If you’re an iPad user soaking in the retina display rays of the latest tablet tech, you’re flipping open a cover that’s flimsy, only allows viewing at 10 degrees off a flat surface and doesn’t even stick to the magnets you’ve embedded in your abs. That’s about to change in a flippin’ big way. The FlipSteady is an iPad cover that’s smarter than any ‘Smart Cover’ with multiple viewing angles, mounting options and ten time the cool factor when you whip it open at your local coffee shop. Prepare to make people gasp in delight.
NVIDIA and Dell: Improving Interactivity in SolidWorks

Continuing improvements in workstation graphics processing units (GPUs) allow users to dramatically increase interactivity with SolidWorks by upgrading existing workstations with the latest NVIDIA Quadro graphics. For example, a Dell Precision workstation running a current Quadro GPU, based on NVIDIA Fermi architecture, can deliver up to three times the performance of previous generations.
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Stratasys and Optomec Join Forces to Make 3D Printed Electronics
Another step towards 3D printed electronics was taken recently – Stratasys and Optomec have been working together to develop a method whereby conductive material is deposited in a design. This has been the holy grail of 3D printing for a number of reasons.
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Stratasys & Objet Merge to Form Largest 3D Printing Company
Just when you thought 3D Systems was getting big and scary, the unexpected/expected happens. In an all-stock transaction, the merger of Israel-based Objet into Minnesota-based Stratasys, leaves the new entity with a $1.4 billion dollar equity value and a bigger slice of the market share.
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Geomagic Waves Wand, Acquires Sensable 3D Design and Hapitcs
Geomagic has a hankering for haptics. You know them for their reverse engineering and inspection software. Now, they add 3D software and haptic control devices to their line-up giving them a very strong portfolio of engineering/manufacturing products.
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Odd 3D Printing Materials
3D Printing with Plastic? Pfft, whatever. Metal. Old hat. Bone? Get out of here! The number of materials being used and experimented on with 3D printers is getting out of hand – and actually, it’s quite remarkable.
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The SolidSmack Update 1:05
Tired from the long week? Looking forward to kicking back with an ice cold one while being feed steaks and cheeses by an Ukrainian mine worker? Let the SolidSmack Update take you there. KICK IT.
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MatterPort Turns Spaces and Objects into 3D Models.
Fast and Easy 3D Capture? YES PLEASE. 3D Scanning is changing and MatterPort is a start-up that is convincingly leading the way. MatterPort is a hand-held scanning device that allows you to create incredibly accurate 3D models of interior spaces and objects “20 times faster” than any other technology.
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Free SolidWorks OBJ Export Macro Rocks Extra Hard
Have you ever felt the burning compulsion to export an OBJ file from SolidWorks, only to find out it’s not possible? Well, now it is. Neil Larsen and macro-maker Karpena have released a macro to make it happen. Absolutely free and exports both .obj and .mtl files.
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Wisdom of the Crowd: HD Quality 3D Printer, Bamboo Keyboard and Feet Bowls
You know what’s amazing about Crowdfunding? You’re not just buying something – you’re helping make it happen. If I had seen any of these projects on a blog or at a store I would say “Neat-o… Im glad someone made this.” And you know, I might buy it. Now I see these projects and I know that if I don’t contribute, it may not happen. Now I say “Neat-o … I want to make it happen.”
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