3d

3D-printed car saves money, energy

It wasn't long ago when 3D printing was a really cool concept we liked to daydream about. Now, it's gearing up to change our lives. We've seen 3D-printed buildings, portraits, organs, prosthetics, food, couture, a moon base, and even a pen for all your creative and repair needs. What's missing?

3D-printed transport, of course.

That, however, could change if engineer Jim Kor has his way. Heading up the team behind 3D-printed electric car Urbee, Kor has more than 35 years of experience in designing automotive, bus, rail, agricultural and heavy mobile equipment, as well as civil … Read more

Learn about and support ocean life with TheBlu 3D Ocean Screensaver for Mac

Conservation of marine life begins with knowledge and awareness. TheBlu 3D Ocean Screensaver for Mac tries to educate users about marine life and support conservation through social networking, but its functionality is spotty.

The program is available as freeware with a log-in and e-mail address required, but you can purchase additional marine life for the screensaver. TheBlu 3D Ocean Screensaver prompts with a Facebook log-in at startup so the user can share knowledge learned through the program with friends. Downloading was simple and fast, but installation proved problematic. There were no instructions, and support appears to be minimal. When the … Read more

The 404 1,216: Where we 3D print our way out of the friendzone (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- "Friendzone" added to Oxford dictionary.

- Makerlove is an online community of 3D-printed adult toys.

- New app turns your iPhone into a mobile urine lab.

- It was bound to happen: Dongiverse lets you print 3D sex toys.

- Boston frat starts Indiegogo campaign for transsexual brother.

- Oleg Berg's YouTube and Soundcloud pages rework the keys of classic songs, for better or worse. Exhibit the creepiness of "Hey Jude" in minor.… Read more

The 404 1,210: Where where we survive on ramen and taxes (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- How a movie changed one man's vision forever.

- Google's stock breaks $800 for the first time.

- Report: OfficeMax, Office Depot discussing merger.

- Microsoft moves Outlook.com out of preview.

- Dow 14,000: Stocks near new crest.

- Middle class remains stuck.

- Free File: Do your Federal taxes for free!… Read more

Kickstarted 3Doodler: It's a pen, it's a 3D printer

If 3D printers seem too expensive, or too technically complex, WobbleWorks' 3Doodler 3D printing pen looks like a budget- and user-friendly alternative. It also looks like a ton of fun.

The idea behind the 3Doodler is that it takes the core functionality of a 3D printer, essentially an extruder and a heat source, and jams it into a pen-shaped handheld device. Loaded with either ABS or PLA plastic, common feedstock for traditional 3D printers, the 3Doodler "prints" plastic objects by letting you draw them in freehand in three-dimensional space.

The brainchild of WobbleWorks, a robotic toy company formed … Read more

Here's the 3D-printing institute in Obama's State of the Union

A little over a year ago, 3D printing was a funky new technology that you might find at modestly sized booths in the basement level of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES. Tonight, President Obama mentioned it in the same breath as Apple and Intel during his State of the Union address, while talking about ways to create new jobs and manufacturing in the United States. Here's the passage from the transcript:

After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from … Read more

Say 'I love you' with your 3D-printed chocolate face

If your love is sweet, then 3D-print yourself for Valentine's Day and give the gift that says so.

At a recent workshop in Tokyo, attendees made bite-size versions of their heads in chocolate.

Hosted by 3D-printing firm KS Design Lab and FabCafe, the event, which was limited to women, produced about 20 little chocolate faces that looked just like their human originals. … Read more

Dive into TheBlu 3D Oceanic Screensaver and help save the oceans

What happens when you combine a high-quality 3D screensaver, social media and games, and environmental activism? You get TheBlu, that's what. TheBlu is something new, an interactive 3D app specifically tied to a social cause, protecting the oceans. TheBlu's realistic underwater world is relaxing and soothing but also educational, and making purchases to add to it supports oceanic conservation, according to Wemo Media. You can dive right in simply by downloading the free screensaver. TheBlu 3D Ocean Screensaver is far more than any screensaver we've yet seen, though, with an interactive display, social connections like chat, and … Read more

YouTube yanks video of 3D-printed rifle magazine

A video showing a gun magazine created by a 3D printer was pulled off YouTube today, only to reappear later in the afternoon.

The removal notice for the popular clip, which was posted by a Texas group known as Defense Distributed, said the video was removed "as a violation of YouTube's policy against spam, scams, and commercially deceptive content."

"Yes, YouTube removed this video because permissive liberals flagged it as inappropriate," the group said in a Tumblr post. "Please steal this and put it everywhere before it is again taken down."

Talking Points … Read more