Ever since it was announced last year, most people have been skeptical about the Galaxy Fold, Samsung’s new folding smartphone/ tablet hybrid. And why shouldn’t they be? When your smartphone’s main feature is to near-seamlessly fold out into a tablet with no apparent split in the screen, you begin to wonder just how long the technology can hold until it quite literally, well, snaps. It’s this specific concern that Samsung wanted to address in its latest promotional video for the smartphone. Rather than the typical hardware launch video consisting of many design process b-roll shots and interviews with developers and engineers, the company’s marketing team instead whiteboarded up an entirely…
It’s time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved smart device(s)! The Weekly App Smack is the best of new or updated design and productivity apps (and maybe a couple of fun ones, too) for the busy design or engineering professional. This week we have a list sure to make you more efficient. Do you have an app suggestion that has made your life easier or changed up your workflow? Let us know in the comments below or send it into tips@solidsmack.com. Hit it! Enki – Coding, Learn to Code (iOS — Free) The #1 app to learn data science, learn to code, stay on top…
Long considered an indispensable asset for anybody working in CAD, the 3D mouse is a quintessential tool that belongs on the desktop of any industrial designer or engineer. Within a 3D application such as SolidWorks, Rhino, Fusion 360, or Keyshot, the directional, zoom and rotate functions provide an intuitive extension of the users’ design intent. To put it quite simply, a 3D mouse helps get rid of those annoying repetitive keystrokes and allows the designer to come as close to possible to holding their digital 3D design in the physical world. As pioneers of the 3D mouse territory, 3Dconnexion has blazed a trail with their SpaceMouse collection. And when it…
Another fiscal year, another chart showcasing a company’s earnings. The fiscal year 2018 proved to be another high-earning era for Autodesk, as the CAD company reported in its most recent yearly earnings report. The biggest highlights of the report include a Q4 2018 revenue of $737.3 million and 2018 fiscal year earnings worth $2.57 billion. Since the company separates its Annualized Recurring Revenue (ARR) and subscription plans from its actual revenue, Autodesk was able to provide information that their ARR for the past fiscal year amounted to $2.75 billion. Their software subscriptions (which the company leases through various channels) also generated an extra $550 million in Q4 2018 while they…
Get that stretch out of your system with this week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist. It’s fashioned up, ready to make you pull your shoulder blades back and knock out another week of meaningful work while you bob your head to the beat. Whether you’re in the shop milling aluminum, sketching the latest product prototypes or modeling up a 3D storm, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week on SolidSmack Radio we’ll fire things off with “Her Ocean Will Not Be Thwarted” from modern surf rock band The Mermen before jumping into tracks from Hot Chip, Son Lux, Cage the Elephant, Foxygen, and others before wrapping up…
As somebody’s wise old uncle probably said at one point or another in history: never underestimate the power of a reliable belt. While it might be an easy item to overlook in the wardrobe department, having a belt with the right fit can make or break a day in the workshop — particularly if you’re bending up and down with that old Shop Vac hose. While a good, solid leather belt and custom-engraved cowboy buckle are pretty awesome, we also love the simplicity of a straight-up, no BS, simple solution like the KingMoore Tactical Build designed after military-style belt systems. Oh yeah, and it’s just 15 bucks. With breathable wear-resisting nylon…