Hasta La Gadget!

Brain wave control is hardly a new concept. It’s something scientists, designers, and inventors have been fiddling around with for years. Now, however, there might be a new source of innovation and advancement in the field: gaming.

One of the things that I have yet to purchase – awaiting both product refinement and for the cost to come down – is a proper desktop 3D printer. And while interest has certainly caused numerous 3D printers to be announced and released onto the market, I have still yet to take the plunge. Now, another new 3D printer has been announced which might just be the one I finally break down and buy.

Developed by Pirate3D, the Buccaneer 3D printer is designed to be both easy to use, and affordable. Unlike some more industrial looking 3D printers, the Buccaneer’s modern, minimalistic aluminum and acrylic machine will look great sitting on any desktop – especially alongside Apple’s industrial design. In fact, it looks a whole lot like the original Power Mac G4 Cube.

And while it has a small footprint of just under 10″ square, its printing area will be big enough to produce objects up to 5.9″ x 3.9″ x 4.72″, using fused filament like many other consumer 3D printers (though it will only accept PLA filament at this point, and not ABS). Unlike other 3D printers, the Buccaneer will use a unique central feeding cartridge, which not only looks better, but is designed to make it easier to load filament.

Uploading images to the printer can be done via a wireless network from your mobile device, and the system will include easy-to-use modeling software. It’s unclear if you’ll be able to send images from your PC or Mac, but I can’t imagine they wouldn’t include that capability.

While a release date and final pricing for the Buccaneer hasn’t been announced, it’s makers say it will be priced “under $1,000,” which definitely makes it one of the most competitively priced ready-to-use 3D printers on the market – with the Cubify Cube going for $1299, and the UP! priced at $999.

To sign up for more information on the Buccaneer, head over to the Pirate3D website.

There are lots of games with virtual drawing mechanics. Okami and Max & the Magic Marker come to mind. But what if you could literally draw your own game from scratch? That’s the idea behind Pixel Press, a mobile app that will help you make a short platforming game without the need to code or even use a PC.

Pixel Press has two main components: a Sketch Kit and the app itself. The Sketch Kit is simply a sheet of graphing paper customized for the app. You can download the pdf template for free from the Pixel Press website and then print it together with the instructions. In simple terms, your goal is to make a platforming game with five stages. Your character can walk, run and jump on and over the obstacles you made.

When you’re done with your drawing, you then take a picture of it with your mobile device and the app will process it. You’ll then test the app, polish it with textures and sound effects and finally play it from within the app. You’ll also be able to share your game and play other people’s games.

Clearly it takes imagination, patience and discipline to make a good Pixel Press game, but these are traits that you’ll need before you can program a game anyway. Plus it gives you the chance to be a game designer! You’ll learn the ropes of creating games without grappling with much of the technical difficulties that go along with it.

Pledge at least $10 (USD) on Kickstarter to be one of the first to own the app. The Pixel Press folks hope to raise $100,000 for the iOS apps, but if they raise at least $350,000 they’ll make an Android version as well.

[via Gamezebo]

If you’re on the go a lot, away from a power outlet you may have tried all sorts of things to help get more run time from your gadgets. A new solar power kit has turned up and features a small portable battery that can be recharged from the sun or a wall outlet. The charging kit is called the Sherpa 50.

The first time the Sherpa 50 turned up was during CES 2012 and it was delayed over a year and a half coming to the market. The good news is that it is here now and for $399.95(USD) you can get the complete kit including an AC inverter and a portable battery. The device can also be purchased a la carte – without the AC outlet or the solar panel, for as little as $199.95.

In addition to the standard AC outlet, the device also has a USB port for charging devices and a special port for your laptop. The battery weighs less than a bottle of water according to the manufacturer and can give you one full recharge for most laptops, and multiple recharges for other gadgets.

The battery can be charged completely in about five hours using only the included solar panel. You can also recharge the battery from the wall outlet in about three hours.

The Sherpa 50 is available now from GoalZero.

With Bitcoin being so popular, it was only a matter of time before a live streaming webcam was setup to see coin mining in action, this one called the BitCam and set by the Wired crew.