3d

Shapeways, the Etsy of 3D printing, raises $30M

The 3D printing movement is well under way -- albeit with some hype built in -- and Shapeways, a marketplace where people can design, create, and sell their own products, is leading the charge.

Shapeways, sometimes known as the Etsy for 3D printing, now has 10,000 "shop owners" -- people who have designed products, from iPhone cases to jewelry and shoes, that they print out and sell via Shapeways. The New York-based company is building out its recently opened 3D printing factory in the Queens borough of New York City, where its printers are cranking out roughly … Read more

In New York, 3D printing finally gets its day in the sun

NEW YORK--Guitars. Skulls. Bracelets. Colorful heads. And so much more.

That was what was on display at the Inside 3D Printing event here today, a celebration of all things 3D printing, and one of the first-ever professional events dedicated solely to the decades-old technology that has been taking the world by storm over the last few years.

Just about ever leading company in the field was on hand, from 3D Systems to MakerBot to Stratasys, and many others. And hundreds of people packed the event hall, eager to see the latest machines, and hear from some of the leaders in … Read more

Nintendo releases a bevy of new and old games on its 3DS

Nintendo announced Wednesday that it will be releasing a boatload of new games on its 3DS handheld console.

Not only will there be a host of Super Mario Bros spinoffs, but the game maker also is launching Yoshi's Island, Donkey Kong Country, and The Legend of Zelda series. Based on the games Nintendo is choosing to release, it seems the company is tipping its hat to the Game Boy days of the '90s but tossing in a modern 3D twist. … Read more

NASA experimenting with 3D printing for space exploration

NASA is getting into the 3D printing business. At NASA's Ames Research Center, engineers and researchers are experimenting with the technology with the hope that one day their creations will be used in space exploration. "Space Shop is our attempt to take the best practices and lessons learned from what we call the maker community," said Dave Korsmeyer, the director of engineering at NASA Ames.

The program is still in its nascent stages. But NASA sees potential in the technology because it enables designers and engineers to get the manufacturing information early in the design process and … Read more

Artist paints photorealistic aquatic life in three dimensions

It looks like a fish swimming in a bowl, or a serving of living octopus in its own salt water, but the photorealistic works of Singapore-based artist Keng Lye are not even sculptures, but paintings. He uses a technique developed by Japanese artist Riusuke Fukahori, using acrylic paint and resin to build up, layer by layer, images of creatures swimming in water.

The technique involves starting with a container and pouring in thin layers of clear resin. When each layer dries, the next "slice" of the creature is painted on and allowed to dry before the next layer is poured. It's quite a painstaking process, but the effect, as you can see, is stunning. … Read more

Crazy Moto 3D 1.1 Review

If you were born to be wild, you might find some fun in this motorcycle game. However, the frustrating controls and mediocre graphics make it a tough sell. CrazyMoto 3D is reminiscent of a few other bike games you may remember, but it falls short of capturing the fun of those favorites.

If you were a fan of Road Rash in the 90's, you'll feel comfortable with this game. It offers the same premise of dodging traffic and attacking cops and cars with weapons you find on the road. Instead of racing other drivers, you're collecting coins … Read more

3D Waterfall Wallpaper 1.0 Review

Running your app as if it's a bait-and-switch scam is no way to win people over. 3D Waterfall Wallpaper does live up to its name with a few gorgeous, high-resolution wallpapers. However, the way the app bombards you with ads is unforgivable. You can find these pictures elsewhere, and you really should to avoid installing this app.

It's bad enough that the app makes you agree to see all sorts of scammy ads before you can even get to the wallpaper. However, the longer you have the app open, the more ads you'll have to duck and … Read more

Witness the birth of 'Jurassic Park' dinosaurs

These days, computer-generated imagery rules the movie scene, but 20 years ago, it was still a relatively fresh idea that was difficult to integrate into film without looking fake.

When production of "Jurassic Park" commenced, director Steven Spielberg enlisted iconic special-effects guru Stan Winston and his studio team to design and create realistic-looking animatronic dinosaurs. The groundbreaking work, which included an incredible amount of engineering and artistry, forever changed the way people think about dinosaurs. … Read more

Get a 55-inch 3D HDTV with glasses for $899 shipped

3D TVs were supposed to be the Next Big Thing, but they never really caught on with consumers, no doubt due to high prices and the dearth of 3D content.

And yet, I think if you can get a 3D-capable model for around the same price as a non-3D one, why not? That was my thinking when I bought my last TV, and although I don't don the glasses very often, sometimes it's really nice.

For example, our local Family Video has a pretty decent 3D movie selection, so when my family went to rent "Life of … Read more

Afinia's powerful, fun-to-use 3D printer

Of the three 3D printers I've used so far, the $1,599 Afinia H-Series H479 is my favorite. That doesn't mean it's perfect, but it's a more precise, and more flexible machine than 3D Systems' first-generation Cube printer, and it's significantly easier to use than the first-generation MakerBot Replicator.

The high price of this printer will remain an issue for many consumers. Post-print cleanup with certain materials can also be a hassle. The fact that you can achieve good prints so easily and so quickly, though, makes the H479 easy to recommend. If you're … Read more