Since Kickstarter first hit the scene in the Spring of 2009, the popular crowdfunding platform has still proven to be a tricky playground for both businesses and backers over a half-decade later – particularly with campaigns that are actively promising fulfilment in the form of a mass manufactured product. Although the company has since come down on campaigns that lack any sort of a functional prototype, even the campaigns with multiple functional prototypes and supply chains lined up in advance of the campaign still struggle to bring a product to their backers in a timely manner (if at all). More recently, the Skarp laser razor campaign certainly raised a few…

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 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 in to tips@www.solidsmack.com. Hit it! Pause “Based on the ancient principles of Tai Chi and mindfulness practice, PAUSE brings the act of…

Most everything in the maker community is becoming more open source. It’s almost a requirement–allowing modification of the original hardware or software design, through a free license, to suit the needs of the end user. Companies such as Raspberry Pi Foundation, Arduino and LittleBits all support the open-source initiative and even some of the larger companies are embracing the movement. Autodesk is one of those companies, having first put their 3D printer design under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, and most recently, releasing the Ember 3D printer electronics under the same with firmware released under a GNU GPL license. If that wasn’t enough to garner the attention of makers everywhere,…

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of industrial designer Spencer Nugent around here. The designer, who is well-known for his highly communicative design sketching abilities, is also the founder of ID Sketching; one of the best resources for industrial design sketching online. More recently, Nugent has been publishing his industrial design sketching tutorials directly to his personal YouTube Channel. The channel, which features videos on everything from how to sketch primitive forms to more complex transportation design concepts, has raked in over 1 million views over the past few years. For one of his latest videos however, Nugent foregoes teaching viewers how to sketch a single particular object and…

For those who might have seen the mesmerizing Kawai Tsugite joint (which fits perfectly in three different ways) pop up somewhere on the internet every now and again, you were likely one of many who were looking for a deeper explanation. Thankfully, engineer and woodworking master Matthias Wandel (yes, the same Matthias who built the Never-Ending Escalator of Slinky Steps) has taken to his personal blog to breakdown this complex joint – starting by rebuilding it from scratch. “The three-way aspect of this joint is based on the rotational symmetry of a cube about an axis going through opposite corners,” explains Wandel. “If I spin this cube between my fingers…

This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist knocks you in the pop sockets with head-boppin’ groove tunage to help propel you through the work week in style. Whether you find yourself inking markers until they’re dry, grinding material through a bandsaw or working that 3D geometry all day, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll start off with “Planet Caravan” from Black Sabbath and work our way through everything from Blood Orange and The Blow to The Chemical Brothers, Phoenix and others before wrapping up with the classic “Rebellion (Lies)” from Arcade Fire. Have suggestions? As always, let us know what you listen to, what you…