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. When it comes to the right tool that gets the job done time and time again, the OLFA 18mm Rubber Inset Heavy-Duty Utility Knife is never far from our back pocket. 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…

Creo 5.0 now lets you model in perspective! I for one am excited! I’m relishing the thought of giving my eyes and brain a long-awaited respite. It’s just not natural to process depth using trimetric or dimetric projections. Unlike some of my industrial design buddies who gave up on Creo (formerly ProE) opting for other CAD programs tailored for us right brain dominant kind of folks, I decided to hang in there awaiting the day PTC tossed me the old proverbial “perspective bone”. Actually, I stuck around because I saw the power Creo offers for modeling any shape I could dream up.

One of the oldest inventions ever, there is very little need for improvement from the standard wheel. With the ability to make transportation and overall movement a heck of a lot easier than dragging things on a flat surface, it’s no wonder no one tries to mess with a good thing. Through a project called GXV-T (Ground X-Vehicle Technologies), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (you know them as DARPA) has introduced a number of advances which aim to help military vehicles become more efficient on the battlefield. One of these improvements involves replacing windows with video cameras that project outside images of the battlefield inside. Another is the use…

It’s time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved mobile 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 and 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! Emulsio – Video Stabilizer (iOS — Free) Emulsio lets you use advanced stabilization techniques, adjust the stabilizer strength, preview the result…

As if making a kitchen knife out of aluminium foil wasn’t scary enough, YouTube user kiwami japan has outdone himself by making one of the sharpest kitchen utensils out of measly cardboard (you know, the stuff you usually cut with knives). Creating a cutting tool out of a harmless material isn’t as easy as sharpening the material, as kiwami has to “cook” a couple of cardboard pieces first by soaking them in water and heating them in a cooking pan. Once finished, he takes the “broth” of the heated cardboard and uses it to soak a more substantial piece which will become the finished cardboard knife. He flattens this large…

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 the all-new “One Percent” from Gorillaz before diving into irresistible tracks from Jim James, Moby, Fever Ray, and others before wrapping up with “Love Dub” from Morcheeba. Ready? Let’s Rock!…