Ra
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Controller board for 3D printers emphasizes expandability, gives nod to Sun God
Is your 3D printer's standard feature set lacking? Maybe Elefu's Kickstarter-funded custom controller board can help. Dubbed Ra (think ancient Egyptian god), the project places a focus on expandability and carries a roster of I/O options including camera triggers and fans. The ATMega2560-based system allows for computer-free printing by leveraging an LCD screen, SD card reader and a knob. For inattentive designers, a standalone and programmable MP3 player and a light controller can be used to create alerts when printing completes, and adds extra flair as well. The unit also supports up to three extruders and plug-and-play support for ATX power supplies. Having doubled its $4,000 funding goal nearly three weeks ahead of the campaign's end, boards are expected to show up on doorsteps this November and can be snagged for as little as $149. Head to the source for the full feature list and reward tiers.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Walk on the wild side
I have a confession to make: I'm burned out on Guild Wars. That's not the fault of Guild Wars at all -- I'm finding a general feeling of burnout with all themepark MMOs in general. I discussed it at length with Shawn and Beau on last week's Massively Speaking, but the short version is that I find myself logging into my core MMOs (Guild Wars, Dungeons and Dragons Online, and RIFT), saying some version of "Meh," and logging out again. After a couple weeks of this, it finally occurred to me to take my own darn advice: Try something new and different. With my typical all-or-nothing approach, I'm jumping in with both feet. So what is my new venture? Most of you can probably guess, but follow along after the jump for the skinny on my latest project.
