Welcome to a new series called ‘Shop Talk’, where Dan Slaski interviews people in the thick of product development business, who make the magic happen and turn their ideas into reality. Have an interview suggestion? Send it in. Cory Sokolowski is the owner and operator of Crossline Creations, a 7,000 square foot northern Virginia based wood and metal shop specializing in fine woodworking, electro-mechanical interactive fabrication, laminated furniture, and quality carpentry.  Cory is a master craftsman, workhorse, and general badass. Cory doesn’t sleep, he waits. Crossline epitomizes the ideal vendor.  The kind that makes your life easier. The kind of vendor you trust because they consistently deliver and take quality to the…

Since its release in 1959, Henry Dreyfuss’ The Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design has been an invaluable resource for designers, engineers, architects, and anybody else responsible for shaping the manufactured world around us. The indispensable resource, which contains thorough and accurate measurements for children, teenagers, adult men and women, and those with physical handicaps, has allowed designers to accurately define the dimensions of their products to suit the immediate needs of their users. Additional data guidelines for the visually and hearing-impaired, as well as other differently abled individuals, have helped shape the standards for numerous government-defined disability acts. Suffice to say, this book is the real…

From production artists to design engineers, few design tools have graced the desktops of design professionals as much as a Wacom tablet. But of all the Wacom tablet models, the Cintiq Pro display tablet takes the cake for the most bells and whistles. Now, the Japanese-based company is kicking things up yet another notch for their flagship design tool. Announced on Thursday, the Wacom Cintiq Pro Engine is a compact Windows 10 workstation module that, through attaching to a compatible Cintiq Pro, turns the tablet display into standalone creative studio—free from the need to tether to an existing workstation. Available in two models—one most notably supporting the Intel® Core i5HQ…

Love it or fear it, machine learning and AI are already here—and here to stay. While the world’s most influential thought leaders each have their own perspective of what that means for our future, taking control of your own understanding of AI is fundamental towards staying ahead of the curve…however that curve unfolds. Like many other rabbit holes of knowledge and inquiry, leave it to Google to help guide the path. https://youtu.be/cKxRvEZd3Mw Learn with Google AI is the company’s latest initiative to advance humanity’s understanding of machine learning and AI to make the technology more accessible—whether you’re pursuing a PhD or want to implement AI technology in your latest hardware…

With their rickety structures, questionable harness systems, and lack of insurance waivers to sign, wooden roller coasters offer daredevils a glimpse at death from the (relative) safety of a fast-moving cart. While most modern roller coasters are built of metal, there are still some amusement parks that stick to the tried-and-true method of making thrilling rides out of wood. Case in point, the Alton Towers’ upcoming Wicker Man attraction. Opening this Spring, the ride does away with the childish illusions of old-fashioned wood roller coasters and opts to bring fear to its thrill-seeking riders. After all—the Wicker Man is the first wooden roller coaster to be built in the UK…

As if it even needs to be said to the many thousands of designers and engineers that read SolidSmack every day, the best way to learn just about new skill is through project-based learning—AKA gettin’ your hands dirty. And while we all clamor for a just a few extra minutes in the day to pursue that side hobby or learn a new skill, it can be challenging to do so without some structural foundation in place. Which is one reason why we love the Raspberry Pi Beginner’s Bootcamp. Designed to be a comprehensive and structured introduction to the Raspberry Pi platform, the 2-hour course is catered for different ages and…