The SolidSmack Weekend Reader | Week 28.19

Now that the Jony Ive dust has settled, we are back to routine. No one is hurt, the show must go on. And so must the endless cups of coffee. Before you turn your attention to the next chapter on your book. Do take a look at the week that was.

Great stuff, we loved it. So will you. Get reading now …

This Flaming Pyrotable Moves to the Sounds of the Beat

If you’ve ever had the chance to see one in physics class, you may have come across a Ruben’s Tube when learning about acoustic standing waves. For those who haven’t (or need a quick brush-up), a Ruben’s Tube is a hole-riddled hollow tube filled with flammable gas; it shows how normally invisible sound waves and pressure interact in the physical world (and also allows for some spectacular on-the-spot cooking shows).

Cool Tools: Magnetic Fidget Pens that Make You Go Ooooo

With all the stress and grind of being a designer, pondering over the next brief, your hands need something to play with– to fidget, move and make you snap and doodle, all at one go. Possible? Yes, with the MAGNETIPS Magnetic Gel Pens, all of this is possible.

I Made a Sweet Multi-Material Ninja Star With One Machine [Snapmaker 3-in-1 Review]

It’s no secret I love 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC routing.  What I don’t love is all the maintenance and calibration of my own machines or questionable reliability and transit times to other people’s machines. And soooo many software programs — Talk about workflow woes. Hence my piqued interest in the upswell of 3-in-1 desktop fabrication machines. Molten hot plastic, sharp spinny things, and lasers. Oh my! The trifecta of safety glass-requiring, safety-oriented mom-hated, melded machinery. 

Watch the Empire State Building Get Recreated with 20,000 Magnetic Balls

Famous for his mesmerizing magnet build videos, aptly-named YouTube creator Magnetic Games is back with yet another giant magnetic project. This time around, he’s set his sights on one of New York’s most prominent skyline structures: the Empire State Building.

IKEA Introduces SOFFA Sans Font for Sofa Sectional Design by Keyboard

Hold onto your Swedish meatballs and lingonberry jam—the marketing team at IKEA is at it again. And no, they didn’t create self-assembling furniture…yet. If you’re a fan of the GRÖNLID, the LIDHULT, or the SÖDERHAMN sofas, designing your next setup can now be done sans CAD via your trusty laptop keyboard. Yes—the same keyboard you used to order that 2-pound jug of Cheese Balls from Amazon.

Will It Work? Dune Buggy Tires Fabricated From Saran Wrap

You’ve likely seen your fair share of wacky car ideas on the internet, but have you ever seen tires made out of…saran wrap? The guys over at the Novice Garage let their curiosity get the best of them and recently wrapped the clear-clingin‘ stuff around the rear wheels of a dune buggy to see if it just might actually work. So how does one even begin to create…saran wrap wheels?

Tour of “Next Big Thing”, German IoT Incubator, at Factory Berlin

We head to Berlin, Germany in the 2nd installment of my Euro tour learning about HW tech development across the pond. Here, I interview the CTO of Next Big Thing, Jasmin Skenderi. There’s also a video of their facilities at Factory Berlin, and an interview with a portfolio company, Sensry.

The post The SolidSmack Weekend Reader | Week 28.19 appeared first on SolidSmack.

Read more about CAD, product design and related technology at SolidSmack.com