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Formlabs FORM 1 high-resolution 3D printer spotted in the wild, we go eyes on (video)
Last time we checked in with the 3D printing upstarts over at Formlabs, their Kickstarter was doing splendidly, having over doubled its initial funding target. Well, less than a month later, and with the money still rolling in, the current total stands (at time of writing) at a somewhat impressive $2,182,031 -- over 20 times its initial goal. When we heard that the team behind it, along with some all important working printers, rolled into town, how could we resist taking the opportunity to catch up? The venue? London's 3D print show. Where, amongst all the printed bracelets and figurines, the FORM 1 stood out like a sore thumb. A wonderfully orange, and geometrically formed one at that. We elbowed our way through the permanent four-deep crowd at their booth to take a closer look, and as the show is running for another two days, you can too if you're in town. Or you could just click past the break for more.
Newsweek to drop print edition after December 31st, gives the digital future a warm hug
It's no secret that print media is on its way out, as many regional and niche publications have had to either find a path through the digital wilderness or fold completely. We're still not used to national publications facing that ultimatum, though, which makes Newsweek's fresh decision to drop its print edition after December 31st both unusual and a bellwether. Anyone still yearning for the magazine's content after the presses stop will have to turn to the purely digital Newsweek Global or its The Daily Beast sibling, no matter how attached they are to the outlet's 80-year history with paper. The explanation for the cutoff remains a familiar story: print readership is dying on the vine and expensive to maintain, while web and tablet adoption is growing quickly enough that Newsweek believes it can make the switch without taking a long-term financial hit. Whether or not the transition works, it's evident the periodical knows its identity must be wrapped around an online presence -- figuratively, not literally.
Entertainment Weekly print edition comes with a 'smartphone-like Android device'
If there's one advantage a print magazine still has over an online publication, it's the ability to offer all manner of crazy freebies glued to its pages. Maybelline samples, CDROMs packing the latest version of WinZip, or -- in tomorrow's edition of Entertainment Weekly -- something that actually looks pretty enticing. Flick it open to the right page and you'll spot an LCD display that magically displays video ads and live Tweets from the CW Network. Intrigued by how such a thing could function, Mashable did a teardown (literally) and discovered all the ingredients of a budget Android smartphone, including components which aren't strictly necessary for the task at hand: a 3G modem with T-Mo SIM (which seems to have some degree of voice connectivity), a full-sized battery, USB port and even a partially-built QWERTY keyboard. Suddenly, that $50 myTouch doesn't seem so cheap.
Dropbox now lets you print documents at FedEx Office retail stores, online too
The cloud locker behemoth that is Dropbox has taken to Twitter to announce it's now allowing users to "easily" print documents at FedEx Office stores, both retail and online. But just how "easy" is it, really? Well, the physical deal's fairly simple: head over to the nearest FedEx Office shop and self-serve yourself to a friendly three-step method, which includes picking Dropbox as the service of choice (there's also Box and Google Docs), entering the appropriate credentials and, naturally, selecting whatever doc you're looking to print out. Unfortunately, both companies failed to mention how much the handy service will cost, but we can't imagine it'd be much different -- if at all-- than the fees you're accustomed to now.
HP takes print away from town for seven days, laughs at 'print is dead' claim (updated)
With e-books and digital subscription of magazines and newspapers becoming the new hot, many are sending off the message that print is gradually losing or has even already lost to its digital counterpart, while others argue that print is far from dead. Needless to say, being one of the leading manufacturers of printers, HP took the "print is dead" claim quite personally -- and perhaps too literally. How so? Well, the company commissioned a project that got participants in the US, India and Singapore to live without printed materials -- including newspapers, books, labels, packaging, ID cards and even some clothes -- for two days. Understandably, those folks had quite a tough time, but HP certainly proved that "the role of print is vastly underestimated" and that "true print deprivation was impossible." If you think that's an overkill, just you wait: HP and renowned photographer Chase Jarvis even went as far as getting a Wisconsin town called Spring Green to undergo a similar experiment, but for a duration of seven days. The entire project will be presented in a video documentary called 7 Days Without Print, and ahead of its premiere at Guggenheim Museum in New York on June 14, we were shown an exclusive trailer for said movie at HP's Global Influencer Summit in Shanghai. For the sake of those poor participants, do check out the clip right after the break. Update: Sorry folks, but we've been asked to remove the trailer as it's not ready for public viewing yet, but we'll put up the official version once it's out.
Kodak Gallery iOS app: now with 100 percent more physical printing at Target / CVS
It's not quite as earth-shattering as Zuck's deal to snap up Instagram, but one of the pioneers of photography is making waves any way it can. Kodak Gallery has been available on the App Store since November of last year, but starting this week, users will be able to order photos right on their iPhone for pickup at participating Target and CVS locations in America. Kodak claims that the time between order and pickup is usually around an hour, with all prints (available in 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 sizes) arriving on Kodak photo-quality paper. Pricing, as you'd expect, will vary by store, and more deets can be spotted in the release after the break.
MakerBot releases free-to-download Playsets, will have you printing a Captain Kirk Chair in no time
So, you've always wanted to build a dollhouse out of ABS plastic? Well here's your chance. MakerBot has announced the release of its "MakerBot Playsets," a collection of free-to-download schematics used to create objects such as dolls, dollhouses and furnishings with the company's 3D printer. The files are available in .stl and .dxf formats for use with CAD programs, and take away the guesswork involved in coming up with a uniform design for larger projects. Take a look at the current collection -- including such objects as a Telescope, Moon Rover, Captain Kirk Chair, Treasure Chest and Suit of Armor -- and see what you think. You'll find the entire collection at the Thingiverse link just below.
Protip: GamePro gives up on print and online
Gaming magazine icon GamePro announced that the November issue – its first quarterly installment – will be its last, after 20-plus continuous years of publishing. The website will also be closed, effective December 5, IndustryGamers reports. If you're looking for gaming content, expect to be redirected to "the PCWorld GamePro channel on pcworld.com," publisher IDG says. And that means that GamePro's editorial staff is out, while PCWorld's will attempt to make up the slack. But GamePro isn't going away completely; instead, it's "refocusing its US business exclusively on its growing custom publishing and solutions business." That means custom content, like the E3 show daily, which publisher IDG and GamePro historically produce. But for you, dear reader, GamePro is dead. So we leave you with the above video, of a simpler time, when magazines still ruled and jean jackets were still cool. RIP GamePro, and good luck (former) GamePro staff.
Berg's Little Printer churns out RSS feeds with a receipt and a smile
It's hard to think of a device more aptly named than BergCloud's Little Printer. It's little. It prints. It even smiles at you. And why wouldn't it? It's adorable. Equally notable is what it produces -- RSS feeds printed out on grocery store-style receipts. All you have to do is hook it up to your router, configure your RSS subscriptions from your smartphone and press a button to print them out. The Little Printer connects wirelessly to a small box that's plugged into your router. This box, in turn, interfaces with the Berg Cloud (also unveiled this week), providing constant updates and pulling down any web content you've selected. If, for instance, you want to print out Foursquare updates, you can use the app to add them to your queue and print them out for later reading. It's basically like InstaPaper... with more paper. BergCloud has already struck partnerships with ARUP, Foursquare, The Guardian, Nike and Google, though more are on the way. No word yet on pricing, but the device is slated to go up for pre-order sometime next year. Check it out in action, after the break. [Thanks, Dave]
Cambridge researchers translate graphene into printable circuitry material, bring basic 'Skynet' factory to you
Yes, graphene is amazing and possesses many useful / otherworldly properties. The ability to use graphene itself to print flexible, transparent thin-film transistors via an inkjet printer is just another one of them. Over at the University of Cambridge, researchers have discovered that it's possible to print standard CMOS transistors using a graphene component. Provided the graphene is chipped off a block of graphite using a chemical solvent and the larger (potentially print-head blocking) chips are removed, it can be turned into a polymer ink which can then run through a conventional inkjet printer. The potential result of this is flexible, transparent and wearable computer circuitry coming from ordinary printers as opposed to several multi-million-dollar machines in a factory, which has long been the historical standard. Besides, who wouldn't want to print their own circuitry on a PhotoSmart MFP rather than whatever report might be due the next day?
Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs bio among Amazon's best books of 2011
It's only been out less than a month and Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs has already made its way onto Amazon's Best Books of 2011 list. The biography is number eight in the Top 10 Editor's picks for 2011 and is number one in the best Biographies & Memoirs of 2011 category, both for print and Kindle versions. These lists are not based on sales numbers only, but are derived from titles chosen by Amazon's book editors. Isaacson's biography has attracted a lot of attention since it launched. It paints a stark portrait of Jobs and suggests his characteristic gruff demeanor is more fact than fiction. The book also contains some juicy tidbits about Apple's product plans, including the confirmation that Jobs had, at one point, considered the idea of an Apple-branded TV. If you haven't grabbed a copy of the biography, check out the excellent review written by our own Chris Rawson. It'll give you an inside look at the book and help you decide if Isaccson's work is worth US$18 of your hard-earned cash. (Hint: it is.)
Visualized: Objet's 3D printer breathes plastic life into Hollywood creatures, layer by layer
It ain't easy being plastic, you know? Objet -- the 3D printing house that aimed to replace your office's all-in-one Epson back in July -- brought a few of its snazziest pieces here to SIGGRAPH, and we popped by to have a gander. Targeting the animation-inspired crowd that showed up here in Vancouver, the company brought along some Hollywood examples of how its multi-material Objet260 Connex helped movie makers craft prototype creatures before they were inserted into the storyline. Thor's Destroyer and Avatar's Na'vi were both on hand, as well as the two critters shown above. The hothead on the right was crafted in around 18 hours (and subsequently painted), while the cool cat on the left was built in three fewer. Wildly enough, that fellow required no painting whatsoever; so long as you're cool with shades of grey, you can program your object to be colored from the outset. Oh, and as for his cost? Around $80 for the materials -- slightly more for the printer itself. %Gallery-130291%
GamePro VP talks about the shift to quarterly mags
Last week, GamePro shocked the industry when the magazine mainstay announced it was changing over to a quarterly format. Julian Rignall, vice president of GamePro media, recently explained the decision to Gamasutra. In a market with dwindling circulation, Rignall believes there's still a place for print. According to the executive, the choice is either to become incredibly cheap and "disposable" or, as GamePro plans to do, become a more expensive, premium product. Rignall said their just isn't a place for "sort of six, seven dollar magazines that are kind of cheap and a bit crap with low production." Magazines, to him, are no longer an impulse purchase, and most gamers can get their info on websites (like this one) anyway. According to Rignall, today's magazines are sold to a different kind of customer, "sort of upper-middle-class NPR listeners," that have "a level of connoisseurism about what they like." In addition to targeting a different kind of consumer, GamePro will also reduce distribution, limiting to locations where "we know they'll sell." Also, thanks to the quarterly format, breaking news coverage will take a backseat to "more thoughtful" coverage. Rignall likens it to "a magazine that kind of celebrates gaming in the terms of its sort of context within history, what's kind of going on now and where it's going." Head over to Gamasutra for more on the new GamePro, including Rignall's belief that even if it fails, he hopes it will usher out the era of gaming magazines "in style."
Internet Archive founder wants to collect every book ever published
Not depressed enough yet about the impending death of print? This might help: Brewster Kahle, the fellow behind the Internet Archive, is in the process of gathering together every book ever published for safe storage against a future where the prevalence of digital media has utterly devalued physical texts -- it's a perhaps unreachable goal, he admits, but Kahle's warehouse is currently at 500,000 books and growing fast. The Associated Press describes the undertaking as something more akin to The Svalbard Global Seed Vault than the Library of Congress -- these books aren't being saved for lending, they're being stored for the future. If you're reading this Brewster, we recommend signing up for an Amazon Prime account. Those shipping fees can really add up fast.
Gourmet Live now available for iPhone
Gourmet Magazine closed shop a few years ago and has lived on through its Gourmet Live app for the iPad. A little less than a year after its iPad app debuted, the company rolled out an iPhone version. Both the iPhone and iPad app lets you browse recipes and read articles from their large collection of food-related content. The system uses a single login so all your saved and purchased content is available on both iOS devices. The iPhone app also has push notifications and integrated support for Twitter and Facebook. The Gourmet Live app is available now for free from the App Store.
NPG, CSU partner for $49 dynamic digital textbooks
The worst part of being a college student? Pricey learning materials... they make even Ramen noodles a fancy meal. This fall, students at California State University will be at least be able to make a step up to fast food. CSU has announced a three-year deal with Nature Publishing Group for low-cost, interactive, web-based textbooks with access options for disabled students. The first to be offered is an introductory biology text, fittingly titled Principles of Biology. Students on the L.A., Northridge, and Chico campuses will each have varying payment and licensing models, but 49 bucks gets anyone a full edition starting September 1st. Professors can edit the content, which includes 175 "interactive lessons," access to a database of research papers, and assessments for students. It can all be used on any device from a slate to a computer and even printed if you prefer scribing your notes with pen and paper or won't be near an internet connection. Details are dry about future books using the system, but it looks like a promising break for college students. Still, before you get ready to ditch your books and backpack for more money and less backaches, we'd suggest skimming the press release after the break.
Kindle books officially take over print sales at Amazon, pulp starts making retirement plans
The Kindle has been a huge success, no doubt about that, but we are continually amazed at just how big a success it has become. Amazon too, apparently. The company just issued a press release to announce that digital book sales have now exceeded sales of all print titles, both hardcover and paperback combined. As of April 1st, for every 100 print books that Amazon has sold (of any kind) the company moved 105 Kindle books, and no that doesn't include downloads of free titles. Also of note: the ad-supported reader that's shipping for $114 is now selling more quickly than the normal, $139 version. Proof, then, that people will put up with more ads in more places for 25 bucks.
Next Issue Media brings magazine subscriptions to Samsung Galaxy Tabs, but not all of them
It's been a busy month in the world of e-publishing. First, Time Inc. inked a deal to bring magazine subscriptions to the iPad, with both Hearst and Conde Nast following suit. And now, a consortium of publishing powerhouses known as Next Issue Media is looking to expand its tablet-based readership to Android users, as well. Beginning tomorrow, people who bought a wireless-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab from Verizon will be able to purchase single copies of, or monthly subscriptions to seven magazines from the so-called "Hulu of Magazines," which includes Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Time Inc., and News Corp. Users already subscribing to print editions will receive free digital subscriptions, though they won't be able to purchase both print and digital combo packages (that's on the way). Publishers, meanwhile, will be able to set their own prices and, according to Next Issue CEO Morgan Guenther, will receive "at least" 70-percent of all transactions -- the same percentage that Apple offers. Under this new Android deal, however, all of Next Issue's members will be able to freely access their subscribers' credit card information and other personal data -- something that Apple has steadfastly denied them. Obviously, it's far too early to tell whether or not this deal will give publishers more leverage in their negotiations with Cupertino, as the service will only be available to a small slice of Android tablet users. But Guenther says his organization is planning on releasing more titles for more devices this fall, with at least 40 magazines due out by year's end, along with an app for HP's WebOS.
Vienna University of Technology builds a 3D printer, 3D prints the key to our hearts
We've all spent a good portion of the past few years imagining what we'll do as soon as we get our hands on our very own 3D printer. Of course, if you're of the particularly crafty, Make Magazine-subscribing sort, you've probably already built a few of your own. For those who don't know a soldering iron from a freshly-burned hole in their hand, however, it's been a matter of waiting for the technology to come down in size and price. A machine designed by professors at the Vienna University of Technology still has a ways to go on the roughly €1,200 (about $1,700) price, but it weigh in at a bit over three pounds, and that's not for your run-of-the-mill extruder -- this breadbox-sized machine uses lasers to harden plastics, allegedly with enough precision to produce medical parts. Looks like picking out the perfect gift for your professor friends in Vienna just got a lot harder.
Shapeways Glazed Ceramics make 3D printed objects you can eat off of
We've seen them spit out fancy glass vases and tiny white strandbeests, and now the 3D thingy makers are pumping out cutesy salt and pepper shakers. Those hyper-glossy white rabbits pictured above are some of the first spawns of Glazed Ceramics, the newly minted food-safe material available from Shapeways. Glazed Ceramics are fired in an oven or kiln like traditional ceramics and are then coated with a lead-free non-toxic gloss -- the result is food-safe, recyclable, and heat resistant up to 1000 degrees Celsius. The new material is now available to Shapeways designers and will be until August 12th, at which point the company will decide whether its worth keeping around. For now you can sate your appetite for 3D printed shiny white dishes by clicking the source link below.
