Hasta La Gadget!

The Liberator made quite a name for itself a few months back when it became the first functioning all-3D printed gun, and while its maker designed it with mass distribution in mind, we now know one place where it’s unwelcome: Philadelphia. The city of Brotherly Love lived up to its name yesterday, when the city council voted unanimously to ban folks from being able to print plastic pistols with which to shoot each other. That’s right, it is now illegal to manufacture guns via 3D printer in Philadelphia. As of this writing, Philly’s the first city to put such a ban in place, and it’s not in response to a a rash of plastic pistols flooding the streets, either — Philadelphia Magazine reports that it’s just a preventative measure. Nice to see a city government trying to stop a problem before it starts, but we’re betting it won’t be long before someone in Philly takes to the courts to challenge the ban.

Filed under: Misc, Alt

Comments

Via: Gizmodo

Source: Philadelphia Magazine

Etsy, the online marketplace for DIYers, just announced several changes to its seller policies, giving store owners significantly more control over how they run their businesses. Going forward, sellers will be able to hire as many employees as necessary, as well as use outside companies to deliver their products and outsource manufacturing to third parties (provided they receive Etsy’s approval).

Most notably, these changes allow for a wider definition of “handmade” — now, the idea for an item simply must originate with the seller. This means 3D-printed items can carry the prized handmade distinction, for instance. And this change isn’t just about semantics; previously, Etsy customers could assume items that didn’t look handmade were breaking the site’s rules and consequently steer clear.

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Via: All Things D

Source: Etsy News Blog, Etsy’s New Guidelines

We’ve seen 3D printers produce some pretty amazing things, but nothing quite like this. Tim Zaman, a Dutch researcher, has reportedly developed a 3D duplication technique capable of capturing incredible detail, such as brush strokes and other textures on a painting. With a captured image on hand, it’s then possible to print a reproduction matching every detail, including raised brush strokes. Reproductions are created using an Oce printer that can reproduce large-format paintings at 600 ppi; the process resembles that of a dye-sub printer, with the printing head moving back and forth many times, adding a new textured layer with each pass. It’s a very cool idea, but don’t expect to fill your home with flawless duplicates — you’ll first need to get your hands on a priceless piece of art.

Filed under: Peripherals

Comments

Source: Tim Zaman, Oce (YouTube)

While the cost of 3D printers are coming down, it’s unlikely we’ll start to see them invade everyone’s homes ’til they become much cheaper. That’s the idea, at least, behind the Peachy Printer, a device that’s promising to retail for less than $100. Unlike printers made by companies such as Makerbot, Peachy uses a laser to set objects from liquid resin. The laser is guided by a pair of mirrors that take instructions from your PC’s audio in / out ports, and the system even allows you to scan objects with your own camera. Having launched on Kickstarter three days ago, Peachy Printer has more than tripled its CDN$50,000 goal. We doubt you’ll find anyone trying to build an Aston Martin replica on one of these things, but it’s a neat idea that employs a different 3D-printing method to significantly reduce hardware costs. As usual, you’ll find the pitch video below and anything else you may desire at the source.

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals

Comments

Via: 3Ders

Source: Kickstarter

Over the past few years, Maker Faire has transformed into something of a 3D printer fest, and there’s no reason to expect that this weekend’s event in Flushing, Queens will be any different. Ultimaker, for one, is launching a new printer, the simply named Ultimaker 2 (though the product itself displays the name as Ultimaker squared). The next-gen product doesn’t seem to bring a ton of new features to the table, though the company promises that it’s faster and more accurate than its predecessor. It also ships with Cura software, which should speed things up even more. Also, the launch coincides with the unveiling of the company’s Thingiverse-esque YouMagine online collaboration site, which will help you find objects to, you know, print on the thing. Again, the Ultimaker 2 will be on display this weekend, and has an asking price of 1,895 euros ($2,563).

Filed under: Peripherals

Comments