We’ve said it time and time again, but the Raspberry Pi is just so dang cool and we believe all designers and engineers should have one in their toolkit—if not on their desktop. While there is a bit of a slight learning curve, it’s nothing that today’s designers and engineers can’t handle on a leisurely Saturday. So why not start now? The Raspberry Pi Mastery Bundle includes 8 courses to get started creating your very own Amazon Echo or even a KUKA-like robotic arm for your desktop (how’s that for office bragging rights). Throw in any of your own 3D printed housing designs—like a drone—and the opportunities are limitless! For…

Rather than forcing chunky peripherals on your head or hands via VR or AR, real holograms are the stuff of science fiction: true interactive displays which humans can interact with on a more personal level. The day when such a display would come to fruition was thought to be right up there with flying car tech – meaning it would never happen. Well, you might want to take a closer look at the Looking Glass – a holographic display which uses lightfield and volumetric technologies to bring the science fiction fantasy to reality. This thing is the real deal. Instead of having groups of people take turns using interactive hardware,…

When it comes to mechanical pencils, not all are created equal. And with rOtring, this couldn’t be truer. Ideal for sketching, writing, and drawing, the iconic rOtring 800 Mechanical Pencil features an ergonomically enhanced full metal body, with centered weight balance and a comfortable non-slip knurled grip for long work periods without discomfort or fatigue. Featuring a “Twist and Click” retractable mechanism of the entire sleeve and lead, the rOtring 800 Mechanical Pencil can easily go from pocket to sketch without worrying about damage or lead breakage. Quite frankly, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better mechanical pencil for this price. The rOtring 800 Retractable Mechanical Pencil — $32.71 Features:…

Sure, everybody and their grandma loves Pixar’s Toy Story, which came out a mind-boggling 23 years ago. Since then, two more sequels (and an upcoming fourth movie) have capitalized on the wonders of computer animation and the fear (or joy) of having your childhood toys come to life. YouTube creator Rihito Ue is no Pixar alumni, but he does make a number of toy models come to life using stop motion animation, camera effects, and a lot of imagination. Just take a behind-the-scenes look at one of his Gunpla (short for “Gundam plastic model”) videos: What’s particularly amazing is how he manages to make it look like the video is…

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 get the groove going with “I’m Set Free” from Ultimate Painting before diving into irresistible tracks from Real Estate, Sugar Candy Mountain, Mild High Club, and others before wrapping up with “You Are The Right…

Unless you’re some kind of overzealous morning person, no relationship has had a worse breakup than someone who is separated from his bed. Even though more and more folks are working from home, most still have to get their sorry butts out of bed to get the job done. Bedchill might change that. This isn’t the first overbed table, by a long shot, but it does have features a normal work table doesn’t have. Both the Bedchill and the Bedchill Plus have four gliding casters which can be customized depending on your floor type to make sliding them over your bed a lot easier. Once the wooden overbed is over…