3-d printing

LAS VEGAS--We knew the Replicator 2X was coming, and MakerBot did not disappoint.

Announced only in name this past September, MakerBot demonstrated a working Replicator 2X 3D printer at a press conference today at CES. The new printer is a higher-end version of the Replicator 2 MakerBot announced this past autumn.

Like the Replicator 2, the new model features a finer printing resolution than the original MakerBot Replicator, as small as 100 microns per layer of extruded plastic, and it also has a redesigned chassis. Among the updated features of the more polished-looking design are an aluminum build platform and … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Now 3D Systems is getting serious.

Along with the new midrange Cube, 3D Systems has also introduced a new, higher-end desktop 3D printer, the CubeX, with technical specs that puts it in direct competition with MakerBot's Replicator 2 and forthcoming dual-color Replicator 2X 3D printers.

Starting at $2,499, the CubeX boasts a 10.8x10.45x9.5-inch build area, dwarfing that of MakerBot's Replicator 2 (11.2x6x6.1 inches). And while you will soon be able to purchase a two-color capable Replicator 2X from MakerBot, 3D Systems will offer the CubeX in both two- and three-color options.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--With an updated Cube 3D printer, announced this morning, 3D Systems has demonstrated its commitment to improving the ease-of-use for consumer 3D printing.

The new Cube might look familiar if you recall the company's original model, announced at last year's CES. The new version is available in a few new colors now, but it otherwise largely looks the same. The biggest functional change on its exterior comes to the build plate.

Whereas before the Cube's build plate was a heated piece of metal, the new build plate is glass, and is unheated. Traditionally, you heat the … Read more

The LP was invented in 1948, and judging by the sales surge over the past few years, LPs won't be going away anytime soon. Amanda Ghassaei's "3D Printed Record" project demonstrated vinyl's continuing relevance in the 21st century. Years ago when I saw an early demonstration of 3D printing, I knew the technology would eventually lead to printing LPs, but now it's a little closer to becoming a reality. First, however, there are major sound-quality issues to overcome with 3D printed LPs (though they can play tunes with fidelity that's far below MP3 … Read more

I can't bear to part with my record collection. It's got gems like Steely Dan's "The Royal Scam" that sound better on a turntable and amplifier than on MP3.

Maybe analog sound can feel better because we're analog creatures. Whatever the reason, vinyl's recent popularity has led to events like Record Store Day and DIY projects like Amanda Ghassaei's 3D-printed records.

An editorial staffer at Instructables.com, Ghassaei managed to lay down digital audio files on 3D-printed 33 rpm records that she played on a standard turntable.

The results, as heard in the video below, sound about as clear as phonograph cylinders from the 1880s. The audio output has a sampling rate of 11kHz and 5- to 6-bit resolution, but tunes like Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" are easily recognizable. … Read more

Citing the threat of plastic, 3D-printed firearms, U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., held a press conference this weekend calling for the renewal of the Undetectable Firearms Act. The act was originally conceived in 1988 in response to the Glock 17, a handgun with some components made from plastic composites.

The law has been renewed several times since its inception, most recently in 2003. It's currently due to expire in December 2013.

For gun rights advocates, the Undetectable Firearms Act comes across as legislative hand-wringing. Others find the law to be an example of security theatrics and a … Read more

Microsoft might have a new Xbox for the 2013 holiday season.

A new report from Bloomberg suggests that Microsoft might be readying the successor to the Xbox 360 for the 2013 holiday season. We here at CNET have been speculating the company might do the big unveiling at E3 2013 next summer and then set up a release shortly after. Some of the rumored features of the next Xbox -- aside from an obvious bump in performance -- are a Blu-ray drive and a more precise version of Kinect.

Industry site Telecoms.com has discovered some information about the iPhone 5'… Read more

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

NASA is already experimenting with 3D-printing components for rockets to Mars, but the fun doesn't have to stop at liftoff.

Researchers at Washington State University and NASA are suggesting that rocks on the moon or Mars could be used to print useful objects like tools or replacement parts.… Read more