Welcome to the end of another year, people! We made it, and not without a ton of brand new stuff to carry us into 2014 and beyond. We saw lots of beautiful, interesting, and just plain weird things, but here we’ve rounded up the items that stuck with us; not just because of what they are, but also because of how they were made, or the interaction they required, or—yes—the way they made us feel.
     |
When it comes to super materials, graphene seems to get all the attention
| |
3D printing might be exciting and all, but it’s only really good for making new items from scratch; what if you want to reapir something instead? Enter 3D painting, GE’s new baby which could be used to fix up anything that’s made of metal.
| |
Modern miracle stuff graphene has been used by developers to print circuits on clothing, creating a genuinely wearable form of tech that doesn’t rely on bulky watches, AR glasses or sewing computers into your flesh.
| |
Every so often, the thing you’ve been looking for all along is right under your nose. Like the latest material to offer itself up as the future of quantum computing—which has been sitting on banknotes for decades.
| |
It’s joked that duct tape can be used to fix almost anything. But a new product called FiberFix might very well be the only tool you’ll ever need for emergency repairs. And the secret is its special resin adhesive that hardens stronger than steel as it cures.
| |
A team of scientists has created a material that’s enough to confuse fellow researchers and the Predator alike: a substance which looks cold when viewed using infrared light even when it’s getting hotter.
| |
If you’re not the type to take care of your belongings, you might want to check out Outlier’s new Minimal Backpack when you’re on the hunt for a new bag. You can think of it as the Tonka truck of carry-alls, except that instead of metal it’s actually made from a lightweight fabric called Dyneema that has a strength-to-weight ratio that’s about ten to fifteen times stronger than steel.
| |
We’ve been 3D printing in metal, gold, and even sugar for years now—so it seems only natural that we’d also be able to print in glow-in-the-dark plastic. This week, MakerBot announced a limited-edition run of PLA filament that glows in the dark, just in time for Halloween.
| |
Have you ever had a roommate who saves plastic grocery bags just in case they ever have the need to reuse the dang things? Like, hundreds of plastic grocery bags? Well, thanks to some Australian engineers, those extra bags can not only have a purpose, they can become technology of the future.
| |
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
