There’s been speculation for years now about whether giant Apple would ever sell a 3D printer. Turns out they have been for a while. There have been some tantalizing hints that the consumer giant would eventually market some kind of advanced 3D printer for consumers, and even some patents clearly in the 3D print technology space. The thinking goes something like this: there are many desktop 3D printers available, but none truly appealed to the masses due to the complexity of use and challenging operational procedures. If only Apple could step in and make a better machine like they did with their other products! Wishful thinking, to be sure. But…

3D models of humans are incredibly useful for designing wearable products, ergonomic studies, in-situ renders. The best-looking human scans we’ve used are from 3DScanStore by Ten24, and they’re surprisingly affordable. (warning: frank human nudity)

When it comes to gettin’ stuff done as efficiently as possible, there’s more than one way to run the machine and still have time to stop and smell the roses. Unfortunately, learning new ways of doing things–even if we know that they’ll make our business and personal lives better–isn’t always easy. No matter your age, occupation, or location, there’s always room to improve your productivity and get the most out of each day without compromising your sanity with unsustainable short-term solutions. Instead of becoming your own worst enemy, arming yourself with knowledge is the key to success in any endeavor – and right now, you can load up on over 72…

It’s not necessarily common to hear that somebody was “inspired by sushi” unless we’re talking about taking lunch early for a plate of California Rolls and a Sapporo. But for Tel Aviv-based product designer Ori Ravgad, “inspired by sushi” led to an entirely new dimension of constructing wooden veneer objects. Specifically, Ravgad was inspired by the ancient Japanese methodology of rolling sushi as a form of preparing wooden veneer objects for a variety of molds that result in functional piping systems. Titled the “Paipu Method”, Ravgad’s process for molding wood strips and glue is a refreshing update to an old craft. For his graduate project, Ravgad selected three different objects…

At just 54 inches long and just 41 inches wide, the Peel P50 has held the Guinness Book of World Records’ title of world’s smallest production car for over 50 years. Originally manufactured from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man, the three-wheeled urban micro cars – which were advertised as being capable of seating “one adult and a shopping bag” – are now capable of fetching upwards of $175,000 at auction. In 2010, Peel Engineering started re-manufacturing the P50 with similar external features but with updated mechanical differences for today’s road legal standards including updated suspension, a reverse gear (!!), steering and drivetrain.…

Since raising over $350K for their desktop 5-axis CNC mill on Kickstarter last year, the husband and wife engineering team at hardware startup Pocket NC has shown no signs of slowing down their hustle to bring fabrication tools to desktops. Announced last week, The Machine Shield is the latest desktop fabrication machine from the Bozeman, Montana-based company that has since grown out of a garage and now includes a small team of hardware engineers. At $350, the all-in-one open source CNC kit is made from a single sheet of PCB (printed circuit board) and, similar to an injection molded model car or airplane kit, comes sectioned out of a single…