Color us impressed. Reddit user ‘bcmanucd’ has just shared his process on the trending /r/DIY subreddit of creating a time trial bike for his wife using his university’s engineering shop. While it’s unclear what his design or engineering background is, one thing is for certain: the dude can build a pretty impressive bike! Here he…
With both an impressive knowledge base of how industrial plastic manufacturing machines work as well as his desire to repurpose plastic waste, Dutch designer Dave Hakkens has created an open source microfactory concept that he hopes will change the way we produce everyday plastic goods. Precious Plastic explores how plastic waste can be shredded and…
Already the king of crowdfunding, Kickstarter has announced today that they will speed up the approval process in an effort to make it easier for people to get their campaigns launched and their ideas out in the world. Announced in a blog post this morning from Kickstarter CEO Yancey Strickler, the new ‘Launch Now’ feature…
When it comes to watching glorious wood project videos on YouTube, it’s hard to argue that Frank Howarth of the YouTube channel Frank Makes doesn’t rank up there among the best. With passions in both photography and woodworking, Frank blends the two seamlessly to give his viewers a unique view of his various project processes…
Already known for being among the first to include laser-sintered nylon into products used by world-class athletes for various sports, Nike is keeping their momentum moving as we approach the 2014 World Cup beginning June 12th in Brazil. The Rebento Duffel Bag and Mercurial Flylight (shin)Guard will feature prominent use of laser-sintered nylon for its…
Already ranked number 43 of the 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, Coca Cola has been working relentlessly to improve their image in the realm of recycling plastic bottles. While one could argue that doing away with plastic bottles would be the end-all solution, the fact of the matter is that plastic bottles aren’t…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where creating on-demand custom apparel and footwear is the new norm, a world where the common manicure will be able to include custom embedded sensors, how do we find the next ‘big thing’? MakerGalaxy is a…
When it comes to creating innovative products for musicians, leave it up to the industrial designers who are musicians themselves to solve some of the more infuriating problems of traveling with musical equipment. Such is the case with Portland, Oregon-based industrial designer Patrick Triato, vocalist/guitarist for the band Bears. Along with fellow Portland industrial designer…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where makeup can be customized and 3D printed in a user’s home, a world where umbrellas can be used as a crowdsourcing tool for real-time weather data, how do we find the next ‘big thing’? MakerGalaxy…
Late last year, SolidSmack reported on master Japanese bladesmith Murray Carter of Carter Cutlery and his unique process of using a Sakamoto Tekkosho power hammer to craft world-class knives. Well, we followed up with Murray to find out a little bit more about his process, how the power hammer works…and what exactly would he like…
When the concept of a ‘3D Printing Pen’ launched a little over a year ago, it was met with equal parts “this is just freakin’ awesome” and “what the heck should I do with this thing?” Design visualization specialist, aerial cinematographer, Maker and all-around mad genius Matt Quest has created what is sure to go…
When one considers what to do with $15,000 cash money, purchasing a single skateboard is probably not very high on the list…unless said skateboard is made from gold of course. NYC artist Matt Willet met up with his father–a professional gold plater—for a father/son bonding session at Brooklyn-based Epner Technology to create what is surely…
Since its launch in 2006 in San Mateo, California, the Bay Area Maker Faire has been the premiere event for makers, DIYers, hackers, and anybody with an interest in making things real. With everything from soldering clinics to a 3D printing village, it’s hard to leave the event feeling uninspired to get that wacky side…
With summer coming up just around the corner (June 21st to be exact), it’s going to be time to dust off that bicycle, pump some air in those tires, and prepare for another summer of epic rides. If you’ve been stashing your bike in a random corner during the winter months and don’t have any…
NYCxDesign has proven to be a success yet again this year with events ranging from the NE IDSA conference focusing on ‘Design It. Build It. Fund It.’ to the ‘Meet the Makers’ series held at Brooklyn’s Industry City. Of all the events that have been taking place this month, the WantedDesign NYC exhibition is perhaps…
Scott Hudson of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and Disney Research has created a way of using additive manufacturing to fabricate three-dimensional objects from wool and wool blend yarn. Similar to traditional ‘hard material’ 3D printers, this technique uses a CAD model to build up layers except for in this case, the…
Already the creator of one of the most successfully funded projects ever on Kickstarter—the Elevation Dock—Portland, Oregon-based industrial designer Casey Hopkins is pushing to create an even more seamless workspace environment with his new Elevation Stand Kickstarter campaign. With 38 days left in his campaign, the Elevation Stand has already more than tripled it’s $25,000…
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…
It happens to the best of us—that inevitable coffee drip or splash from ‘dinky’ coffee lids. Few things can spoil a morning faster than a sticky mess on your hand, a drip stain on your newly-pressed white shirt, or even a few drops on your co-worker’s meeting brief. It’s surprising that with as many coffee…
Talk to any well-groomed gentleman who uses a straight razor to shave and he’ll tell you that once he chose to go with a straight razor, there was no going back. Aside from a closer shave, the age-old process of lathering up shave cream, wiping off the blade, and working with a potentially lethal tool…
Last week SolidSmack reported that in celebration of NYCxDesign happening this month in New York City, the MoMA Design Store would be selling a collection of successfully-funded Kickstarter product designs that are among the “most impressive, new and innovative we have been finding lately”, according to MoMA’s Director of Merchandising Emmanuel Platt. We stopped by…
If you’ve been patiently waiting for the right time to get a new performance mouse for rocking through all those fillets, chamfers, and bridges, Amazon is offering a one-day fire sale on an assortment of Logitech products at half-off for today only.
Grabbing as much data as you can prior to jumping in to a design project is no easy beast to tackle—and this isn’t even including the task of putting that data into something graphically beautiful and communicative. Multi-disciplinary information design firm Column Five has launched the answer for turning that data into something that everybody…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where indie rock bands can offer on-demand 3D printable band merchandise for their fans, a world where high-quality makeup can be manufactured in one’s home…how do we find the next ‘big’ thing? MakerGalaxy is a show…
Marketing and 3D printing have been going hand-in-hand quite nicely in recent memory (and why not?). Whether using additive manufacturing as a self-promotional tool or as a way to make custom Oreo cookies, it serves as a good reminder just how custom we can get with manufacturing these days. The innovative indie rock band Broken…
With over 10 years of experience in leather design, Hungarian designer Sara Gulyas wanted to create a versatile product that minimized the amount of material needed to create a shoe…whilst allowing buyers to participate in the shoe-making process. The Pikkpack takes cues from both centuries-old traditional design and IKEA’s DIY mentality to bring the simple…
Artist, Designer and Inventor Joshua Harker (yes, he of Crania Anatomica Filigre fame) is at it again with an all-new Kickstarter campaign. After having raised over $75,000 for his 3D printed skull–which is still the most-funded sculpture project ever on Kickstarter–Harker is exploring new territory with the goal to help raise funds towards developing next-generation…
Always one to be ahead of the times, the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) Design Store will be selling a collection of curated Kickstarter projects as part of the upcoming NYC x Design event collective starting this month. If you’ve had a hard time finding a successfully Kickstarted project post-launch and will be in the…
In case you missed the release last week of MODO 801, there were some announcements made that might be of interest to all you product designers who might still be on the fence with jumping into MODO or not. The new 801 release of the powerful modeling and rendering tool aims to make working with…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where high school students can 3D print and revolutionize food packaging, a world where astronauts can take bracelets up to space that feature earth-bound scents, how do we find the next ‘big’ thing? MakerGalaxy is a…
Chopping wood is one of those things that people love or they hate. There’s a reason why professional lumberjacks are nearly as ripped as professional bodybuilders…throwing a heavy object over and over again is one heck-of-a-workout. Regardless if you’re a professional lumberjack or a ‘casual woodsplitter’, the Vipukirves (Finnish for LeverAxe) is without a doubt…
When it comes to choosing people who you might want to be hanging out with during an apocalypse, leave it to those who are masters of upcycling…especially those who are also skilled in making crude weapons. Knife maker Trollsky of Poland recently uploaded a video to YouTube that shows his process of turning a leaf…
For the science and audio geeks out there, you might already be familiar with a Ruben’s Tube. Invented by German physicist Heinrich Rubens in 1905, the tube uses flames to demonstrate the relationship between sound waves and sound pressure that is passing through the tube. It is also commonly used at hard rock concerts where…
Having been criticized about their contribution to e-waste in the past, Apple has been working tirelessly to reverse their image and set themselves more in line with what is the environmental equivalent of their design ethos. Released by Apple in honor of Earth Day today, ‘Better’ aims to show Apple’s commitment to putting the Cradle…
For the past two years, John Kiminas has been pursuing his dream of making fishing lures for a living. Having absorbed as much information as he could over this ‘research and development phase’ as he calls it, he is finally bringing his handmade lures into the world starting with a Kickstarter launch. Thankfully for us,…
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 put together a solid list of tracks featuring some great use of the trumpet. We’ll start with ‘Fake Empire’ from The National and…
In case you haven’t seen it, Silicon Valley is in it’s third week over on HBO and is definitely worth a watch…if only because Office Space is on at least one of your top ten movie lists. If HBO isn’t your thing however (note the first episode is free on YouTube)–and you still want to…
Talk to any espresso connoisseur worth their weight in Stumptown Hairbender grounds and you’ll likely get into an argument about the ‘best way’ of pulling a proper espresso shot. Truth be told…it is an exact science that is hard to replicate outside of traditional espresso-craft tools. Despite this, the market for on-demand coffee is still…
Gone are the days where a simple bag attached to a pre-existing road or single-speed bike is the norm for urban bicycling. These days, the niche market for urban bicycles has never been stronger nor demanded as much attention. With projects like the Oregon Manifest gaining more attention (and a sponsorship from the Levis Commuter…
It’s no surprise that among those who are the most excited about the near-future of additive manufacturing possibilities are those in the medical field. Whether it’s a neurosurgeon who is experimenting with on-demand customized skull implants or a five-year old who is suffering from Amniotic Band Syndrome, the power that a $2,000 mini-factory yields is…
Between the ANICE Stool from designer Arthur Schmitt (download file for free from Thingiverse here) and the newly-released Keystone collection from Studio Minale-Maeda, the ability to create one’s own furniture can be done with a consumer-grade 3D printer and a few $1.50 custom cuts from Home Depot. While those who are lucky enough to have…
Brought to you this week by a four-headed turtle dove devouring a spaghetti squirrel in a rum-soaked muffin tree, 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…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where LEGOs have become a prototyping tool for building robots in your living room, a world where you can carry a 3D printing pen in your pocket, how do we find the next big thing? MakerGalaxy…
When the 3Doodler launched on Kickstarter a little over a year ago, it was met with enthusiasm to the tune of a little over $2.34 million USD. While it certainly broke the mold of what a 3D printer ‘could’ be, it was also met with certain limitations ranging from size to filament options…but that didn’t…
Been tinkering with some science fiction-inspired car designs in your spare time? Local Motors has just announced their 3D Printed Car Design Challenge with $10,000 in prize money if you think you might have the next great 3D printed car idea. Also known as the Direct Digital Manufactured Vehicle (DDMV), the challenge aims to eliminate…
Released in 1950–and still just as relevant today as it was nearly 65 years ago–the classic Eames Shell chair was the world’s first mass-produced plastic chair. While the original design has gone through countless iterations (an example of Charles and Ray’s ode to constantly refining details), the general gist of the original design still stands…
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 put together some music discussed by former Talking Heads frontman and overall smart-guy David Byrne in his book How Music Works–certainly a book…
Brought to you this week by two cyclops mamas fighting over an ancient bowl of frost dragon soup, 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?…
We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where DIY means creating smartphone apps and connected devices, a world where building robots can be as easy as copying and pasting, how do we find the next big thing? MakerGalaxy is a show that explores…
By now a lot of people have had ‘great ideas’ for connected devices that up until now would have required weeks of research and development and a healthy dose of perseverance. While one could certainly test their ideas on a Raspberry Pi or other development board, the overall physical size prohibited creating anything wearable. New…