MakerBot Replicator impressions: the dawning of 3D printers in every home?

MakerBot Replicator impressions: the dawning of 3D printers in every home?:

There's something universally appealing about the concept of a 3D printer -- that concept being an automated system capable of turning computer code into real-world objects. I found myself forced to give a brief overview of the technology to AOL employees in our shared New York City office space after a particularly noisy initial run of MakerBot's Replicator. Reactions to such explanations tend to follow a fairly standard arc, beginning with wide-eyed wonder as one attempts to wrap their brain around the idea, followed almost immediately by a list of things they'd love to print out, given a chance. This is usually coupled with questions like "can it print food?" and "can I print a car?" Both of which speak to that larger, vitally important question: "can I print anything useful?" This, in turn, speaks to another important concern: "how long until it pays for itself?"
When we received an unexpected package from the folks at MakerBot last Friday, we realized it would afford us the opportunity to field some of these questions. Though, before opening the thing, we can tell you pretty confidently that, if you're looking for something that will "pay for itself," that answer won't come in a giant cardboard box with a MakerBot logo on the side. Some key questions are a little less straightforward, however, like whether or not this technology is ready for consumers -- or if it's still just the territory of enthusiasts.

Gallery: MakerBot Replicator impressions: the dawning of 3D printers in every home?

Continue reading MakerBot Replicator impressions: the dawning of 3D printers in every home?
Filed under: Peripherals, Robots

MakerBot Replicator impressions: the dawning of 3D printers in every home? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OUYA wrapping up funding with limited brown metal console, Vevo deal

OUYA wrapping up funding with limited brown metal console, Vevo deal:

To put it mildly, the OUYA console has had a better than expected funding run -- the project is now past the $6 million mark, or six times what it originally needed. The team still wants a little something to end the last week of fundraising with a bang. It just unveiled a limited edition brown, brushed metal version of the console with a controller to match; all it takes is a $140 pledge during the final push to August 9th and you've got the Yves Behar-chosen color for yourself. The special run should arrive as part of the wider March 2013 launch. If the original silver hue will do just nicely, thank you very much, OUYA has struck another content deal and will launch Vevo's music video hub side-by-side with the console. Click past the break for a peek at the controller, and consider a pledge on Kickstarter if you just can't stand the thought of having the same console as everyone else.
Continue reading OUYA wrapping up funding with limited brown metal console, Vevo deal
Filed under: Gaming

OUYA wrapping up funding with limited brown metal console, Vevo deal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 13:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Carmack-endorsed Oculus Rift VR project hits Kickstarter, developer kits start at $300 (update: $250k goal met)

John Carmack-endorsed Oculus Rift VR project hits Kickstarter, developer kits start at $300 (update: $250k goal met):

We heard late last month that the John Carmack-endorsed Oculus Rift VR headset would be hitting Kickstarter any day now, and it turns out today is that day. The project has just launched on the crowd-funding site with a goal of $250,000. To reach that, the team (led by company founder Palmer Lucky) is offering a variety pledge options, starting with posters and t-shirts for $15 and $25 (or $10 for a simple thanks), and of course the headset itself that is initially only being offered as a developer kit. It will set you back $300, which also includes a copy of Doom 3 BFG, and is expected to start shipping in December (signed kits and a complete bundle are available as well). Those that act fast can also snag one of 100 unassembled prototype kits, which run $275 and ship a month earlier in November. Despite that developer-only status, though, the project is already off to an impressive start -- it's raised over $50,000 as of this writing. You can find the usual video overview of the project after the break.
Update: The 100 prototype kits are now sold out, and the project itself has already sailed past the $100,000 $150,000 mark. John Carmack also clarified on Twitter that he's not "backing" the project in any official capacity, only endorsing it as a "wonderful advancement in VR tech."
Update 2: And the project has now easily met its goal on the first day. Those interested are still able to make a pledge any time over the next 30 days.
Continue reading John Carmack-endorsed Oculus Rift VR project hits Kickstarter, developer kits start at $300 (update: $250k goal met)
Filed under: Peripherals, Wearables

John Carmack-endorsed Oculus Rift VR project hits Kickstarter, developer kits start at $300 (update: $250k goal met) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raspberry Pi gets Ice Cream Sandwich up and running, sounds delicious

Raspberry Pi gets Ice Cream Sandwich up and running, sounds delicious:

Work on Raspberry Pi just doesn't stop, and the latest news from the programming box's official blog is that its already got Google's (second) newest Android iteration running on the tinker toy. While this early version is reportedly working smoothly, with hardware-accelerated graphics already in place, a developer is still working on adding support for AudioFlinger, Android's native audio software. This Raspberry-flavored Ice Cream Sandwich apparently runs on both a kernel and VideoCore binary image that's currently not publicly available. The team is still looking into whether the two code lines can be wrapped into a single entity before it offers up the source to its users. See how the experimental pairing fares in a quick video runthrough after the break.
Continue reading Raspberry Pi gets Ice Cream Sandwich up and running, sounds delicious
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Software

Raspberry Pi gets Ice Cream Sandwich up and running, sounds delicious originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cubify's 3D-printed toy robots take cues from Lego, sport interchangeable parts

Cubify's 3D-printed toy robots take cues from Lego, sport interchangeable parts:

If the urge to create a robot petting zoo of your own hasn't subsided since Maker Faire, 3D Systems' new Cubify toy robots might help fill that void in your droid-loving heart. The 3D-printed bots may not boast electronic innards, but their LEGO-like swappable parts allow for some Frankenstein-inspired customization. Ready-made robots start at $4.99, while 3D source files ring up at 99 cents apiece, in case you'd rather extrude them using your own Cube hardware. Yearning to make a personal automaton army entirely of your own design? The company's new beginner-friendly CAD tool, Cubify Invent, should help you craft that unique plastic platoon.
Continue reading Cubify's 3D-printed toy robots take cues from Lego, sport interchangeable parts
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

Cubify's 3D-printed toy robots take cues from Lego, sport interchangeable parts originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 09:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google revamps Play Store developer rules, looks to banish intrusive advertising

Google revamps Play Store developer rules, looks to banish intrusive advertising:

Google has tweaked the developer policy for the Play Store with an eye on reducing intrusive advertising, spoof apps and clarifying subscription cancellations. Apps that pass themselves off as others, or are "confusingly similar" will now be pulled, so say goodbye to those thousand instances of Angry Byrdz. Adverts that pop up in your notifications window, like Airpush and KDDI's au one now make their way onto the verboten list. It's also clarifying that when users cancel their subscriptions, they won't be refunded for the current billing period, but will continue to receive what they'd paid for until the term expires. Developers now have 30 days to comply with the changes, after which point apps that are found to be in violation will be pulled by Mountain View's overlords.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Google revamps Play Store developer rules, looks to banish intrusive advertising originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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United 787 Dreamliner emerges from Boeing factory, complete with golden head-to-tail 'swoop'

United 787 Dreamliner emerges from Boeing factory, complete with golden head-to-tail 'swoop':

The first US-based 787 carrier is inching closer to its Dreamliner service launch. United Airlines celebrated the plane's rollout today at Boeing's Everett, Washington factory. The aircraft, which is set to begin international service later this year, received a custom livery, which includes a curved "swoop" -- which oddly enough appears to be the focus of design chatter. That may just be because the public has yet to take a peek inside, though we did have an opportunity to hitch a ride on ANA's variant last year, which has been flying throughout Japan since late 2011. Despite All Nippon's head start, United's flavor has garnered much attention domestically, marking a massive milestone in the Dreamliner's delayed launch. Hit up our source link below for a few more (exterior) views, courtesy of United.
Filed under: Transportation

United 787 Dreamliner emerges from Boeing factory, complete with golden head-to-tail 'swoop' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple designer takes the witness stand in Samsung case, brings more iPhone / iPad prototypes along

Apple designer takes the witness stand in Samsung case, brings more iPhone / iPad prototypes along:

Thought you'd seen all of the iPhones (and iPads)-that-never-were? If you did, then you were wrong as Apple industrial designer Christopher Stringer testified as a witness in the case vs. Samsung today, revealing many details about the company's design process. That included more pictures of phone and tablet prototypes being filed as evidence, while he reportedly also brought a few along for show and tell. The Verge has a few galleries of CAD shots and pictures of rejected designs, including more of the lozenge edged types we'd seen before, and iPads complete with a curved grip around the edge. AllThingsD chimes in with a few interesting tidbits from his testimony, including the revelation that Apple designers actually sit around a kitchen table to debate the progress of current projects, and explaining that earlier iPhone prototypes were labeled iPods either because they had not yet decided on a name, or were already trying to obscure iPhone identity from potential leaks. There's more info at the source links, take a careful look at the iThings around you and imagine what might have been.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablet PCs

Apple designer takes the witness stand in Samsung case, brings more iPhone / iPad prototypes along originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft launches Outlook.com, a new email service with limited ads, unlimited storage and built-in Skype

Microsoft launches Outlook.com, a new email service with limited ads, unlimited storage and built-in Skype:

So Microsoft launched a new email service today -- not a redesigned version of Hotmail, but a completely new, built-from-the-ground-up service. It's called Outlook.com, and for now, at least, it will exist separately from Hotmail, as Microsoft attempts to distance itself from Hotmail's bad rap. As it happens, the email features are basically the same across the two services, but from a visual standpoint, Outlook.com is everything Hotmail is not: where Hotmail has distracting banners and video ads, Outlook's are discreet. Indeed, you won't find any targeted ads on conversations with individual people (newsletters and such are still fair game). In lieu of those creepy personalized ads, you'll see quick access to Twitter and Facebook, where you can retweet and like things, as well as post comments. Skype integration is coming too (finally!), though that feature isn't live today. Most importantly, though, it brings a fresh, minimal interface designed to lure away Gmail users who wouldn't have otherwise given Hotmail the time of day.
Outlook.com is open to the public starting today. You can create a new account or sign in using an existing Hotmail address. Though it's still in its preview phase, anyone can sign up (read: no invites necessary). Storage is "virtually" unlimited -- Microsoft doesn't want to promise potential spammers a limitless account -- and anyone creating a Microsoft account for the first time gets the usual 7GB of complimentary SkyDrive storage. Hit up that source link if you want check it out yourself, and then head over to our in-depth preview for detailed impressions and screenshots galore.

Gallery: Outlook.com preview (screenshots)

Continue reading Microsoft launches Outlook.com, a new email service with limited ads, unlimited storage and built-in Skype
Filed under: Internet, Software

Microsoft launches Outlook.com, a new email service with limited ads, unlimited storage and built-in Skype originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CIA dragonfly drone almost beat modern UAVs by 40 years, was swatted (video)

CIA dragonfly drone almost beat modern UAVs by 40 years, was swatted (video):

US intelligence agencies were just as obsessed with drone spying 40 years ago as they are nowadays -- only then, it was pipe-smoking entomologists and watchmakers who were in charge of building prototypes. Back in the '70s, the CIA needed some kind of miniature flyer to deliver an audio bug, and after considering (and rejecting) a faux bumblebee, decided that a robotic dragonfly would be the best option. The wee UAV used a "miniature fluidic oscillator" as a motor and was propelled by a small amount of gas. It was somehow guided by a laser beam, which served double-duty as the "datalink for the audio sensor payload," according to the CIA Museum. Unfortunately, the insect-based mech proved too difficult to control, especially with any degree of wind, and was eventually scuppered -- all that's left of the now-declassified project is in the video after the break.
Continue reading CIA dragonfly drone almost beat modern UAVs by 40 years, was swatted (video)
Filed under: Robots, Science

CIA dragonfly drone almost beat modern UAVs by 40 years, was swatted (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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