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This is the future of food
Are you ready for lab-made hamburgers, bug-filled protein bars and 3D-printed cuisine? With the Earth's population rapidly approaching 8 billion and the race to keep up with food demand intensifying, industries have begun to drain essential resources and adversely affect the environment. Thanks to some scientific know-how, we're finding new ways to bypass those issues while still bringing natural and nutritious food to the table. In honor of that quest, we've gathered an assortment of forward-thinking products and projects that aim to alleviate the environmental impact of feeding the world and help kickstart a farming future for our space-faring progeny. [Images: David Parry / PA Wire (Cultured Beef); Chloe Rutzerveld (Edible Growth); 3D Systems (ChefJet)]
Jon Turi08.01.2015
will.i.am's wearable tech plans merge high fashion with inspiration
What hasn't will.i.am done? He's a mega-producer, solo artist, founding member of The Black Eyed Peas and, yes, even a tech entrepreneur with a significant history at CES. With his new "computer on your wrist," the $399 i.am PULS+, announced this past October, will.i.am's ready to dive deep into the wearables space under his own i.am+ brand umbrella. But it's not all about the tech, as we learned on the Engadget CES stage. He's got plans to tie the fashion industry into his product line -- former Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley's onboard to lend his expertise -- and inspire underprivileged kids to tackle careers in tech. You can watch it all go down in the video just after the break.
John Colucci01.08.2015
Of course there's a band with 3D-printed instruments at CES
Because how could there not be, right? You have 3D systems to thank for this one.
Edgar Alvarez01.07.2015
The CocoJet lets you print in delicious 3D chocolate
We live in a magical, magical world. A world where we can print almost anything we want in chocolate. Yes -- chocolate. 3D Systems and The Hershey Company are basically making your wildest confectionery dreams come true with the CocoJet, a 3D printer for delicious chocolate. You can choose among dark, milk or white chocolate for your creations (though, we all know that white chocolate isn't really chocolate). And so long as your desired shape isn't too complicated, the CocoJet should be able to spit it out. You could even print functioning chocolate nuts and bolts if you really wanted. Sadly, the press release states that, "The company intends to share its commercial plans for this class of chocolate 3D printers at a later date." So... don't get too excited about printing out chocolate hearts for your loved one (or white chocolate daggers for your enemies) just yet.
Terrence O'Brien01.06.2015
The Ekocycle Cube 3D-prints recycled plastic, is backed by will.i.am
Who isn't making 3D printers these days? We've seen countless models hit the market, but the new Ekocycle Cube from 3D Systems may be the first to boast backing from both a beverage maker and a celebrity. Coca-Cola and will.i.am have been collaborating on the sustainability initiative dubbed Ekocycle since 2011, and at CES this year the artist shared his passion for 3D printing and other emerging tech. As the latest announcement in the eco-friendly campaign, the new printer uses post-consumer plastic to create a variety of designs. It's not the first attempt at make 3D-printing a bit greener, but with some star power and the clout of 3D Systems behind it, the Ekocycle Cube definitely looks to be the highest-profile one to date.
Sarah Silbert06.17.2014
3D Systems bestows Creative Director title on will.i.am
If Alicia Keys and BlackBerry have taught us anything, it's that music stars aren't always the best equipped to become the creative director of a tech company. In spite of her songwriting prowess, the "Girl on Fire" singer couldn't do much to reverse the phonemaker's eroding fortunes. We'll say this for will.i.am, however: This isn't the Black Eyed Peas rapper's first ballgame. Though, again, his gig with Fusion Garage head Chandra Rathakrishnan also kind of seemed doomed from the outset. Given the sort of show 3D Systems has been having this CES, however, things are definitely looking up for the 3D printing giant. So, maybe they've just got a feeling about the guy.
Brian Heater01.08.2014
Making Engadget's Best of CES trophies (video)
As we began putting together our awards proposal for the CEA, we knew we had to blow things out. It was important to make every aspect of the awards uniquely Engadget, with processes that embodied the forward-thinking technology that has come to define our coverage and the annual International CES event. The awards ceremony itself is naturally a big part of that process -- as are the trophies we'll bestow on each of the winners. But how does one make a trophy with a technological bent? Flashing lights? WiFi? Animatronics? The answer was simple: 3D printing. The space virtually exploded at last year's CES, with big reveals from a number of the technology's top players, and it would no doubt only continue to be a major presence for many CESes to come (little did we know then that 2014 would see its own devoted 3D-printing area, due to the influx of companies presenting at the show).
Brian Heater01.07.2014
3D Systems shows off a $500 3D scanner that clips onto your iPad
As excited as we were to play around with the Sense 3D scanner, the first-generation consumer scanner had some shortcomings. Near the top of the list was the fact that it only worked with Windows. While the operating system has a plenty large install base, any semblance of portability with the thing required the user to own a Windows tablet -- which, for obvious reasons, severely limited the device's potential install base. Among a torrent of announcements at CES this year, 3D Systems has just unveiled a solution, right on our CES stage. It's called the iSense. We'll give you three guesses as to which mobile operating system it works with. The iSense snaps directly onto an iPad, giving you the same sort of easy scanning functionality you get with its slightly older siblings. Want to see more? Us too. Tune into our interview with the company's CEO happening right now. The iSense is set for a Q2 launch, priced at $499 -- that's a $100 premium over the Sense.
Brian Heater01.07.2014
3D Systems gets in the haptic mouse game
3D Systems is hitting this CES like a steamroller. A few months after releasing the Sense handheld 3D scanner, the company's offering up yet another peripheral for creating 3D models. This time out, the company's got a bit harder sell in the form of a 3D haptic mouse. For starters, the functionality of such a device isn't quite so immediately clear as a product that creates 3D images with a wave of your hand. Also, there are already haptic mice on the market - though, like the scanner, the competition has chiefly been targeted toward professions. And while (like the Sense), the price point here certainly isn't low enough to make this a mainstream product, it may well prove entice for a small cross section of the 3D modeling / printing community. Of course the tool plays nicely with the company's recently announced Sculpt software, offering up haptic feedback to give the user the sensation of really creating something with a lump of virtual clay. In fact, the $500 asking price also includes a copy of Sculpt. 3D Systems' Touch is set to start shipping in Q2.
Brian Heater01.07.2014
3D print yourself in chocolate and full-color sugar candy with the ChefJet Pro
Be honest: This is the moment you've been waiting for -- at least since 3D Systems picked up Sugar Lab a few months back and quite probably even longer. It's the chance to print yourself and the ones you love in edible, sugary form. In among a slew of notable new printers unveiled by the company this week, CEO Avi Reichental took to our stage to announce two systems capable of printing in sugar and chocolate. The company landed on ChefJet for the name of the models, and it certainly seems to do the trick, borrowing the suffix from its ProJet line of industrial printers, while making it pretty clear who the target audience is here: bakers, chefs, hotels and the like. And honestly, if this thing isn't all over The Food Network by the end of the year, we'll eat our hat (printed in chocolate or sugar -- take your pick). The plain, old ChefJet is the smaller of the two, naturally, described by the company as a "countertop" device. The system prints in sugar, chocolate and flavored confection (you pick the flavor) in pretty much any design you can 3D print, including, but not limited to, old standbys like cake toppers and centerpieces. If that's the only thing that's been holding you back from that Star Trek-themed wedding, let us be the first to say "Live long and Mazel Tov." And seeing as how the target audience here is likely not among the most tech savvy, the company's created special "Digital Cookbook" software to make designing and printing a bit easier for the uninitiated. As its name implies, the ChefJet Pro takes things a bit further, with larger build volume and the ability to create sugar prints in full-color. The ChefJets are set to launch at some point toward the end of the year. Not a ton more specifics at the moment, but believe us, we've got as many questions as you do. Thankfully, we've also got the company's CEO on our CES stage as you read this. We'll let you know how the prints taste, for starters.
Brian Heater01.07.2014
CubePro 3D printer does up to three colors, can create basketball-sized objects
It's hard to say whether "sub-$5,000" really qualifies as consumer-level pricing. We suspect that whatever the final cost of the new CubePro ends up being when it ships in Q2, it'll be priced at "prosumer" levels, at best. Still, the follow-up to the CubeX boasts some pretty enticing specs. Like its predecessor, the Pro can create prints the size of a standard basketball and can manage up to three colors at a time, with resolutions as fine as 75 microns. The printer itself is more enclosed than the last version, with a "controlled print chamber," which helps maintain the integrity of the print. And there is, naturally, built-in WiFi, so you can use the printer with the new Cubify iOS/Android mobile app.
Brian Heater01.06.2014
Cube 3 3D printer brings user-friendly hardware, higher resolutions for under a grand
Like clockwork, 3D Systems is offering up a refresh to its entry-level Cube line. The third iteration of the Cube line, introduced almost exactly a year after its predecessor, features a new, semi-enclosed body, speedier printing and resolutions of down to 75 microns. The ink cartridges have been redesigned, as well, for an experience that's "easier than changing an ink cartridge." The printer features Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, for printing from the Android/iOS Cubify app and a build volume of up to six square inches. You can also print with two materials (ABS and PLA, naturally) and two colors at the same time. The Cube 3 is queued up for a Q2 launch, with a price starting at under $1,000.
Brian Heater01.06.2014
3D Systems buys company behind Star Wars, Hobbit and Harry Potter models
Listen, as excited as I was to be turned into a Star Trek character, my heart has always belonged in a galaxy far, far away. So, naturally, I'm a bit excited by this morning's news that the latest company to be vacuumed up by 3D Systems is a modeling / toy design firm Gentle Giant, which has a pretty solid pedigree of high profile partnerships, including Star Wars. And while the companies haven't announced specific plans post-acquisition, I'm already pretty pumped imagining just what I would look like in a block of carbonite. Here's the official line on the deal, 3DS plans to immediately leverage Gentle Giant Studios technology and vast library of digital content into its consumer platform and extend its existing brand relationships to further the reach of 3D scanning, modeling and printing for entertainment, toys, collectibles, action figures in conjunction with numerous blockbuster films and evergreen licensed properties. Sounds promising enough. Also on the list of GG's intellectual property partners are The Hobbit, Marvel / Disney, The Walking Dead and Harry Potter. On second thought, my head on Wolverine's body sounds pretty appealing too - the adamantium claws would certainly come in handy next week at CES...
Brian Heater01.03.2014
Build 3D printable castles and pirate ships one cube at a time with Blokify
Alright, this is pretty neat. We suspect the responsible parties won't be mentioning the likes of Lego and Minecraft in its press material, so we'll have to do it in this post. The conceit here is pretty simple: Blokify is an iOS app with a 3D environment where you can build models with cubes -- things like castles, spacecrafts and pirate ships. And once you're done, you can print the models at home or via the cloud through 3D Systems' Cubify service (using the company's ProJet 660PRo). The iPhone/iPad app is free, but additional kits and parts are available as an in-app purchase. Professional printing will be as well, with pricing based on the size of the set you build. You can grab the download in the App Store link below. We played around with it a bit earlier today -- it's fun and dynamic, even if we aren't quite ready to drop the extra cash needed to make our tiny castle a reality.
Brian Heater01.02.2014
3D Systems buys a piece of Xerox to expand 3D-printing empire
We're mere weeks from 2014, and here's a sign of the times: A 3D-printing company has just picked up a piece of Xerox, a name that's still a bit hard for many to divorce from images of office printers and industrial copiers. Of course, 3D Systems isn't exactly a new kid on the block. The company may not possess the relative name recognition of a MakerBot, but it's been in the game for almost 30 years, founded by the inventor of the rapid prototyping technology that would give birth to the world of 3D printing. The $32.5 million acquisition announced this morning involves a chunk of Xerox's solid ink product design, engineering and chemistry team in Oregon with more than 100 or so employees joining 3D Systems. The team, labs and IP involved will likely have its biggest impact on 3D Systems' booming industrial wing, with the two companies having already collaborated on the Star Trekifying Projet line, which has become something of an industry standard for rapid prototyping.
Brian Heater12.18.2013
UK giveaway: Win a Cube 3D printer courtesy of Cartridgediscount.co.uk
You'd better put that coffee down before you exhale it through your nose. Why? Because thanks to the very kind folk at Cartridge Discount, you could win a 3D printer. A second generation Cube by 3D Systems, to be precise. Not only would this make any tech-lover's Christmas, it solves your shopping woes too -- now you can print those socks for Uncle Alan if you win. Or stock up on bargain toner from Cartridge Discount if you don't. So, undoubtedly this is one heck of a prize for our UK readers (sorry everyone else), but you're likely wondering what you need to do to take part? Well here's the best part, just head past the break, read the terms and conditions (important!), and choose from the assortment of entry methods we've laid on for you. Don't thanks us, thank your lucky stars.
James Trew12.05.2013
3D Systems Sense review: a 3D scanner for the masses (almost)
If we've crossed paths in the past week, there's a pretty good chance I've scanned you. This extends well beyond the human race, into the realms of animal, vegetable, plush toy and fruit bowl. Some subjects were too small to be scanned, some too fidgety and, in the case of my attempted 3D selfie, not nearly flexible enough. Such issues were mere roadblocks in my strange one-man journey to 3D-scan the world. I may have a problem. I admit it. For starters, I'm not completely sure what I plan on doing with all these scans, but while such questions are entirely logical, they've yet to curb my enthusiasm for the device. Sense is one of those propositions that seems too good to be true: a user-friendly, (relatively) portable 3D scanner capable of capturing objects up to 10 feet by 10 feet, and at a fraction of the price of the competition. If the product is indeed what 3D Systems claims, it could fill a major hole in the consumer 3D-printing market. In recent years, 3D-printing companies have largely focused on the printers themselves, which have gotten cheaper and easier to use. At the same time, the race to dominate the category has often caused companies to ignore the question of how those without extensive CAD experience can create 3D files in the first place. MakerBot unveiled its solution back at SXSW: the $1,400 Digitizer, a rotating, desktop scanning bed capable of capturing objects up to eight inches by eight inches. 3D Systems' Sense takes a wholly different approach: This is a $400 handheld scanner that can digitize an entire human being.
Brian Heater11.25.2013
Expand NY workshops roundup: 3D Systems, littleBits, Leap Motion and more!
The stage at Expand acted as a platform for conversations between many people involved in the future of technology -- but there was a lot more that attendees were able to enjoy. Some of our nifty workshop sessions had 3D Systems show off its new Sense scanner; littleBits gave a demo of the Synth Kit; Leap Motion talked about its SDK and the implementation of it on 3D web apps; and Raspberry Pi revealed the results of the Make-Off contest. These are only a few of the workshops from our event in New York City, so head past the break to check out the full list -- we've got a video for each one.
Edgar Alvarez11.10.2013
3D Systems' Sense scanner is compact, $400 and ready to transform 3D printing as we know it
"Game changer" isn't a term that ought be thrown around loosely. It's the kind of thing that loses value each time it's uttered -- sort of how everyone's a "genius" of some kind or other these days. Every so often, though, we get to spend some time with a product that seems to wear the moniker well. We're going to hold off here, of course -- wait until we've spent some more time 3D Systems' Sense scanner and more or less dance around the phrase in the meantime. But man, we've been pretty ecstatic about the Sense since we saw it in action a day or two ago. You see, ever since desktop 3D printers became a realistic possibility for consumers, we've been waiting for a missing link -- something that would fill in the gap between concept and creation, without the formal training required to learn CAD. It's clear, of course, that a solution is on its way, given the massive sums of money currently being pumped into the space. After all, whoever becomes the first to unlock such a thing would have a considerable advantage among the dozens of companies vying for the top prize. MakerBot swung for the fences with the Digitizer, an attempt to do for 3D scanning what its Replicator line has done for 3D printing. And indeed, we were largely impressed with the product during our hands-on earlier this week. The $1,400 lazy Susan-esque device will no doubt find success among the maker community the company has successfully courted. Common wisdom, after all, is that 3D printing and its ilk are seeding the enthusiast community first, with casual users somewhere on the distant horizon. Surely such cost and size limitations will ensure they remain the realm of enthusiasts through the first few iterations. With the Sense, measuring roughly the same as a staple gun and boasting a price falling somewhere around that of a premium tablet, 3D Systems looks positioned to leapfrog such expectations.
Brian Heater11.08.2013
3D systems buys sugar printing firm for future breakthroughs in tooth decay
3D Systems has been on a bit of a shopping spree lately, snatching up companies left and right for its portfolio of print offerings. This latest deal is a bit sweeter than most, however. The company has picked up Sugar Lab, an LA-based startup that prints edible 3D objects in sugar. This isn't quite the breakthrough in 3D-printed food we've been waiting for, but it certainly suggests that the company is taking a much more serious look at the space, as CEO Avi Reichental suggested during our interview at Expand back in March. We reached out to the exec for comment on this latest acquisition, and he told us: "We are all foodies at heart, and for as long as we could remember, food provided a great canvass for our creativity. Adding third dimension to food creation is one of the most exciting initiatives I am involved with." At the very least, it takes us a step closer to the Star Trek cake we've wanted since we were 10.
Brian Heater09.10.2013