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Amazon offers same-day delivery on handmade goods
If you're struggling with holiday shopping, Amazon is swooping in to make things a little easier. Amazon Handmade, which is the online retail giant's destination for handmade goods and crafts, is now offering Prime Now delivery. This means that shoppers in certain metro areas can receive this items via one- and two-hour delivery just in time for the holidays.
Amazon's Handmade store comes to Europe
Amazon has become home to millions of products over the years, but hand-crafted items weren't something you'd typically come across. That changed late last year when the online retailer launched its Handmade store in the US, giving artisan-goods company Etsy a run for its money in the process. Now, that same store has come to Europe, launching today in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
Amazon launches a Handmade rival to Etsy
If you've been looking for for a hand-sculpted Gothic dragon weathervane, you now have a new way to find it: Amazon's Handmade online store. As rumored earlier, the new venture has arrived in response to the success of Etsy, the artisan-goods company that just went public with a massive $3.5 billion valuation. The store is divided into seven categories, including jewelry, home decor, artwork and furniture. That'll give you a chance to find some one-of-a-kind paintings, along with items like leather magnetic cuffs, walnut rocking chairs and a beer growler holder.
Etsy helps sellers produce more by connecting them with manufacturing
In recent months, Etsy announced a few new initiatives to make selling goods on its site a bit eaiser. Following crowdfunding and same-day delivery efforts, the online retail hub plans to take on manufacturing next. With a beta phase that'll begin in late 2015, Etsy will connect sellers with manufacturers in printing, apparel/textile, machining/fabrication, and jewelry and metalwork to handle the making of goods and increasing production capacity. Those areas are just the beginning, though, as the company plans to add more "industries" in the future. During the test period, Etsy Manufacturing will link sellers and manufacturers for free, but when the service goes live, it'll take a cut (no pricing yet) for its role as matchmaker. What's more, the trial will only be available to manufacturing outfits in the US and Canada, but plans are for the program to expand internationally later. Etsy can also reject any partnership if it violates the company's ethical expectations that keep an eye out for child labor, involuntary labor, inhumane working conditions, discrimination and sustainability. [Image credit: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Amazon's 'Handmade' section takes aim at Etsy
There's a lot to love about Etsy -- it's one of the best places on the internet to find all sorts of stuff like minimalist Captain America prints or laser-cut Deathly Hallows earrings, but shipping windows are kind of a crapshoot. That could change because Amazon is apparently emailing some of the hand-crafted goods emporium's sellers and offering them to peddle their wares, according to The Wall Street Journal. The forthcoming section on Bezo's ecommerce behemoth is called Handmade, and invites lead to a survey asking about what categories the wares would fall under (11 total, including baby, apparel, pet supplies) but there isn't any word about when the section will go live.
Etsy's counterfeit problem is getting worse
News of Etsy's battle against sellers pedaling knockoff goods on its site isn't a recent revelation, but an analyst report this week details the extent of the problem. Investment firm Wedbush says that up to 2 million items listed on the marketplace may be counterfeit or infringe on either a copyright or trademark -- items like these. That's around 5 percent of all goods promoted there. It's not just fashion and jewelery brands, either: products with pro sports, cartoon and comic book artwork abound on Etsy as well. The company recently went public, and as you might expect, its stock fell in response to the report. What's more, a class action lawsuit was filed against the site for making "false and misleading statements" about the counterfeit issue. Etsy took aim at questionable merchandise in the past, banning the sale of Washington Redskins items back in September. However, if it wants to continue being the go-to place for handmade goods, it'll need to do some spring cleaning. [Image credit: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Sony handcrafts its CES products in reverse-teardown (video)
If you were following Sony's CES press event in detail, you might recall it launched with a quick video of a new Sony product made by hand. We now know that was to be the Xperia Z, and now the company's released a curiously relaxing video of a (largely) off-camera tinkerer crafting the aforementioned phone, a Cybershot RX1 and one of its HD camcorders. All within five minutes. We doubt this is how the electronics-maker's real production line works, but at least you get a glimpse into how Sony ensures its new flagship phone is kept 'omnibalanced'. (Hint: there's not much space left beneath that glossy back panel.)
Robot made from paper spells doom for the trees in the Robopocalypse (video)
A paper tiger might have a bark that's worse than its bite, but that proverb might not be valid once you've seen the Mechanical Paper Robot. The brainchild of artist / genius Kikousya, it's entirely constructed from dead trees, a few rubber bands and some dowel. We suggest you watch the amazing video after the break and, if you're looking to build your own, head down to the source link for the instructions. After all, given the cost of those robotic bulls, scary babies and giant mecha, Skynet's gonna need some wallet-friendly foot-soldiers for the Robopocalypse.
iPad covers made from children's books
This Etsy seller has come up with a really great idea for iPad cases: Make them out of famous childrens' books. Seller chicklitdesigns has taken the covers of old printings of The Giving Tree, Cat in the Hat, and even Moby Dick, and turned them into cases for iPads, Kindles, and other tablets, available for sale right ow. Part of me is a little disappointed these books got ripped apart in this way -- there may come a time when we wish we'd had more of these titles around. But it's definitely a cool idea, and a very nice, homemade way to spruce up your iPad. The handmade-to-order cases start at around $79.99. [via Child Mode]
Handmade particle accelerator unveiled at Milan Design Week, Higgs-Boson a no-show
When it comes to particle science, it's not all about huge winding tunnels and god particles. Super/collider, a group that aims to promote science through eye-catching creative methods, teamed up with designer Patrick Stevenson-Keating to craft this relatively simple -- but working-- particle accelerator for Milan Design week. The setup involves several hand-blown bulbs, with a vacuum inside them allowing electrons to rocket from side to side, lit in a purple haze thanks to a phosphorous screen at one end. The whole thing is fashioned from the relatively commonplace gear you see above, although a how-to guide still remains unfortunately non-existent.
Custom clock pays homage to CPU, separates geeks from the squares (video)
Pop quiz: Can you tell what the device pictured above is? If you answered "a clock that represents the essential building blocks of a CPU while using binary and HEX numerals to display time," then you're certifiably crazy -- and correct. The brainchild of tinkerer extraordinaire Lior Elazary, the "CPU clock" mechanically emulates the application of computer concepts -- codes, instructions and checks -- to create a "simple" wall clock. To display the time, the middle register uses binary numbers to indicate the hour (a reading of "0010" indicates 2 o'clock, for example). For minutes, the clock uses the HEX numerals on the outer edge of the device, so "05" represents "5," "0A" indicates "10," and so forth. Keeping the clock up to date is a ball that goes around and activates the various levers to change the time. Given all its geeky goodness, this one easily takes the nerd cake from the wordy QLOCKTWO W and super flashy Sci-Fi watch. For a more clockwork-like explanation about its inner workings, check out the video after the break.
Biegert & Funk bring the literal time to your wristwatch with QLOCKTWO W
It's a common desire among everyday folk: we often say we'd like to read more, if only we had the time. While it's unlikely to fill your noggin with the prose of Hemingway or the poetry of Whitman, a new wristwatch from Biegert & Funk promises to quench your thirst for words and literally provide you with the time. Known as the QLOCKTWO W, the timepiece is a portable revision of the company's original wall clock, both of which display the current time in everyday language. Priced at €550, the watch is scheduled for arrival this autumn and will be available in black or stainless steel variations, with either rubber or leather bands. As another option, those who find English far too mundane may spring for the Deutsch version. Curious shoppers will find the full PR after the break.
Portable Portal 2 Personality Cores are ready for adventure
We've grown quite attached to the Personality Cores we've met in our jaunts through Aperture Science, and leaving the adorable AIs in the gameworld has always been hard for us. You too? Cheer up! Now you can bring them with you, thanks to robot engineer Chris Myles.
Turing machine built from wood, scrap metal and magnets, 'geek' achievement unlocked (video)
We take it for granted nowadays that thumbnail-sized silicon chips can crunch through the most complex of calculations, but early last century, mathematical tasks were still being carried out by humans. It was around that time that one Alan Turing, Enigma code breaker and general computer science pioneer, came up with what was essentially a thought experiment, a mechanical machine capable of simulating and solving algorithms just like a grown-up CPU. Well, you know where this is going by now, one British software engineer decided to build just such a device, out of old bits and bobs he had lying around his geek lair, producing a working model that was recently shown off at the Maker Faire UK in Newcastle. The only downer, as he points out, is that it'd take "months to add two numbers together," but all good things start off humbly. Video after the break.
Steampunk USB cufflinks are as awesome as they are pricey
You wouldn't think something classifiable as "wearable storage" would look so darn dapper, but here we are, staring at just about the finest cufflinks we ever did see. Not only are these handmade shirt cuffs beautiful in the most steampunk of ways, they're also pretty useful as each features an 8GB flash storage chip with the utterly ubiquitous USB connector attached. Basically, they're what James Bond would wear if James Bond wore really awesome cufflinks. The general idea behind them might not exactly be original anymore, but we can't really fault the execution here. What we could probably find fault with is our lack of $225 of disposable coin, the price one will have to pay to sport this unique pair of hand-carved, walnut-enclosed memory sticks. [Thanks, Amelia]
Pac Machina displays a trivial love of the needlessly complex
Now, you may look at this little project and ask yourself, "what is the point of this thing?" but that would, in fact, be the wrong question. The Pac Man-loving creator of Pac Machina needs no reasons, and honestly, neither do we. While we wouldn't necessarily want one of these clock-like Pac Men in our drawing room, we admire the creativity and time put into what was surely a somewhat tedious project. We are huge fans of tedium, after all. Video is after the break.
Hand-sewn, hyperlinked book is a thing of beauty, and a joy for several minutes
It's not every day that you see something handcrafted with time and care on the internet, but what you see above certainly qualifies. An art / craft project by German designer Maria Fischer, it's called Thoughts on Dreams, it contains threaded 'hyperlinks' which are there to help guide the reader to links between important passages. The book is sadly (for us) in German, so we can't know what it says, but we can imagine that it's all sorts of beautiful, mysterious things that can only be conveyed by paper and colored string. There is one more image after the break, just because.
Handmade icon pillows given as gifts for Christmas
We've seen Apple app icon pillows before, but these are pretty excellent -- TUAW reader Dan G's girlfriend hand-sewed them for him for Christmas. That's the brand new iTunes icon on the right there (though I expected it to be a little more blue), and on the left is the Firefox icon. We won't tell her she got the fox backwards if you won't, Dan. And of course that's the Finder in the middle. Great set of pillows -- I definitely would have been thrilled to see them under the tree last Saturday.
60 year-old remote-controlled robot made from scrap parts makes a dramatic, beautiful comeback
This is George. He's a six-foot tall robot handmade from the aluminum scraps of a crashed bomber in 1950. George is remote controlled, and was built by Tony Sale, the same man who recently resurrected the nearly forgotten robotic darling from the storage shed where he's spent the last 45 years or so. Some oil and batteries were all it took to get George up and walking again, and he'll now have a permanent home at the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, England. And that's the next museum we'll be visiting, because we cannot get enough of this giant. Tear-inducing video is after the break. [Image Credit: Geoff Robinson, Daily Mail]
Homemade Fallout 3 plasma rifle makes our post-apocalyptic future seem less bleak
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Homemade_Fallout_3_Plasma_Rifle'; The A3-21 Plasma Rifle is quite the little devastator in Fallout 3 and it doesn't look half bad in the so-called real world either. Lovingly pieced together by one Ryan Palser, this homebrewed replica (the lower of the two in the image above) took five months to complete and involved the enrollment of his wife's painting skills for the weathering job. The final result is enough to convince us that Fallout would be well served by a movie adaptation, if only so we can see more of these retro-futuristic rifles get their shot at corporeality. You can scope out one more image showing off the lights inside the rifle after the break, but only if you promise to hit up Ryan's Flickr account for the full set.
