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It would take 220 years to 3D-print an average house

We've been hearing about the possibility of 3D-printed, full-size houses for some time. We may even get our first one sometime this year, thanks to the efforts of a couple of different architectural firms. Now you can get an idea of what it would take to create your own home from 3D-printed blocks.

Real estate blog Movoto has created a "3D Print your House" calculator to give you the daunting numbers involved with using a 3D printer to make your abode. The numbers are based on the time and cost of materials of using a MakerBot Replicator 2 to print out plastic bricks.… Read more

Connected appliances take 5.4M steps forward

In addition to raising $5.4 million in Series A financing led by investors Voyager Capital and Crosslink Capital, Ayla Networks announced collaboration with the Chinese online media company, Sina, in creating the Wi-Fi Weather Station. The device is designed to deliver targeted weather information for wherever one of the devices is located. Sina customers will be able to access these personal weather reports through their smartphone or other device.

It's another step forward in the "Internet of Things."

Buzzwords aside, this is a real thing.

It doesn't matter what you call it, it is happening. … Read more

MakerBot in acquisition talks, says report

MakerBot, one of the biggest names in the personal 3D printer business, is in acquisition talks.

That's according to The Wall Street Journal, which reported Wednesday that the Brooklyn, N.Y., company is in discussions with possible buyers.

MakerBot, which produces the $2,200 Replicator 2, one of the most popular 3D printers of its kind, has been a leader in the industry for several years. Its CEO, Bre Pettis, has become a spokesperson of sorts for the 3D printing industry and was the opening keynote speaker at this year's South by Southwest Interactive festival.

The Journal reported … Read more

3D-printed Robohands help kids without fingers

People who have lost fingers can try to get robotic hands that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Or they can try to 3D-print their own hand.

That's what Richard van As did after a woodworking accident in 2011 cost him four fingers. The South African carpenter decided to build his own fingers from hardware store parts but eventually turned to 3D printing.

Using a MakerBot Replicator 2 printer, he collaborated with Ivan Owen to create a prosthetic finger after much trial and error. They've since printed hands for four South African children who lack fingers. … Read more

Review: Pic Maker is a feature-rich photo editing app that doesn't quite stand out

Pic Maker, while finely made and easy to use, doesn't quite reach must-download status due to its lack of innovation. Combining many of the category's most popular features, it supplies a good all around experience, making it an app most will enjoy using.

The purpose of Pic Maker is exactly as it sounds. Choose a style, take a photo, and edit it with captions, additional images, or cutouts. There are quite a few filters here, and most of them work quite well; but the subtlety of many and the relatively limited sharing options (compared to other apps), make … Read more

Review: Funny Movie Maker - Replace Your Face is short on features

Funny Movie Maker - Replace Your Face lets you create funny videos by replacing or adding your own mouth and voice to pictures. The app was put on this earth to entertain and it succeeds; however, you're limited to only three pictures and certain features in the free version. To unlock the other faces and features, you'll have to pay.

Funny Movie Maker opens with three unlocked faces: a blonde who is missing a face, a strawberry with eyes, and a picture of Benjamin Franklin. Like we mentioned earlier, if you want to use another template, you'll … Read more

Review: Cover Photo Maker for Facebook Free customizes your cover photo

Cover Photo Maker for Facebook Free lets users easily create their own custom Facebook cover photos. While a few features were off limits in the free version we tested, we were still pleased by the number of tools available to us and their ease of use.

First, to get started with Cover Photo Maker for Facebook, you'll need to choose a layout from a pretty large menu. We opted for the three blocks, side by side. Tapping each block gave us access to our iPhone's albums, where we selected a picture. With just the touch of your fingertip, … Read more

Maker Faire CEO: Rockets and robots instead of pigs and pies (podcast)

Since 2006, San Francisco Bay Area maker movement aficionados have been making an annual pilgrimage to the San Mateo Event Center (the county fair grounds), to attend the Maker Faire. Self-described as "part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new," the Faire attracts a broad swath of attendees, not just in the Bay Area, but in other Maker Faires that are popping up around the world.

Last year 165,000 people attended the flagship events in the Bay Area and New York. There were also Maker Faires in Minneapolis, Detroit, and other cities around the … Read more

Review: Create new ringtones with Ringtone Maker

Ringtone Maker is one of dozens of apps on the App Store designed to create ringtones from the music and songs already on your phone. While it is possible to purchase ringtones from the iTunes store, and the limits on certain tracks in terms of DRM make it hard to convert any track to a ringtone, this is a well-crafted app that works quite well for free.

Open Ringtone Maker and you can choose to either review the online collection of ringtones created by the app's users--usually home recordings or indie bands--or to make your own ringtone from your … Read more