In CULTURE

Behind the Design Process: Japanese Bladesmith Murray Carter of Carter Cutlery

4 Mins Read

As the market for artisanal goods keeps expanding in a world of disposable IKEA and H&M ‘goods’, so too does the desire for people to hear the stories behind these expertly-crafted artifacts. Murray Carter is another one of those makers who has spent his life perfecting the craft of bladesmithing…a unique craft that demands both patience in the design process as well as a keen eye towards details. In this short from Portland, Oregon-based video production house Cineastas, we get a behind the scenes look at how a six-year apprenticeship with a 16th generation Japanese bladesmith helped influence a Western knife maker.

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In FAB

A Chia Pet for the MakerBot Generation? 3D 'Grass Printer' Prints Objects out of Grass

2 Mins Read

If someone were to tell you five years ago that you would be able to 3D print a garden in the next few years, your disbelief would probably grow faster than the grass hair on a Homer Simpson Chia Pet. However the momentum of mixing digital fabrication with non-traditional materials doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon and the latest comes to us in the form of the ‘Print GREEN’, a 3D ‘Garden Printer’ from the students at the University of Maribor in Slovenia.

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In MAKER GALAXY

Maker Galaxy E04: Asius Technologies

2 Mins Read

We’re always talking about the future of design, the future of technology, the future of MAKING. In a world where we can interact with empty space, a world where we can 3D print our own shower curtain rings and bionic ears, a world where we’ll be sending people to space for vacation, how do we find the next ‘big thing’? Maker Galaxy is a show that explores the crossroads of Design, Technology, and the Future of Making.

This week we have a special guest whose revolutionary earbud design company was voted one of the best startups of 2013 by the Wall Street Journal….Mr Stephen Ambrose, CEO and Founder of Asius Technologies. We’ll talk with Stephen about everything from how he hacked together what would later become the world’s first in-ear monitor for live musicians to how he and his company approach their design process and where he thinks ‘headphone designs’ are headed in the next five years.

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In SMACKDOWN

Friday Smackdown: Lohpso Tro

2 Mins Read

As times go, it was a quiet one. Misty dew settling on the grasses and a smell of pies in the air. The latter quite interesting, as no one on this planet, had ever had pies–chicken pot, rhubarb or any containing nuts, cheese or cobbled fruit–Yet, it smelled of pies and we soon found that…

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In NEWS

Review: Wacom's 'Go-Anywhere' Cintiq Companion Windows 8 Tablet for Today's Nomadic Designer

10 Mins Read

Lately we’ve been seeing quite a few discussions around various SolidSmack social media outlets discussing the best portable digital sketching tools. Sure, most people will gravitate towards an iPad and the Microsoft Surface based on cost and applications for other uses. However, if you consider yourself a professional designer with the need to have full-blown workstation power, then the Wacom Cintiq Companion is clearly a top-contender capable of knocking the iPad and the Surface out of the water. We spent some time with one to give you the rundown from an industrial designer’s perspective. Let’s take a look.

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