FormBox takes on 3D printers with an instant vacuum former from The Next Web

This blog post from The Next Web popped up in my feed reader today and once again, serendipity struck. WE were just talking about vacuum forming as a side discussion at the last Hackerspace LA meetup. Vacuum forming is a relatively old, but very capable molding technique that has been used for a lot of the design and art you see around you every day. It is faster, cheaper and easier to use than 3D printing (at least, for the near future) and allows you to create finished pieces of art and design locally, quickly and inexpensively.

I don't usually highlight Kickstarter campaigns, as some times the time to delivery is way too long and some projects never make it out the door. That said, I think this one has a lot of potential. It is a fairly low-tech gadget -- using only a plastic heater, vacuum cleaner and specialized plastics -- so there is much less that can go wrong and it should be easier to manufacture than some, more complicated, Kickstarter projects.

I could certainly see adding this to my own "maker lab" or hackerspace. It would be great to be able to mass produce 3-d artwork, signs, toys and more without having to make the leap to professional manufacturing.

Check out their Kickstarter video and complete information.

FormBox takes on 3D printers with an instant vacuum former

The past decade has brought on a new kind of industrial revolution, a lot of which is thanks to how prevalent 3D printers have become. From full-sized versions to mini-desktop styles, you can find 3D printers for about the cost of a cheap laptop, or go to stores like Staples to get your prototypes printed out.

But one thing most 3D printers still have in common: Products take a while to print, set, and cool. That’s where Mayku’s FormBox wants to entice the at-home makers.

Read the entire article

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Microsoft release Outlook.com email services to replace Hotmail

Today Microsoft released its new email service Outlook.com to replace its Hotmail brand. This new streamlined Metro interface design looks good and functions well so far. You can use your existing Microsoft account to log in and then choose an email alias (i.e. douglaswelch@outlook.com) for your new email address. Here are several articles that discuss Outlook.com... Goodbye, Hotmail; Hello, Outlook.com [REVIEW] Outlook Is a Completely New, Feature-Filled Webmail Service from Microsoft Go Get Your @Outlook Email Address Quick Before Someone Else Does I will post links to more articles and reviews as they appear.

Shared calendars are one part of an organized family

by Douglas E. Welch , techiq@welchwrite.com 206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line As a parent with a school-age child, I often hear other parents bemoaning their disorganized existence. Along with the busy schedules of two working parents you might have art classes, karate classes, Little League, soccer and more. Add in more than one kid and organizing your life can quickly become a nightmare. This is exactly why one of my most important organizing devices is a shared calendar that reflects all the activities and events for everyone in the household...and I do mean everything. If someone -- is required to be somewhere -- at sometime, it goes into the calendar. If we are given a calendar that reflects all the events for a particular activity (say, Little League), all these events immediately go into the calendar, along with notations on whether we are providing the team snack, working in the snack bar, etc. Even events that occur anytime during the day, like family birthdays, and other rem...

Google Docs adds templates

I have started to move away from using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc) in favor of online tools like Google Docs . Even as a computer consultant, I find that I use probably less than 10% of the features in any of these projects. One feature I really like in Google Docs is the easy, online file sharing that also allows you to edit simultaneously with someone else. Today, Google Docs added some templates including business cards, brochures and more. At the moment, it looks like they are rolling out this feature over time, so you might not yet see the templates on your account. When available, you will find the templates under the New... menu item. From Open Loops ... Today, Google quietly rolled out a new feature for their Google Docs Applications: Templates! It's so new that it isn't even listed on the new features page at this time. When one opens their Google Docs account and chooses to start a new document, a new "From Template..." command is pre...

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