I’m not much of a car nut, but even I know the automotive industry is making huge strides in taking new technologies and using them to make cars faster, more efficient, and most importantly, safer than ever before. Take, for example, the brake-by-wire system that was first incorporated into the 2014 F1 racing cars. While the brake pedal connects directly to the front brakes, the rear brakes are instead connected to a computer which controls them, limiting the energy they recover from turns. In an article by Sam Collins for Racecar Engineering, he explains how racing regulations state that racecars are only allowed to recover a certain amount of energy…

For those who spend their days slicin’ and dicin’ material—be it for rough prototyping or simply just opening up all those Amazon purchases—having the right utility blade is an absolute must. While we love the simple and old-fashioned X-Acto blade, we’ve found them to be better for precision cutting versus all-around, at-the-ready utility. c This grippy heavy-duty cutter makes use of OLFA’s unique snap-off blade system, so you’re never without a sharp blade at the ready. And with an anti-slip rubber grip design featuring a ratchet-wheel blade lock for safety, you won’t have to worry about slipping or unexpected pocket surprises. OLFA 18mm Rubber Inset Heavy-Duty Utility Knife — $10.87…

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, and the opportunities are limitless! For a…

As I travel around the country, one of my most challenging tasks as an engineering service provider is figuring out where to connect with other physical product development pros. Where do the HW nerds come out to play? This month, I was in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Here I’ll cover the networking gems I discovered there. I should start by saying I horribly failed at this earlier in the year. In May, I visited Seattle to meet a specific engineer I already knew. Besides her, I couldn’t turn up a thing. All my online searches dead-ended in events for software nerds. The terms that usually bring me some luck, like “hardware,”…

For many of us, math wasn’t exactly our strongest subject back in school; just as you’re beginning to grasp the concept of numbers, along come letters, symbols, and shapes to boggle your mind further. Suffice to say, we were lucky enough to pass the subject; but for the current and future generations, understanding 3D concepts may not be so difficult. Henry Segerman is putting a new spin on the subject with his emphasis on mathematical art. Instead of teaching math the old-fashioned way (i.e. boring old pen and paper), Segerman makes use of 3D printing, websites, and YouTube videos to illustrate how mathematical concepts like geometry and symmetry work. Take…

Long gone are the days when every banner and sign required the specialized touch of a sign writer—yet, even with today’s billboard-sized digital prints created from Photoshop files, the art of good old-fashioned hand lettering is still just as popular as it ever was. And while it does take some practice to cross your t’s and dot your i’s with a cohesive style, the good news is that you don’t need to go back to design school to get a formal typography education. Written by graphic design icon Ivan Castro, The ABC of Custom Lettering: A Practical Guide to Drawing Letters is an authoritative resource for designers, typographers, sign writers,…