On April 19-20, 2018, Hardware Massive put on the 4th Annual HardwareCon in San Jose, CA. For a while, the flashy shine of new hardware tech has been overshadowed by new software tech. In Silicon Valley especially, there’s a kind of cultural notion that software is high tech and exciting and hardware is not. I believe that’s beginning to change as software is at a point where it can realize its biggest gains by reaching back into the physical world. For that, you need sensors, cameras, microphones, physical interfaces, etc, which all mean hardware. At least at HardwareCon, I was surrounded by HW lovers and engineers who believed the same.…

“I’m sorry, I have no hands to hold your Echo.” Alexa, you’re five kinds of useless. “Ordering a 5 foot USB cable via Prime.” Gahhhhh! There are all sorts of Amazon Echo holders and stands and such, but you know what doesn’t exist? A skull-shaped Echo holder. Well, it didn’t exist… UNTIL NOW. Douwe Miedema felt the emptiness in his life we all feel when you don’t have a 3D printed skull carved out to hold your favorite piece of AI tech. He remedied the situation quickly though with a Wanhao Duplicator 6 3D printer and a high poly skull model. Now, everyone can set their Echo in a skull. Douwe doesn’t provide much detail…

We can always depend on industrial designer Eric Strebel to put a ton of effort into every project he makes—especially when it comes to his YouTube videos that unveil many design tips and tricks. In his latest, Strebel showcases how he makes his prototypes look so dang remarkable—from filling imperfections to achieving that perfect coat of paint. Starting with a cellphone holder mold he made for a previous video, Strebel coats the mold in automotive primer to seal imperfections. Once the primer has dried, he marks the still-unsightly holes and inconsistencies with a pencil before covering them in another thin layer of spot putty. With the holes filled up, he…

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 o SolidSmack Radio we’ll get the groove going with a cover of “This Must Be the Place [Naive Melody]” from Kishi Bashi before diving into sweet melodies from the Notations, Spirit, Real Estate, Lion and others before wrapping up…

When it comes to mechanical pencils, not all are created equal. And with rOtring, this couldn’t be more true. 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 — $34.29…

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…