3D Printing
The Filabot recycles scrap plastic into inexpensive 3D printing filaments
Desktop 3D printers have hit price-points that make them as affordable as color laser printers. But they also share the same problem – replacing the printing medium costs an arm and a leg. A kilogram of plastic filament costs about US$50, meaning the cost of turning your ideas into reality can quickly add up. But now the Filabot, a miniature plastic recycling plant, will provide a wide variety of plastic filaments from scrap. Read More
Chances are, you think that your child’s drawings are masterpieces. You could put them up on the fridge, where they’ll get tattered after a while ... or you could get Crayon Creatures to turn them into a little three-dimensional sandstone statue. Read More
French startup Sculpteo is showcasing its customizable 3D-printed iPhone cases at CES in Las Vegas this week. While 3D printing and iPhone cases have met before, the hook here is that by browsing the company's website or downloading a free app, users can customize one of the predefined templates or create their own designs from scratch. Read More
GE Aviation is developing a revolutionary new jet engine that aims to combine the best traits of turbojet and turbofan engines, delivering supersonic speed capability and fuel efficiency in one package. Read More
Keeping tabs on the furious rate of technological development happening all around us is no easy task and the passing of another year provides a good excuse to reflect and take stock of the major milestones we've seen. So sit back in your power-generating rocking chair, crack yourself a self-chilling beverage and enjoy our take on the significant trends, technological victories and scientific bombshells of 2012. Read More
Digital audio files converted into 3D-printable records
Like many music lovers today, I have a huge digital library and even though I've now converted much of my vinyl collection to MP3, I still return to my racks often. I've not really considered the possibility of converting my MP3/OGG/FLAC files into 12-inch records ... until now. While exploring the limits of today's 3D-printing technology, digital music tinkerer Amanda Ghassaei has come up with a technique for converting digital audio files of virtually any format into 3D-printed, 33.3 RPM records that can be played on any ordinary turntable. Read More
Top 10 things you CAN have for Christmas 2012
Having dealt with all the things you are not getting for Christmas this year, it's time to turn our attention to what Santa's elves have really been hammering away at. So from consumer favorites to clever innovations to quirky surprises, here's our selection of the top 10 things you CAN have for Christmas 2012. Read More
Whimsical LED hat turns heads with its flashy display
Fashion designers are increasingly experimenting with new possibilities afforded by 3D printers (take a look at some 3D printed shoes) and ubiquitous electronics like LEDs. Now a group from South Korea has created an illuminated hat that combines these technologies with a tilt sensor, that is sure to turn heads. Read More
You might want to hold off on buying that 3D printer. In the same way that photographers can upload their image files to a photo lab for printing, people will soon be able to upload their CAD/CAM files to the Staples Office Center, for 3D printing on a high-end printer – the only catch is, the finished objects will be made out of paper. Read More
Researchers at the University of Warwick have created a cheap plastic composite that can be used even with low-end 3D printers, to produce custom-made electronic devices. The material, nicknamed "carbomorph," is both conductive and piezoresistive, meaning that both electronic tracks and touch-sensitive areas can now be easily embedded in 3D-printed objects without the need for complex procedures or expensive materials. Read More
