitted 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray…
Outside TV commercials of exploding people, chipmunks with black lung gnawing you to death in your sleep and something called ‘cold turkey,’ there’s little convincing someone to squelch that smoking habit, unless they actually decide to take the necessary steps. Turns out, there’s a process, and the journey, should you muster a hacking cough to…
When it comes to the iPhone, we have seen some crazy things happen in the past. Right from technology blog Gizmodo daring to toe the line with the mighty Steve Jobs, to the latest rumors on the iPhone 6. Predictably, the industry is abuzz with speculations and as reliable sources from MacRumor and MacFan spill…
The future is here! How do we know it? Well, first you had Amazon selling products online through their store; next you had them invade your Smartphone and apps. Now you have them in the palm of your hand! We are talking about the Amazon Dash – a device that makes shopping simple.
It is only a concept design, but the strong renders and execution by designer Jorge Trevino Blanco will have you believe that you are really looking at an accessory for the Google GLASS. Say hello to the Google Draw Stylus Concept for GLASS.
Puzzle Piece Co-founder Andrea Macken is quite passionate about her cause of supporting families affected by Autism. The Puzzle Piece is a dedicated Android Tablet with a 7″ screen and hosts 10 exclusive Autism apps per month that can be used as teaching aids for the autistic person.
We have already reported on Project Ara, Google’s Modular Phone here, so building a layer on the story, today we look at why this phone is a good idea. Last month, Google hosted its first Project Ara developer’s conference and gave out more information on the project. Presently, the Advanced Technologies and Products (ATAP) team…
The Artiphon Instrument 1 is, hands down, the Swiss Army knife of digital instruments. Using the computer in my pocket, 3D printed components, and some rad sensors, Artiphon enables musicians to play with and practice a variety of stringed instruments in one. The Instrument 1 adapts an Apple mobile device into a versatile, and highly…
At the recent Milan Design Week, the very innovative company IVANKA constructed a temporary installation that showcased their creative genius of turning rainwater into high-quality, pure drinking water. The rainwater was filtered through a distinctive bio-concrete system, making it one of the smartest and efficient way of purifying rain. What makes this project important is…
Printoo gives you the luxury of creating paper-thin, flexible, Arduino-compatible units that sync with your creative streak. The technology used here is simple and the process to make successful DIY projects is easy. All it requires from your end is a little bit of resourcefulness. Then, powered-up anything from Balloon Blimps to 3D printed objects…
When RobotChallenge announced it would be teaming up with Arduino and RS Components for this year’s “Hack the Arduino Robot!” competition, pocket protectors went shooting into the sky. And for good reason. The 11th annual RobotChallenge competition features innovative, and quite frankly, creepy, robot creatures, raising the bar for what a simple Arduino-bots can become.…
You need to be a true coffee addict to appreciate the lengths that Paulig, a small Finnish coffee roaster, and TBWA – Helsinki, the Finnish counterpart of the international advertising agency are doing. The Paulig Muki is an innovative coffee cup that displays quirky selfies, favorite quotes and more on its e-ink display.
Those who thought wearable technology will be limited to watches and glasses are in for a big surprise. Promising to make you the next Harry Potter of our generation, the Nod is a ring that touted as the most advanced gesture control ring. The technology behind it is to promote an interactive experience with your…
Can you make a robot do your bidding by the mere movement of your hands? The answer is yes. Can you make a robot use a motion controller to control itself? While your brain capillaries burst considering that, check out the nifty integration between the Leap Motion Controller and LEGO Mindstorm EV3 posted by the…
In the office these days, there’s a lack of drama. Drama that could be taken to awesome new levels with the right amount of hand gestures, teeth gritting and intense looks of determination behind the glow of a 30″ HD monitor. 3Gear Systems is bringing all that in multiple ways today, introducing impressive new gesture…
It’s children covered in cardboard boxes, hitting each other with broom sticks taken to the next level. Unified Weapons Master (UWM) is upping the ante on fight entertainment and betting people want to watch fighters shelled in advanced composite, sensor-laden materials battle each other with real weapons. They’re right, we do. UWM has developed the…
You’ve been scratching at your computer screen waiting for the news to drop. Low and behold, HTC has now revealed their latest smartphone, the HTC One (M8) with all the juicy updates you’re likely to want: a bigger screen, more power, dual cameras, expandable storage (128GB MicroSD baby!) and motion gestures for your nubbins. It…
We’ve been following what Matterport has been doing in the 3D Scanner space since they first came on the scene–excited about their debut, saddened by their dropping the handheld 3d scanner and now elated to see what they’ve been up to. In February, they announced how they’re teaming up with Google on Google’s Project Tango,…
Remember when Dell announced the announcement of their latest laptop last July at SIiggraph? Of course you do. The Precision M3800 is the sub-$2k lappy with loads of style that weighs less than a Maltese pup and cooks your cad models like a high-end cooktop. Today, the official release date popped up on the M3800…
Have you ever walked the hallways dangling portable 3D mice from your arms like a raging super villain who can expel them from beneath the skin as an effective attack mechanism? I knew you have. This may even less of an occurrence now as the wee, corded 3DConnexion SpaceMouse is shedding its ties to the…
I’m all for tossing up some highly complex, geometrically intense, 3-dimensional visuals on flat surfaces to wow the senses and, I tell you what, Bot & Dolly do not disappoint. Bot & Dolly is a design and engineering studio that specializes in automation, robotics, and filmmaking, but to show off what their rigs and equipment…
The new Haptix motion controller just one-upped the Leap Motion controller in a big way. Last week we saw Elon Musk fiddling about mid-air with a rocket engine using the Leap Motion, while weeks before the Haptix device was launched on Kickstarter. While similar to the Leap Motion, it looks down on your nubbin’s instead…
Those lines. Those edges. The inescapable patterns of grill and USB ports. The new Dell Precision line is here, and although the marketing images look identical to the previous Precision line, these puppies carry a bit more pop than the predecessors. Surprised? Let’s have a look.
In last week’s Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff, we mentioned Elon’s upcoming reveal for a gestured-controlled rocket design. Sure enough he shared the video yesterday via Twitter. This is Elon riding the ‘Future of Design’ like the broken colt of an Altai mountain stallion. Giddyup.
Whipping out a full size monitor willy-nilly whilst travelling the tube may get you banned from public transportation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it anyway. Why stop at one monitor though? How about three or four? Especially when you can fit them all in your backpack. Able-HD is a 17″ portable HD 1080p…
Don’t look down. Your keyboard is filthy. What if you could toss it? What if you could type, interact and control devices using a 3-dimensional multi-touch interface… on any surface? The Haptix Kickstarter campaign, headed up by co-founders Darren Lim and Lai Xue, is in full swing, passing the $100k funding goal, heading toward a…
You can have my new XBox One—this is the only toy that I really want this holiday season. Glassified is a modified ruler with a transparent display that supplements physical strokes made on the paper with virtual graphics—consider it an augmented reality of sorts for simple lines on a page. Before I make it sound…
As you know, people like stories–reading stories, telling stories, freeze-drying stories and mounting them on a zebra pelt. Some even laugh and get emotional while doing so. But where do stories come from? Imagine a box. A box that allows you to choose the direction of a story. An internet connected box called The Choosatron.…
Since he retired from his graphic art profession 15 years ago, Hal Lasko now spends 10 hours a day crafting pixel art pixel by pixel. Due to his deteriorating eyesight, Hal uses the zoom tool extensively to create works that even some of today’s most talented graphic artists could learn from. In this mini documentary…
SIGGRAPH 2013 has been kicking into full gear the past couple of days, and among other exciting news to come out of the Anaheim, California event is the announcement from Microsoft Research that they are developing embedded ID tags for 3D printed objects. Titled InfraStructs, the internal tags are created from the same 3D printing…
Who needs a dinner bell anymore? As smart home devices become more mainstream and accessible, so does the market for creating a ‘smart family’. The kid-oriented FiLIP smartwatch offers a glimpse into how an application-specific design (rather than a design for ‘apps’) just might be the answer for thriving in the smartwatch market.