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MakerBot will connect Chromebooks to cloud-based 3D printers
Earlier this year, Makerbot announced in its most recent bloodletting that it would focus more on the education market. Today we're seeing some of the fruits of that decision. First up is "My MakerBot," what the outfit describes as a cloud-enabled browser-based printer monitoring platform that's compatible with Chromebooks (which are incredibly popular in the classroom) and Autodesk's Tinkercad 3D design software.
MakerBot learns that 3D printing and copyright don't quite mix
Trying to stop unauthorized 3D printing is like plugging a hole in a dam with your finger -- once the template for an object leaks out, it's virtually impossible to stop the flood of bootleg prints. And MakerBot is learning this the hard way. The company is asking makers to protect their copyrights after hearing of an eBay user selling 3D prints of others' Thingiverse objects, whether or not the creators gave permission. While MakerBot hopes to stop the culprit in this case, it believes that it's ultimately a designer's responsibility to crack down on misuse of the projects they own.
3D-printed Left Shark lands artist in hot water with Katy Perry's lawyers
Katy Perry may be hard at work on her video game, but her lawyers are busy being the fun police. After the Left Shark made a lasting impression during the singer's Super Bowl XLIX halftime show last weekend, artist Fernado Sosa uploaded his 3D-printable character for folks to order at Shapeways. Well, the pop star's legal team didn't take too kindly to Sosa's creation, and they demanded the site remove the item. According to the official paperwork, Left Shark is Perry's intellectual property and that the character's image is copyrighted. If you want to help stick it to the man, you can nab the production files for the 3D-printable Left Shark over at MakerBot's Thingiverse... for now. Of course, while it's a free download from its current home, you'll have to handle the printing yourself.
MakerBot's Thingiverse finally lets you share 3D models with groups
You'd think by now creating groups for sharing 3D models would be old hat for Thingiverse, MakerBot's online community for 3D printing enthusiasts, but sadly, you'd be wrong. That all changes today: MakerBot announced that Thingiverse users will finally be able to make groups around whatever topic they like, making it even easier to collaborate on 3D designs with like-minded folks. Previously, you could only upload models and create collections on your own Thingiverse profile. MakerBot highlights the "My First Make" group as a good place to start sharing your experiences, but it likely won't be too long until we see new 3D printing factions around just about every topic. [Photo credit: Matt Westervelt/Flickr]
MakerBot Thingiverse gets an iOS app for perusing 3D-printing projects on the go
Looking for your next 3D-printing project while roaming the streets just got a bit easier as MakerBot has released an iOS app for oogling creations in the Thingiverse. The free app allows users to browse the repository for featured, popular, new and recently made items. There's also the ability to like projects and add them to collections for closer inspection later. As you might expect, social media and email sharing are baked in as well as photo uploads of 3D outputs for show and tell. The app requires iOS 6 or later and is available for makers now via iTunes.
MakerBot's contest winners print a better birdhouse
Like The Longines Symphonette before it, Thingiverse's army of 3D printing enthusiasts don't rest, so when MakerBot put them to the task of building a better home for wayward birds, they naturally jumped into action. Not to put too fine a point on it, but while we're still a ways from indoor plumbing and the like, the American Craftsman Bungalow is surely the sort of thing any upwardly mobile winged friend would want to call home. The first place winner gets (fittingly) an Eggbot, some PLA filament, display space at the MakerBot NY store and the admiration of birds everywhere. And if Hitchcock has taught us anything, it's that you want those buggers on your side. You can download the schematics for all of the winners in the source link below, complete with the standard whistles and bells.
MakerBot Replicator 2X eyes-on
You might remember that way back in September Makerbot took the wraps off its next generation of Replicators. Sadly, when the company invited us out for a sneak peak, the cutting edge Replicator 2X was no where to be seen. Thankfully Bre Pettis decided to swing through CES with the dual-extruding, ABS optimized version of its 3D printer in tow. Aesthetically there's not much different about the 2X -- it's the same black body and a Stepstrudder that form the heart of the device. Though, there's quite a number of tweaks to the basic feature set here. For one, instead of PLA (the corn-based plastic manufactured by MakerBot), the 2X goes for the ABS plastic favored by most other additive manufacturing devices. Since it has a tendency to crack and warp when exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations, the Brooklyn startup has brought back the heated build platform. The gaps in the frame have also been filled with clear plastic, and a pair of coverings have been added to the top and front to help keep the temperature inside stable. MakerBot also announced an update to its MakerWare package that enables dual-color printing and the addition of an API to its Thingiverse. The new developer tools will allow customers to tweak and produce completely unique products on their desktop. The Replicator 2X should, hopefully, be available soon for $2,799. For more check out the gallery below. %Gallery-175389% Billy Steele contributed to this report.
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-161579%
Project Shellter: crowdsourcing 3D-printed homes for hermit crabs
The fine folks at MakerBot have impressed us enough with their Mario-themed RC racers and self-replicating 3D printers, but now the collective is looking to save mother nature with Project Shellter. Turns out, there's a housing shortage in the oceans. Harvesting of shells has left many hermit crabs with no option but to take up residence in bottle caps and other debris they can squeeze their soft bodies into. MakerBot's Miles Lightwood, has decided to crowdsource designs for artificial shells that hermit crabs can live in. Right now Lightwood is testing different shapes, materials and colors, looking for the combination that the critters will find most attractive. The shells are not intended to be placed in the wild -- putting plastic into the sea wouldn't be very environmentally friendly. Instead, the artificial domiciles are meant for domestic use, reducing the number that must be harvested for pets. You can get updates on the project from its Facebook page (at the more coverage link) and submit your own designs to Thingiverse, just make sure to tag them "shellter."
MakerBot's Turtle Shell Racers cruise around our offices (video)
This weekend's Maker Faire in New York City was lousy with 3D printers. Every tent in the outdoor area was packed to capacity with the things, their owners standing beside them, showing off the small trinkets they'd created with the devices. Judging from their presence, there seems little question that the technology has proven a success with the maker community. Amongst the general public, however, they've been a much harder sell. Perhaps it's the price, or maybe it's the generally dull connotations of the word "printer," or it could just be the fact that there hasn't been the right iconic image to help sell the products to the public at large. MakerBot's Turtle Shell Racers may well be just the ambassador that the world of 3D printing needs. The toy football-sized RC cars are proof positive that the devices can turn just about anything you can imagine into reality. There are certain limitations, of course, like the fact that the objects printed can't be larger than five inches in diameter. The Shells' creator circumvented that admitted shortcoming by assembling the products out of small pieces that snap together. Check out more hands-on impressions and a video with the racers after the jump.%Gallery-134372%
