makers

3D printing has a way to go before it becomes a mainstream consumer activity. If it ever does cross over from its hobbyist and commercial roots, MakerBot and its CEO Bre Pettis can claim a decent share of the credit.

The MakerBot Replicator and newer Replicator 2 3D printers are fine products, but the company's marketing know-how is also a significant factor in its success. MakerBot's Thingiverse Web site hosts plans for more than 26,000 printable objects, all free for anyone to download and print. Pettis' media-friendly demeanor has landed his company's name on the digital … Read more

I've been a sucker for "Star Wars" merchandise ever since I had to get a second C-3PO action figure as a kid because I wore all the gold color off of my first one. My first kiss was with a friend named Arnie, who made my nerdy young heart beat with a sweet collection that included an X-Wing Fighter. My brother and I had matching stuffed Ewoks.

I still get a kick out of "Star Wars" swag today because of the creativity that goes into it. Fans almost always get it right when they do things like build a carpet-covered AT-AT cat condo or custom-painted Stormtrooper My Little Ponies complete with helmets and belts. These things have heart.

But this brings me to the limited-edition $120 Nestle "Star Wars" coffee makers that will be available only in Japan. You can choose between a Dark Side coffee maker with Darth Vader on it or a Rebel Alliance coffee maker with C-3PO on it. Pretty much all Nestle did was slap on some graphics and change up the colors on its regular Barista coffee machine.… Read more

We've seen transforming robots before, and I'm not talking about anything related to Hasbro.

Researchers from MIT are among many engineers and tinkerers trying to design robots that perform different functions by changing their shape or appearance.

Japan-based Brave Robotics has designed a 1/12-scale RC car that can transform into a humanoid robot. It can shuffle around, grab footage with its Wi-Fi camera, and even fire little missiles from its arms. … Read more

You're a budding or aspiring filmmaker. You wrapped up all your shots and you're ready for post-production and distribution. Or you're an avid videographer or adventurer with a million video clips of family gatherings begging to be showcased on a TV. Cyberlink PowerProducer offers a video-production program for these folks and anyone looking to create DVDs or Blu-ray Discs.

Cyberlink PowerProducer is a user-friendly suite that lets users create and burn movie discs, complete with high-quality menu templates and Blu-ray support. The suite doesn't offer much as a real movie editor, per se -- you won'… Read more

You don't have to buy expensive software or be an editing guru to create photo slideshows. Free Slideshow Maker pieces together multiple pictures and you can add audio files to make your slideshow more appealing. It's not as feature-packed as some similar programs, but it works just fine for showing off pictures to friends, and it's easy enough for rookie users.

Free Slideshow Maker supports most picture and audio formats, so there's no need to convert anything. As for outputting the final product, only the AVI extension is supported. While most computers will be able to … Read more

Sometimes it's hard to say "no." You get an e-mail from a friend who wants you to read, critique, and edit his 500,000-word epic sci-fi fantasy novel. Your boss wants you to forfeit the next 12 weekends to help out with a pet project. This is when you need to have the Semi-Automatic Gmail Assistant (SAGA).

SAGA looks deceptively simple. It's a colorful rectangular box with a chrome button, a place for a key, and a USB hook-up for your computer. Your computer sees it as a standard keyboard.… Read more

Maker Studios, a company that delivers professional programming to YouTube, is getting a big cash infusion from Time Warner, according to a new report.

Time Warner Investments, the venture-capital division at the media conglomerate, is leading a $40 million round of financing for Maker, All Things Digital reported yesterday, citing people with knowledge of the deal. The round is expected to close by the end of the year.

Maker Studios stands with Machinima, a company that produces gaming videos, at the leading edge of what has become a more professional push on YouTube. Maker Studios offers what's called "… Read more

Troll + LOL = Trollolol. Dordev's free Android app detects faces and covers them with troll faces and other "rage faces," simple cartoons with exaggerated emotional expressions. As Internet memes, troll faces transcend their deliberately sketchy lameness by exposing the truth behind the image (ironically, by masking it). But troll faces are serious fun, too. Trollolol (like "tra-la-la") simply applies popular troll and rage-comic faces to your photos directly from your Android smartphone. No more uploading, desktop utilities, and other nuisances; a few quick thumb swipes and the picture that's worth a thousand words is ready … Read more

Google's Map Maker goes local by amplifying its service with information on neighborhood hot spots, cafes, gyms, and more. The Web giant announced today that it's doing this with a new Map Maker feature called Activity Stream.

Google Map Maker is a crowd-sourced mapping Web app that lets users create and customize maps on Google by adding locations and details on roads, businesses, landmarks, and other spots. It launched in 2008 and is available in most countries throughout the world. It's an important addition to Google's mapping services because it makes maps far more detailed.

In … Read more