Industry Update: Proxy Power

Quick– what’s your phone’s battery percentage?

For most, it is almost certainly less than 100%. From texting to streaming video to managing our health, the average American uses their phone for 4.7 hours a day, nearly a third of our waking hours. And don’t assume that’s all teenagers skewing the data–adults between the ages of 25 and 54 are the leading users of their smartphones to check social media. Combine all this with the fact that even the best phone batteries only last about 15 hours when you’re barely using them, and you can see why almost everyone has a charger hooked up at their desk.

But what you had a way to ensure your phone never lost its charge? What if you could take it a step further–what if you could ensure nothing ever lost a charge again? No plugs or wires required?

If that sounds like science fiction to you, you’re not alone–the technology isn’t quite there yet. But the math and science exist to support it–we just need to catch up. So how does it work?

Envision a world where batteries never die, where electric cars can run forever, and your smartphone can stream all 6 seasons of Parks and Recreation in a row, no charger needed. No more expensive replacement cables when your cat chews through yet another charger. No more tangled cables, no more unplugging and replugging in the TV every time you want to rearrange the furniture–in the not so distant future, it’s possible that all power cables will finally be unplugged.

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Rapid Cut Feed

Welcome to Rapid Cut Pulse, where we share what has us talking this week. Let us know in the comments what strikes your interest!

3D Printing News:

This Semi-Automatic Gun Is “95 Percent” 3D Printed

It turns out, 3D printing has applications most people haven’t considered, including in-home arms manufacturing. Should this be regulated? If so, how? Share your thoughts with us.

3D Printed Robot Swarms

That title might sound like the precursor of a robot apocalypse, but never fear: these robots are friendly. Well, they’re programmed to be friendly, anyway.

Why These Big Companies Want a New 3D File Format

More interested in the technical side of 3D printing than the applications? Looks like a new standardized 3D file format is on the way. Read about the companies leading the charge here.


State of the Industy

Legos get in on Manufacturing by CNC

You’d be amazed what you can make with Legos, and I’m not talking about those kits at the toy store. Check out this milling machine made ENTIRELY from Legos, but for its drill bit.


Lifestyle

Will TRACE Revolutionize Surf Competition Judging?

Tech innovations aren’t just limited to manufacturing. Check out this new technology sweeping competitive sports.

The Robbie Madison Water Bike

A bike that rides on water?? You have to see it to believe it.

What are Kids Up To These Days?

Ever wonder what your kids are doing on their phones? If so, you’re certainly not alone. Let’s find out.

Quicksilver Currents #1

Welcome to Quicksilver Currents, where we share what has us talking this week. Let us know in the comments what strikes your interest!


3D Printing News:

This Semi-Automatic Gun Is “95 Percent” 3D Printed

It turns out, 3D printing has applications most people haven’t considered, including in-home arms manufacturing. Should this be regulated? If so, how? Share your thoughts with us.

3D Printed Robot Swarms

That title might sound like the precursor of a robot apocalypse, but never fear: these robots are friendly. Well, they’re programmed to be friendly, anyway.

Why These Big Companies Want a New 3D File Format

More interested in the technical side of 3D printing than the applications? Looks like a new standardized 3D file format is on the way. Read about the companies leading the charge here.


State of the Industy

Legos get in on Manufacturing by CNC

You’d be amazed what you can make with Legos, and I’m not talking about those kits at the toy store. Check out this milling machine made ENTIRELY from Legos, but for its drill bit.


Lifestyle

Will TRACE Revolutionize Surf Competition Judging?

Tech innovations aren’t just limited to manufacturing. Check out this new technology sweeping competitive sports.

The Robbie Madison Water Bike

A bike that rides on water?? You have to see it to believe it.

What are Kids Up To These Days?

Ever wonder what your kids are doing on their phones? If so, you’re certainly not alone. Let’s find out.

Innovation Nation: Star Wars Edition

Long long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…

We were all taken in by the Star Wars franchise, whether we’re hardcore Original Trilogy Fans who saw it 15 times in theaters, or we came in late to the party. Whichever you are, no one can deny that Star Wars was a defining factor in the childhoods of millions.

Which is why it’s SUPER cool when creative adults, still taken with it, use their skills to make something AWESOME:

An entirely 3D printed Storm Trooper costume??? It’s more likely than you’d think!

Fans aren’t the only ones getting into the 3D printing craze–3DPrint.com even reports that the new movie, The Force Awakens, relies heavily on 3D printing technology!

“[M]any of the costumes wouldn’t have been possible without 3D printing, at least not in practical terms,” according to 3DPrint.com’s Sandra Helsel. Read the whole article here!

Got the design skills to 3D model Star Wars parts? You could have your very own set of Darth Vader armor. Don’t have the skills but want some anyway? Check out some premade Star Wars CAD models here, ready for printing. (The database has some nice Star Trek models, too, for the Trekkies out there!)

Let us know what you think in the comments–we’d love to hear from you. But one thing is for sure: 3D printing has brought us one step closer to the future we see in our media.

-Diana

Innovation Nation: The 3D Printing…Pen??

3D Printing has been on the market for a long time now, though we are still discovering the potential this technology holds. There are still things holding it back from mass public use–the technology is still somewhat limited to people who can create 3D models. The printers are expensive. These are just some of the things holding us back.

Enter the 3D Printing Pen.

The first major commercially available 3D Printing Pen is the 3Doodler, launched through a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. The project received over $2 million by the end of its campaign. Clearly, this is a technology people want.

People have even gone so far as to create fashion designs with the 3Doodler. Try doing that on a printer.

Recently, Lix Pen released their answer to the 3Doodler, touting their 3D-pen as the smallest on the market. It can be used for anything from making jewelry to complex designs and even vases. It is featured in the video above!

So, what do you think of the 3D pen? Just a fad? Or do you think it has the ability to change our landscape the way 3D Printing has? Let us know in the comments.

Industry Update: The Next Industrial Revolution

In the last 100 years, the world has seen more technological innovation than in its entire history. It started out in the 1700s with the simple steam and water power. These lead to steam engine generators, and the widespread use of electricity to power everything from lights to motors. As humans do, the more we learned, the more we grew and innovated. Electricity provided the spark that allowed us to create computers in the 1900s, and with computing power doubling or more every few years, it sometimes seems like we’re well on our way to a future where robots do everything for us, from manufacturing our goods to writing our blog posts.

And yes, biologists, this applies to you, too. A team of biologists at Harvard have started creating flowers in a process they call “4D Printing”. Looks like we’re all going to be learning this new skill set sooner or later–unless, of course, we invent robots to do that learning for us soon.

These days, we can 3D print anything from action figure replicas of ourselves to firearms. It’s not hard to imagine someday using 3D printers to even make our food. In fact, one company has already produced such a device, allowing users to load ingredients and have food created for them from the comfort of their own home. Don’t get too excited–it’s not available for retail yet and is projected to cost around $1000 when it debuts. Still, it continues to show that 3D printing technology has nearly unlimited applications.

What would you print if you could print anything? Let us know in the comments.