Hasta La Gadget!

If you’re a fan of the Naruto manga or anime series, you’ll be familiar with Sai, a ninja whose specialty is making ink drawings come to life. WobbleWorks’ 3Doodler isn’t as awesome as that, but it still comes close. It’s a pen-shaped 3D printer that’s as easy to use as an ordinary pen. And although it’s not quite as cheap as a pen, it’s also the cheapest 3D printer yet.

The 3Doodler works like a hot glue gun, except instead of glue it heats up ABS plastic, which quickly cools down as it exits the tip of the 3Doodler.

Pledge at least $75 (USD) on Kickstarter to reserve your own 3Doodler. This wonder gadget is one of the first big Kickstarter hits of 2013. It hit its target of $30,000 within hours and as of this writing has already garnered almost $600,000 in pledges and is still going strong. It’s easy to see why; this is undoubtedly a major breakthrough in bringing 3D printing to the masses.

With people as smart as the folks at WobbleWorks I am 100% sure that Sai’s technique will become real before I die. And that that technique will kill me.

[via Enpundit via Design You Trust]

In case you’ve forgotten the power and versatility of today’s mobile devices, Autodesk’s 123D Creature app will be one hell of a reminder. The app has all you need to create your own 3D character, from building a skeleton to sculpting and painting and even ordering a 3D print of your creation. Now you can create alien genitalia monsters wherever you are.

Watch the demo to get a better idea of what you can do with the app:

How awesome it that? Seriously. It’s like reverse Skylanders. Can you imagine showing this to a kid who loves to doodle and draw monsters? You’ll vaporize his very soul with this revelation. Good luck explaining that to his parents. Unfortunately for Android users, Autodesk 123D Creature is only available for the iPad. Get it from the iTunes App Store (link opens iTunes) for $1.99 (USD).

[via Autodesk via SketchBook]

3D printers are undeniably cool, but their price also puts them out of the reach of most; that’s where 3Doodler steps in, a 3D printing pen hitting Kickstarter today and promising to make sketches physical. The chubby stylus squirts out of a stream of thermoplastic from its 270 degree-C nib, which is instantly cooled by an integrated fan. By laying different streams of plastic, tugging up streams of it to make 3D structures, and piecing different layers together, you can create 3D designs on a budget.

In fact, early Kickstarter backers will be able to get the 3Doodler from $50, though that award tier is already nearly halfway claimed at time of writing. Next is the $75 bracket, which should stick around a little longer, with the eventual Kickstarter goal being $30,000.

Unlike traditional printers, which require programming, the 3Doodler takes a more abstract approach. You can freeform draw sketches, or alternatively trace out patterns that have been printed, and then peel the set plastic off; 3Doodler suggests possibilities include jewelry, 3D models, artwork, and more.

It’s not going to be the way you print your next coffee cup or car wheel, as we’ve seen promised from regular 3D printers, but the plug-and-play approach has plenty of appeal nonetheless. The Kickstarter runs for the next month, with first deliveries expected in the fall of 2013 assuming it’s funded.

3Doodler 3D printer pen hits Kickstarter is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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As a fan of monsters and 3D printing, in that order, I was intrigued by Autodesk’s new iOS app, 123D Creature. Aimed at beginning 3D modelers, the app allows you to build cute (or scary) monsters right on your screen by pinching, grabbing, and rotating a lump of virtual clay hanging on a skeleton.

The $7.99 app ($1.99 for a limited time) is the latest in Autodesk’s line of free 3D apps. The company sells much more expensive and complex 3D solutions like Maya and 3ds max but these 123D apps are designed to allow users with little experience to build objects, paint them virtually, and output mesh files that can be used on 3D printers. You can even order 3D prints of your creations right from the app.

Given the perceived difficulty of 3D modeling, these are an interesting way for Autodesk to sneak their tools into the hands of younger designers who could go on to use the company’s more lucrative tools.

How does it work? Fairly well, to be honest.

I tried the app briefly today and was able to design a pointy-headed little man and print him on my home Makerbot. Sadly his arms didn’t quite make it through the print process but his tiny legs and pin head look just fine. I’m no 3D artist, to be sure, so it was fun to be able to make a cute little being and then pump him out of my extruder in a few minutes. Not only does this give 3D novices the chance to experiment with 3D design, it makes folks with 3D printers happy because of the seamless system for making and outputting mesh files for quick prints.

With all of the people we meet in business and our personal lives, sometimes it’s hard to leave a lasting impression. Sure, you could do something outlandish, like juggle kittens or something, but they’ll probably just think you’re nuts.

Instead, most of us just like to leave behind a calling card of some sort. But paper business cards are so easily buried in a drawer or tossed in the trash that they’re not that effective. What you need is the CallingCube.

This inventive object is a actually a calling card, printed onto a small cube using 3D printing technology. Just pick your color, provide text for the sides, your logo or graphic – and the designers at CallingCube will do the rest. Of course, you’ll get a proof of your design before they’re printed too.

They’re available in a variety of colors, and will definitely leave an impression wherever you leave them. I certainly wouldn’t throw away a business card this cool. It’d probably be sitting on my desk somewhere.

Keep in mind that CallingCubes aren’t exactly cheap. 20 of the suckers will set you back $99 (USD) – about $5 per cube – though there are substantial discounts for ordering more. An order of 240 cubes runs $799, which works out to about $3.32 per cube. They are also offering an additional $50 off orders of 80 or more cubes until March 1st, 2013. For 5 bucks, you can order a sample CallingCube to get a sense of how they feel in your hand.

That all said, you’ll still want to keep some cheap business cards around and save these for your most important contacts.

[CallingCube]