Traditional digital fabrication of 3D models relies on first completing the model, or a piece of it, sending it through the slicing software, generating the g-code, eating a sandwich, then printing it out piece-by-piece. Sometimes design changes are required based on printer output or maybe the model needs tweaked and the print needs to be redone. It’s a process that can save time in the end, but waste a lot of time in between. But what if rapid prototyping the model could be done on-the-fly, as the model is being designed, in order to get a better understanding of how it will all come together? That’s the idea behind Cornell…

From basketballs to doorbells, seemingly everything can be connected to smartphones these days. Now, not even the humble toolbox can escape the power of Bluetooth. For their new Pro Series ball bearing tool storage units, Craftsman is introducing the new Bluetooth Smart Lock technology for users to secure and unlock their precious tools through their smartphone. Before you start scoffing at the notion of an app-enabled toolbox, consider that (most) tools are expensive and losing a key is a lot more likely than losing an app. Additionally, while the expected pricing on the new Pro Series is expected to be higher than the majority of Craftsman’s other heavy duty tool…

Time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved mobile device, be it iPhone, Android or Windows! 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@www.solidsmack.com. Hit it! HISTORY Here “Get the facts about the history that’s all around you, including architecture, museums,…

We’re on a cutting kick, with the Ergo Kiwi knife and now a new take on the good ol’ pair o’ shears. Every home has at least one pair of them. They’re a necessary tool, especially if you work in an office full of kids and construction paper. But they aren’t the most hand-friendly tools around. They can even be downright painful after using them for five hours straight. But, there’s hope.

Used by engineers and designers in nearly every corner of the product design and development industry, the humble Moleskine notebook is often the starting point for hatching the next great product idea. But while sketching in the iconic notebooks happens anywhere at any time, it is often when sketching over a cup of coffee at the local café where many feel the most at home. Aiming to tap into this unique product experience, Moleskine yesterday opened their very own coffee-centric hub for artists, illustrators, writers, designers and other creative types in the form of the Moleskine Café. Located in the Brera Design District in Milan – the hometown of Moleskine…

While he may be best known for warding off zombies with skull piercing “Brain Slicer” arrowheads or prepping for lethal milk and cookies with his Oreo Separation Pump Gun, Jörg Sprave of The Slingshot Channel just might have created his most ingenious mechanized weapon device yet. With an iPhone attached as an augmented reality viewfinder, Sprave’s latest build takes aim at Pokémon Go in the form of The Pikachu Hunter Pumpgun. “Monsters everywhere, I’m told.” While players of Pokémon Go are expected to use their fingers to “flick” Poké Ball to “catch ’em all”, Sprave instead opts for a double-barrel pump gun that launches the real things at unsuspecting cartoon…