In CULTURE

Princess Machine: The Most Awesome Video in the History of Girls and Engineering

2 Mins Read

Can you even imagine what you get when you have three young girls and Brett Doar (of OK Go fame) spending two weeks with a crew creating a Rube Goldberg machine made completely out of toys, putting it to music with a rewrite of the Beastie Boys’ Girls? Only the most awesome video in the history of girls and engineering. GoldieBlox, makers of engineering toys for girls, has the coolest toys bar none to help girls explore the art of making, inventing, tinkering and engineering. The toys and stories are top notch, but a video they just launched puts the icing on the frilly pink cake… then kicks it over, triggers a rocket and launches GoldieBlox into the hearts of girls around the world.

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In FAB

Diamond BridgeBeads Exemplify 3D Printing Potential for Small Business Partnerships

3 Mins Read

For many of us fabrication fanatics, one of the more exciting aspects of the 3D printing industry is that it is bringing manufacturing back to the US. From one-of-a-kind prototypes to mass-produced retail-ready products, the versatility of 3D printed objects is broad, and the potential for their applications, almost limitless. But with so much focus on the latest pioneering efforts in the maker world, it is easy to lose sight of some of the more practical, everyday objects that can be printed, as well as the business potential behind them.

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In INTERVIEWS

On Location: Dassault Systèmes' Largest Ever North American 2013 Customer Forum in Las Vegas

4 Mins Read

With 70% more customer presentations than the previous year, you would be hard-pressed to not find something interesting at Dassault Systèmes’ 2013 North America Customer Forum—a sort of showcase of how users and companies are using Dassault Systèmes’ software for various applications. From the impressive keynote speakers who dove into the future of STEM education to the various company presentations highlighting how they use Dassault Systèmes’ 3D Experience ‘Compass’ to streamline their workflows, the event summed up just how far Dassault Systèmes’ reach is in multiple industries and sectors. For those who couldn’t make it out this year, here’s some of the highlights.

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In CULTURE

Must-See Maker Film Explores Master Woodworker Eric Hollenbeck and His 'Making' High School

3 Mins Read

Master woodworker and community leader Eric Hollenbeck presents a rare breed in today’s technology-obsessed world. While 3D printers, laser cutters, and CAD software have re-defined what it means to ‘make something’, Hollenbeck’s most-modern tool in his impressive arsenal was built in 1948. In this mesmerizing Maker profile from director Ben Proudfoot of Breakwater Studios, we get to see firsthand how Hollenbeck and his Blue Ox studio in Northern California are not only preserving skills that took 25,000 years to master, but also how those same skills are helping at-risk youth and veterans re-discover themselves through the simple powers of ‘making something’. Ultimately, does Hollenbeck’s Blue Ox School present an ideal STEM curriculum that other schools should be paying attention to?

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In DESIGN

Desktop Catapults and Ballistas Provide New Way for Engineers and Designers to Converse in Office

3 Mins Read

As any office prankster worth their salt will tell you, launching objects in a parabolic arc at an unsuspecting co-worker is one of the greatest and most-satisfying ways of communication (assuming that said objects are gummy bears, marshmallows, and the occasional spitball). E&M Labs is offering a new way of stepping up your office warfare game with their new Ballista and Catapult designs that harness the power of the physics-packed Siege Engine (twisted rope) to power a gummy bear or other object across the room with enough force that it just might crack your buddy’s new HD monitor 8 desks across the room.

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