If you’re a user of multiple CAD platforms and 3D creation apps, you’ve probably got jars of data translation tears stashed away to… I dunno, sprinkle your computer with from time to time? Frankly, I don’t know why you would bottle up those tears. LET THEM OUT. There are, however, tools that make data translation, conversion, and viewing easier. CAD Exchanger just released its latest version and it’s one you’ll want to check out. On top of installation support for Windows, Mac, and Linux and the expected 3D CAD file format viewing and conversion capability, they also have an SDK for custom app development and a command-line interface (CLI) for…

After years of satellite imagery and Google Maps cars driving around our neighborhoods, Google is offering the world a little more privacy by allowing us to blur or completely remove Street View photos which would otherwise reveal the locations of our respective secret lairs. This is more of a public service announcement than anything else, but if you see a picture on Google Street View which shows information you would like others not to see (i.e. your house layout, nearby car license plates, your morning face as you fetch the newspaper), you can report it to Google and they’ll do their best to blur it out. How to Hide Your…

Welcome to our series ‘Shop Talk’, where Dan Slaski interviews people in the thick of product development business, who make the magic happen and turn their ideas into reality. Have an interview suggestion? Send it in. Xometry is an online mega manufacturing marketplace ready to take whatever 3D models you can throw at them.  Xometry isn’t a contract manufacturer, it’s all the contract manufacturers. Greg Paulson is their Director of Application Engineering and has even more excitement than I do for manufacturing, and that’s saying a lot.  He is a fountain of knowledge, an industry champion, and a nerd’s nerd. Hi, I’m Greg Paulsen and I’m the Director of Application Engineering…

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…