If you still think your desktop PC’s storage space isn’t enough to hold all your CAD projects, then you’ll be happy to know that Samsung just combined 32 1TB NAND flash packages to create the world’s largest SSD. The PM1643’s name doesn’t roll off the tongue so well, but the 2.5-inch SSD holds 30.72TB worth of storage space. This roughly translates to 5,700 5GB HD movies, over a million songs, or your entire family tree’s photos – including your ancestors before film was invented. Along with the added storage capacity, the SSD features random read and write speeds of up to 400,000 IOPS and 50,000 IOPS, while sequential read and…
The Spotify versus Apple Music streaming audio battle has been heating up for a while now. And while Spotify has a significantly larger user base, Apple—as it always tends to do—is slowly creeping up behind with Apple Music thanks to an ecosystem that puts its hardware and software systems front and center with the Apple Music interface. Well, if some recent job postings from Spotify can send any surefire signs, two can play that hardware game. As spotted by music tech blog Musically, the Stockholm-based Spotify has three new jobs up for grabs that indicate they’re getting serious about getting into their own interpretation of a hardware-based streaming music interface.…
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! Timelogger (iOS — Free) Timelogger is a time tracking app that allows you to actively manage and monitor various tasks on…
It goes without saying in any professional setting, but to look the part, it pays to play the part. In other words, you wouldn’t expect an engineer to show up at a design review with a plastic children’s pencil case. At least, this is what the folks over at Onehundred believe (we kinda do, to). Fresh off the success of their modern interpretation of the Cubit measuring device, the company is keeping the old school vibe with the update of yet another critical accessory for the designers and enginers of yester-century: the tool roll. Designed to hold everything from USB cables and pens to switchblades or calipers, the Ledr 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 we’ll get the groove going with “Gatsby Intro” from Chris Bear before diving into sweet melodies from Night Moves, El May, Boy Webb, Dark Rooms, and others before wrapping up with “Hey! Little Child” from Alex Chilton. Rock! Have…
Sure—we’re all for having the right tools at the right time. But let’s be honest: having any tool, when the need arises, is better than having none. Which is why having a multitool on your key chain makes perfect sense. But when it comes to multitools—keychain fobs or not—not all are created equal. And when it comes to the perfect combination of price and quality, it’s hard to go wrong with the original multi-tool manufacturer, Leatherman. The company’s Micra multi-tool lives on your keychain and includes ten handy functions that are always at the ready: Knife, Spring-action Scissors, Flat/Phillips Screwdriver, Ruler (4.7 in | 12.0 cm), Nail Cleaner, Tweezers, Bottle…