ie8 fix

printer

Staples to offer in-store 3D printing on demand

Need a custom architectural or medical model in short order? How about a 3D map or, um... a handgun? Soon, Staples could be the place for all of the above -- OK, maybe not the gun -- through a new in-store 3D printing service just announced this week.

The office supply chain's apparent partner in the venture, MCOR Technologies, makes a commercial-class color 3D printer called the Iris that will be deployed first to Staples locations in the Netherlands and Belgium in early 2013. MCOR announced the printing service, dubbed Staples Easy 3D, in a press release, and at … Read more

Whitman proclaims new products will return HP to 'greatness'

With Hewlett-Packard's stock price going south in a hurry, CEO Meg Whitman tried to advance the argument that HP's 'return to greatness' will based on great products.

"In terms of investments, we are very focused on product, product, product," said CEO Meg Whitman in today's earnings conference call, via a transcript provided by Seeking Alpha.

Whitman continued. "Great companies return to greatness on the basis of product."

She went on to cite products like its "Gen8" servers, Moonshot servers, and new lines of PCs, printers, and services.

Both Whitman and chief … Read more

James Bond stunt Aston Martin made in giant 3D printer

Sean Connery first rocked the iconic James Bond Aston Martin DB5 in 1964's "Goldfinger." That vehicle made a reappearance in this year's blockbuster "Skyfall" with Daniel Craig at the wheel.

Spoiler alert: Craig's DB5 meets an untimely end involving flames. You can't just take a priceless real DB5 and blow it up on film, so the filmmakers turned to a high-tech prop solution: 3D printing.… Read more

3D photo booth prints your whole body pose

Flat photos are so last year. What may be the world's first 3D photo booth is about to open in Japan. The Omote 3D photo booth creates action-figure-size versions of posing people.

Unlike an old-fashioned photo booth, you will only get one "photo." This might not be the best way to capture a proposal, for example. You and your soon-to-be-fiance would just be standing there as you wait the 15 minutes it takes for the 3D scanner to capture your image.… Read more

NASA 3D-printing parts for its next rocket headed for Mars

3D printing has captured the imaginations of just about anyone who knows what it is -- even NASA, apparently.

The space agency is using a similar technology to create precise metal parts for its next heavy-lift rocket, which it hopes will eventually help take humans to Mars.

The method is called selective laser melting, or SLM, but it's not quite the same as printing up a sweet "Star Wars" chess set out of extruded plastic. It's more of a cross between 3D printing and some high-end, defense-grade awesome tech.… Read more

Scrapheap printer orchestra plays Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan famously sang that the times they are a-changin' -- but little did he know just how much. So much, in fact, that a MIDI-controlled orchestra made of old consumer electronics can now play one of his all-time classics.

Chris Cairns of production company Partizan teamed with creative firm Isthisgood? to turn old Brother photocopiers, scanners, fax machines, printers, hard drives, and modems into a full-scale scrapheap symphony with a penchant for folk.

They soldered, reprogrammed, hacked, and rewired 97 printer relics destined for the landfill and even custom-designed their own circuitboard that could control all of the printers from one main computer. … Read more

Get a Canon multifunction printer and Bluetooth mouse for $50

Need to print something? Copy something? Scan something? Aw, that's so cute and quaint.

But necessary, sometimes. And cheap, today.

For a limited time, Canon has the refurbished Pixma MG5320 multifunction printer and X Mark Mouse for $49.99 shipped.

I'll get to the printer in a minute -- because check out that mouse! It's not only a Bluetooth-powered wireless wheel mouse, but also a calculator and numeric keypad! As someone who was just bemoaning the lack of a keypad on his wee laptop, I'm loving that. It's available in black or white, and normally … Read more

Iron Man mask, cat skeletons star at London 3D-printer show

The future is made of plastic and is being gradually spit out of a 3D printer. CNET UK convention center veteran Luke Westaway took to the floor of the 3D Printshow London 2012 on Friday to examine trinkets, musical instruments, and even replica cat skeletons scanned from mummified remains that have been crafted by these marvelous making machines. Hit play on the video above to see them in action.

3D printers work by taking data from a virtual, computer-designed model and building them slice by slice into three-dimensional objects, which can even feature moving parts. Earlier this year, a U.S. designer created a working 3D phone glove that can be printed, but that barely scratches the surface of what these creator bots are able to achieve. … Read more

Print isn't dead, though printer woes make me wish it were

Normally I try to provide thoughtful commentary in the Common Sense Tech column, with solutions to problems that I raise when I can find them. But indulge me in rant. Because, once again, I've had it with printers.

I hate printers. They never seem to work. I don't care the model. I don't care the operating system talking to them. I don't care if it's printing through wireless or USB. Printers don't work.

I print far less than I ever used to, but the odd occasion still comes up requiring it. Often it's that there's some form that requires an actual physical signature be written on it, because some bank, government agency, or other bureaucracy is still operating in the paper age.

With a sigh, I push print and hope that the form actually comes out of the printer. Sometimes it does, which leaves me in dread of the next step -- will I be able to scan it with my signature, in order to e-mail it back. Or worse, can I get the fax to work, if that's the only way to send it? Where's my phone cord again?… Read more

The 404 1,144: Where we switch up our 'za (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- A device to call your mom when you crash your bike.

- Stop the madness: 3D-printed headphones?!

- A jacket that hugs you for getting "Likes" on Facebook.

- Target adds QR codes to hot holiday toys for secret shopping.

- Also, New York is about to have QR codes everywhere soon.

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