Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Every Monday, we link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you to get your week started on the right foot. Be sure to check in each week for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight…
I bet you a bag of plush porglets you’ve had dreams of owning, building or transferring your conscience into your very own BB-8. If you also happen to have a Google Home device (or not), I may just have found you the perfect excuse for 3D printing the adorable spherical droid. Manchester’s own Steve Wagg has punched licensing terms in the face by bringing you a Star Wars / Google mashup to make your home more entertaining for any Star Wars fan. Just imagine calling your own BB-8 droid ‘Google’ and having it do your bidding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5x7baY81o “I decided my Google home was a bit boring so designed him a…
If I’m to be truly honest, the infinite possibilities of LEGOs can be a bit daunting when it comes to building. When someone 10 years younger than myself can make a masterpiece out of the same 500 bricks I’m given, it can feel disheartening to even begin my own creation. Not as many adults have the time to be as creative as they would like, but LEGO thinks they have the answer to the problem with customizable sets that allows adults to both relax and be creative while eliminating the need to plan out a LEGO masterpiece. Unlike the other divisions of LEGO which require you to think outside the…
Building a guitar is as much art as it is science, and chances are if you’re playing one, you’ve probably entertained the notion of making one of your own. While most all electric guitars are CNC milled (even those considered ‘handmade’), acoustics are a different story, consisting of a myriad of steps that range from making molds to get the perfect side bends, to installing back inlays and bracing, and that doesn’t include the detailed work needed for the neck. To get a better insight on the process of building acoustic guitars, Mike Tracz of Must Create has uploaded a series of videos that detail how to make a headstock…
We did a story earlier this year on where to find other HW nerds in Seattle. But what if you want to specifically find VR nerds? Wonder no more! In this article, we give you a peek inside a huge monthly VR MeetUp in Seattle. It’s a sure spot for a chance to demo VR games and VR experiences and network with fellow weirdos. This group also encompasses AR and immersive tech. I give you: Seattle VR: Demos & Experiences I attended this MeetUp in October and was surprised to learn Seattle has a massive and strong VR community. Also, the people I met were friendly and collaborative. Seattle Freeze-schmeeze. Not…
We hadn’t heard much from Kodak on their new 3D printer for quite a while, but now they’re back in action. We first saw their machine earlier this year at CES, where they showed their Portrait 3D printer. At that time we noted that the machine included a number of fascinating features that were designed to make life much easier for the operator, such as their tilting dual nozzle that helps avoid collisions during 3D printing. We’re told they’ve incurred a bit of a delay to obtain specific regulatory certifications for the equipment, which have now been completed. Now they’re fully ready to sell machines. But in the interim, they’ve…