Computer Science Ph.D. students Kai Chang and Jens Windau of tech startup AIO Robotics have just announced that they’ve been developing an ‘All-in-One’ 3D copy machine similar to that of what we have seen with 2D printers. The ‘copier’ from Chang and Windau would essentially let you be able to scan, print, copy, and fax…
This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist brings an entirely new face-smack of great music to help propel you through those laborious, tedious design tasks for the next few days. This week we’re taking things in a different direction with a face-slam of various classic cover songs. We’ll start with the Poolside covering Neil Young and…
It happens to the best of us. You think you’ve done everything right with setting up your print bed, your file resolution, the amount of available filament, alignments, etc. However you walk in to your office the next morning with so much anticipation for the perfect 3D print and yet—it looks as though Godzilla had…
Hot off the heels of their announcement that they’ll be setting up shop within the cozy confines of Microsoft retail stores across the US, MakerBot has also just announced that they’ll be releasing their coveted 3D scanner next week. According to their announcement via their mailing list, MakerBot has “optimized the whole process to work…
Brought to you this week by the sensation of having your face in a bowl of chocolate pudding and screaming, be sure to check out the all new episode of Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff! By the way, we love our SolidSmack readers! Have something cool you’ve come across and want to share it…
This week we’re talking shop with Jon Troutman and James Krause–AKA the guys behind the design of the Indiegogo sensation, Canary! The Canary is a multi-sensored home monitoring device that aims to replace existing home security systems. We’ll talk to Jon and James about the ins and outs of developing a smart home product, why…
What is a ‘smart home’ supposed to look like these days? How is the sudden increase of smart products on the market going to shape the future of home living both from aesthetic and convenience standpoints? NYC-based trend research company PSFK set out to create an interactive smart home experience for the urban environment that…
It seems like we’re in no shortage of inspirational short maker films these days, and The Secret Story of Toys is the latest to catch our attention. Kansas City, Missouri-based filmmaker Anthony Ladesich of Mile Deep Films has documented the often-overlooked craft of toy sculpting and the processes behind making those toys real manufacturable products…much…
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…
Remember when regular 2D paper printers were all the rage? Neither do I. However, as much as we’ve taken the paper printer for granted it’s still one area that has been plagued with bad design time and time again: flimsy plastic components, cumbersome ink cartridge replacement experiences, and overall bulky awkwardness all remind me why…
This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist brings an entirely new face-smack of great music to help propel you through those laborious, tedious design tasks for the next few days. This week we’ve unleashed some of the better ‘pick me up’ songs we’ve heard over the years—everybody could always use one of those, right? We’ll start…
Brought to you this week by the heavenly taste of raw pig skin marinated in Sriracha ketchup and sun-dried mayonnaise, be sure to check out the all new episode of Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff! By the way, we love our SolidSmack readers! Have something cool you’ve come across and want to share it…
There are only a few things I wish to have at some point in my life. I can get by without the chocolate fountain or the Jello pool, but a fully-stocked wood shop in the woods of the Pacific Northwest is one thing I don’t think I’ll ever drop from my list. Frank Howarth is…
Today, MakerBot quietly announced that they’ll be opening ‘mini-stores’ (similar to the mini-Apple Stores within Best Buy locations) at Microsoft retail stores featuring a full-on ‘MakerBot Experience’. Prior to this announcement, the only way to get the ‘MakerBot Experience’ was to attend a MakerFaire, go to a 3D printing industry event, attend a school or…
Perhaps nobody loves cardboard as much as Yale Mechanical Engineering graduate Zach Rotholz. After years of working with cardboard at various other jobs and internships, he launched Chairigami; a company that sells recyclable, cheap and sturdy cardboard furniture that is perfect for temporary setups (or if you have a back of steel, a permanent setup).
This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist brings an entirely new face-smack of great music to help propel you through those laborious, tedious design tasks for the next few days. This week we’ll start with some Massive Attack and work our way through some Tiga, Little People, Norah Jones, M83, and others before wrapping up with…
Founded as the Star Furniture Company in 1905 in Zeeland, Michigan, the name changed to Herman Miller after the president of Star Furniture (Dirk Jan De Pree) offered stock to his father-in-law who purchased 51% of the company. His father-in-law’s name? You guessed it: Herman Miller. Eventually the name would become synonymous with some of…
Each month, tons of fire hoses from the thousands of fire departments around the world end up in landfills. Oakland, California-based startup Oxgut (sweet name BTW, inspired by what firehoses used to be made of) is aiming to re-route at least a few of those through their network of designers and artisans where the hoses…
Readers who religiously track the origin, blend, and temperature of their professionally-pulled morning espresso shots might want to turn away from this one. This week, the first test-run of a new vending machine service called Briggo Coffee Hauses (designed in conjunction with Yves Behar and his Fuseproject group) launched in Austin, Texas. Would you trust…
Shower rings? iPhone cases? Banana Hooks? Watering Spouts? Whatever products you might create on your 3D printer as an alternative to purchasing said products, researchers at Michigan Technological University have determined that after a years’ time, you will most likely have paid for the 3D printer in money saved alone. Ultimately, this brings up perhaps…
This week EngineerVsDesigner sat down with one of the guys who is ridding the world of peanut butter knuckles one screw thread at a time…Mr. Spencer Vaughn! Spencer is one of the engineers behind the viral hit ‘Jar with a Twist’—a new take on packaging design that gives the user a constant ‘full jar effect’.…
Before the ever-popular selfie-style photograph…which arguably has a very high compositional failure rate…people did things the old fashioned way: they asked someone to take a photo for them. Japanese company Sunpole saw a glaring opportunity in world where smartphones outnumber people and created the first ‘official’ selfie smartphone stand.
For those in the market for a new desk toy, your future just became 1,210 LEGO blocks brighter. LEGO has announced a new building kit specifically aimed at adults (or very mature youngfolk) that focuses on the principles of design and architecture. Nope, this isn’t a specific model like other LEGO Architecture kits. This is…
Every once in a while we hear about a Maker with zero previous making experience come by and run circles around those who have been in the business of making for years. Ivan Sentch of Auckland, New Zealand is one of those Makers who only last December picked up his first 3D printer for $499.…
Brought to you this week by the smells of sneaker feet and five eels exploding from a tub of low-fat greek yogurt, be sure to check out the all new episode of Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff! By the way, we love our SolidSmack readers! Have something cool you’ve come across and want to…
When it was announced nearly a month ago that Microsoft Windows 8.1 would natively support 3D printing similar to that of printing directly to a paper printer, the news was greeted with open arms in the maker and tech communities. With the release of Windows 8.1, a user will be able to plug their 3D…
While the concept of 3D printing eyewear frames isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, new company Protos is aiming to use 3D printing as a method of final manufacture on a mass market scale. For those with tiny noses, wide faces, or anything that’s overlooked in ‘stock’ eyewear designs, this just might be the next Warby Parker for…
This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist brings an entirely new face-smack of great music to help propel you through those laborious, tedious design tasks for the next few days. This week we’re mixing up the routine with a playlist consisting of some of the best bands to come through Seattle, Washington’s Sub Pop Records. We’ll…
…Okay the title is partially misleading, but is somewhat true: if your ‘vision’ of what a 2014 Lexus IS F Sport should look like is chosen, ONE of the prizes is a one year paid lease for a 2014 Lexus IS F Sport—plus, an all-expenses paid trip to see your design revealed at the SEMA…
Between smart locks and smart thermostats, the Smart Home Revolution just keeps getting better for those wanting total control of their home through their devices. The latest to enter the market comes in the form of Canary—a fitting name for an all-in-one home monitoring device that features an HD camera, a microphone, night vision, motion…
Outside of Need for Speed and other driving simulator videogames, the knowledge of ‘real’ manual transmission driving is dying out with younger generations of drivers. Ford engineer Zachary Nelson is aiming to change all that with a new 3D printed shift knob that tells you when to shift based on haptic feedback—essentially creating the physical…
A piercing hydraulic hiss echoed in the launch bay as we mounted our space cruisers to their docks. As we proceeded to our sleeping chambers, the motion-activated blacklights turned off one by one behind us as we walked down the dark and desolate docking terminal. We settled to our quarters, ate some dehydrated ice cream,…
This week EngineerVsDesigner sat down with two guys who are connecting Makers to the People…Mr. Mike Salguero and Jim Haughwout of CustomMade.com! Believe it or not, CustomMade is one of the earliest E-Commerce sites and has been around since 1996. Recently, Mike and Jim have been putting CustomMade into sixth gear to connect even more…
If you’ve been looking for a way to keep those SolidWorks muscles strong and your History Tree Zen operating at it’s prime, consider the newly-released SolidWorks 101 Course from acclaimed industrial designer Adam O’Hern (AKA ‘the cadjunkie’). Unlike other industrial design tutorial series, Adam keeps the long, awkward pauses out and the intensity full throttle…all…
Founded in 2010 by book editor Patrick Mulligan and graphic designer Ben Gibson, the mission of Pop Chart Lab was to do one thing and do it very well: render all of human experience in chart form. Three years later, the two have found themselves with new titles (Patrick as Editorial Director and Ben as…
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…
Consider it a Pinewood Derby for the 21st Century Maker…YouTube and 3D Printing included. As a way to kick off the 2013 IDSA International Conference (August 21-24), the IDSA is sponsoring the Launch Day Challenge consisting of 3D printed cars to be launched down a ski-slope track. Here’s how to enter.
For those well-versed in their Vietnamese cuisine, Pho (or phở) is one of the most common and loved dishes that can be eaten at pretty much any time of day. It is the official national soup of Vietnam and is often spoken highly-of due to it’s wide range of complex flavors and the implementation of…
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…
The crossroad between interaction design and food/drink has been explored more frequently in recent memory as sculptors, designers, artists, and makers stretch the bounds of what creates a culinary experience. So far we have seen bread that has been designed to act as a scouring sponge for cleaning up the remains of a plate, cookies…
Recently, Shapeways announced a new ‘Maker-Only’ material in the form of Elasto Plastic – a high strength, high flexibility, low detail silicone-like material. Today, Shapeways introduced yet another material offering for all you happy-go-lucky Makers: Gold Plated Brass. Speaking of which, I’m pretty sure a Crania Anatomica Filigre from Joshua Harker would look good on…
This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist brings an entirely new face-smack of great music to help propel you through those laborious, tedious design tasks for the next few days. This week we’re going in the complete opposite direction of last week’s Deadline Destroyer playlist with something to help get those gears cranking in the early…
Luxury camping? Sounds like an oxymoron, yet we have been seeing an increasing amount of modified trailer solutions that throw the term ‘roughing it’ into…well, the rough. Among other crazy/functional designs floating around right now are the recently released camper concepts from BMW’s Mini. In an age where camping without any charging cables for a…
Brought to you this week by old Mrs. Winters’ denture cream and a side of fried rice noodles, be sure to check out the all new episode of Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff! By the way, we love our SolidSmack readers! Have something cool you’ve come across and want to share it on SolidSmack?…
When they made the announcement a few months ago, botObjects came under scrutiny from the designer/maker crowd because they had little more than a vector-esque orthographic rendering of what the 3D printer would look like….with no 3D print examples. They followed up a few weeks later with some sample prints, however there was still no…
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.
This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist brings an entirely new face-smack of great music to help propel you through those laborious, tedious design tasks for the next few days. This week we’re pulling teeth–all of them—to knock out those last minute deadlines. We’ll start with a rare Fever Ray track and work our way through…
Brought to you this week by deep fried circuit boards and an electrocuted cockroach tail, be sure to check out the all new episode of Cool Tools of Doom n’ Stuff! By the way, we love our SolidSmack readers! Have something cool you’ve come across and want to share it on SolidSmack? Don’t hide it…
Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away the LEGO Deathstar is silently weeping laser tears as it hides under the blanket. Yes, the LEGO Deathstar has been dethroned as the coolest lego project ever…by a DIY project that yes, YOU can build if you feel so inclined. The LEGObot is the brainchild of engineering student…
Don’t let your eyes deceive you people…this is not a mockup or macro photography trickery. Inspired by the appearance of corrugated cardboard, Swedish design studio TAF recently designed the offices for Swedish branding and design agency NINE with interiors that resemble cardboard boxes—a well-played nod to the packaging design that happens within the agency’s walls.