Picture, if you will, a dog: brown fur, floppy ears, mouth full of drool. Easy, right? Now picture an AI system doing the same thing you just did. Since computer language is essentially ones and zeroes, translating human words into picture data isn’t as easy as you might think. And yet, this is what Microsoft’s newest unnamed project is capable of. Based on their work with CaptionBotauto-captioning software, and Seeing AI, an app capable of answering details about images, researchers are building a new AI platform capable of taking certain words and converting them into images based on their descriptions. It’s worth mentioning that it isn’t an automated version of…

Founded in 1959 as a professional tool manufacturer to support Japan’s burgeoning manufacturing industry, Trusco—a combination of the words “Trust” and “Company”—is still manufacturing some of the best toolboxes, today. While their stripped-down design makes them a must-have for many design aficionados, the pressed steel boxes are ridiculously useful for just about anything—tools or not. Still manufactured in Fukui, Japan, Trusco toolboxes now come in more sizes than ever—capable of whatever storage challenges you throw at them. Trusco Toolboxes — $12.27 – $171.12 Features: Steel body, formed for extra strength Versatile sizing for specific storage solutions Double-hinged construction for smooth opening Dividers included Equally useful in the home, office, or…

We’ve all heard of project crowdfunding platforms Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and RocketHub (among many others) to get our projects financed and manufactured. But what if your ‘project’ is a business or, to be more specific, a more robust company to produce multiple projects rather than one? This is the premise behind the new startup-investing platform known as Republic. Republic allows private US companies to seek investments from the general public utilizing the Jobs Act (Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act) of 2012 under Title III. Also known as the CROWDFUND Act, the initiative offers a way for companies to use crowdfunding to issue securities. Simply put—it’s good for both businesses and those…

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! Betterment (iOS — Free) Betterment is an online financial advisor with one purpose: to help you make the most of your…

Wow. Woooooow. This year, SOLIDWORKS WORLD and the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional Exam (CSWP) turn 20. What’s that? You were at the first SOLIDWORKS WORLD in 1998? You ARE OLD–Old as the hills. In 1998, I was at that first SOLIDWORKS WORLD (That was pre-SolidSmack… and pre-a whole lotta other stuff). I started using SolidWorks a couple years earlier (1996) when a lot of companies became more interested in exploring the third dimension. Seems like decades ago… because it was. As Mike Puckett (friend, former blogger and now Senior Manager, World Wide Certification Program at SOLIDWORKS) recounts: Way back in 1997, SOLIDWORKS wanted to create a way to verify the skills of its…

Pencils haven’t changed much over the last century, at least not for the General Pencil Company, one of the last pencil manufacturing companies in the US. While they do use conveyors and other machine shop tools, the pencils crafted there are still made by hand and have been done this way since the company opened its doors back in 1889 in Jersey City, New Jersey. The process of handcrafting pencils begins with graphite—chunks of it are placed, along with clay, into a giant rotating drum where they get pulverized with rocks into a fine powder. Water is then thrown into the mix, which is then blended for three days, after…