Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader.
The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off while reading the top ten stories on SolidSmack this past week.
Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too.
The 2 Go Backpack Lets You Prototype with the Ultimaker 2 3D Printer Wherever You Want
“Already considered one of the most reliable and user-friendly consumer desktop 3D printers, the Ultimaker 2+ now has an entirely new feature for those who need to prototype on-the-run.”
Become an Arduino Rock Star with This Complete Starter Kit & Course Bundle
“While it may not be able to make your morning marmalade toast or scrub your cast iron skillets (or can it?), there are relatively few things that the Arduino single-board microcontroller can’t do.”
This is How a Life-like LEGO Mini-fig is Made (to be Five Kinds of Creepy)
“There’s a reason LEGO mini-figs don’t look like fleshy human flesh-sacks. They would 1) not match the playful appearance of LEGOs 2) be totally creepy and 3) require small bottles of moisturizer. “I lather my LEGO mini-figs with three coats of jojoba oil weekly.” Well, good for you. Me? I prefer to watch a life-size human mini-fig being made.”
Adam + SpaceMouse Wireless == Major Nerd Joy
“As someone who’s struggled with RSIs in both wrists, input devices matter. Not just for convenience or efficiency, but for health and safety. In 2006 I gave up using a mouse in favor of a stylus and a SpacePilot. At the time I was driving CATIA all day long, and yet with the SpacePilot in my left hand and a stylus in my right, suddenly my wrist problems went away entirely, and they’ve never come back.”
Pen Uno + Pencil Uno: These are the ‘Most Minimal Writing Instruments’
“Think of the basic parts to a pen. A tub and some ink. We use to use feather quills and an ink bottle. Now it’s highly engineered mechanisms with an endless choice of ink cartridges. Where’s the happy medium? Looking for a minimal, yet well-design led me to take a look at the Ensso Uno, a no frills writing pen + pencil that’s about as minimal as you can get without tossing the tube to use the ink cartridge alone.”
20 Product Designers You Should Follow on Instagram Right Now
“Love ’em or just plain don’t have time for ’em, social media platforms are here to stay. While you don’t necessarily need to be an expert at Tweetin’ or Facebookin’, there’s a lot to be gained from staying in contact with old colleagues or finding inspiration for your next side project. Of all of the social media platforms, however, Instagram has become one of the easiest ways to accomplish the basics of sharing and viewing content quickly and easily.”
