We’re in the process of putting in new outdoor electrical run and improving some existing electrical. To have a check of wiring we had an electrician out. His go to (and only) tool used the whole time here was a single non-contact voltage tester. He described it as a tool he uses every day, worth the cost, and the absolute best one available. Klein Tools Non-Contact Voltage Tester – $36.57 What I like most about it is that it doesn’t require contact. I have a few other voltage testers, all with prongs or clips and while I highly recommend a good Volt-Ohm Meter, it’s great not having to remove panels…

With all this social distancing lunacy, smartphones have become invaluable as a means to “connect” with those we can’t be with physically. But have you ever wondered how the same smartphone you’re using might be distancing you from, you know, people you’re actually with? We need something to STOP THAT. Stolp may look like one of those hoity-toity bill plates waiters use in fancy restaurants, but it’s actually a nifty signal blocker/phone compartment to help you unplug from your phone and reconnect with your surroundings. By placing your phone (and everyone else’s) inside, Stolp blocks all signals coming into and going out from your smartphone. Signals are blocked by an…

As technology becomes more compact, trendsetters start researching ways to improve multi-sensory experience. Keypads have been replaced by touchscreens. CRT TVs have been replaced by nearly flat, lightweight, large (and sometimes curved) OLED displays. But what’s next for 3D display technology? We thought it was dead but, sans special glasses, perhaps there’s life to it. If so, Sony’s new (soon to be available) Spatial Reality Display is one to keep an eye on. Spatial Reality is the New 3D Display The Spatial Reality Display’s greatest feature is the ability to look around and interact with visuals on its 3,840 x 2,160 UHD display. A built-in, high-speed vision sensor tracks your…

The ice of lands and fallen dirigibles among the sands blended a jagged crust against the horizon. Five were there, ready with leathers and vorpal tinder scabbards trimmed in the glittering fury of these links. Timothée Mathon – Huge range of ability from exacting detail in character concepts to vast, amazingly lit medieval scenes. Blindsight – Is it a ship? Is it a crew? Grown in stacks? This is the sci-fi short from Danil Krivoruchko and freinds that recounts memories of first contact. Kill Your Idioms – Is it easier to kill two birds with one stone, or kill one bird at a time. A quick animated analysis of idioms…

Mezco Fabrication creates all sorts of custom metal fab projects. You may remember the 12 gauge desk organizer we featured a while back, design by Bryan Lagrange, CAD Manager at Mezco. Well, recently he shared a very cool, custom fire pit design which includes a top cover that converts it into a chimenea. Based in Lafaytte, LA, Bryan is the CAD manager for Mezco that Onshape to create its metal fab designs. He also heads up the New Orleans Onshape User Group that, just so happens to have a user group virtual meeting tonight. If you’re in the area, pop over and register here. Now, onto the fire pit design!…

MakerOS produces a cloud-based system designed to assist companies “making” things for others. While that sounds straightforward, it’s actually quite a complex set of tasks: product designs must be iterated, discussed with clients, invoices sent, files shared, and more. All of this must be tracked as well, and done at scale. MakerOS provides a platform where all of this can happen. In a typical small manufacturing operation, the process of managing an order through its entire lifecycle at the company tends to be done in multiple tools, some of which can be rather manual. I’m told MakerOS often encounters clients that still, to this day, record orders by hand with…