manning

Advances in 3D printing hold great promise for the creation of drugs, medical implants, prosthetics, and now superhero action figure versions of ourselves.

The $125 Personalized Superhero Action Figure available from Firebox is several big steps up from doodling a superhero version of yourself on the inside of your Trapper pocket folder.

It's pretty simple to turn yourself into a mini-me full of rippling muscles and superhuman strength. Take two pictures of yourself, one from the front and one from the side. Send them in to Firebox. Wait for the 3D-printed version of your head and your choice of action figure to arrive.… Read more

NirSoft's DevManView is a freeware alternative to the built-in Device Manager in Windows. It not only displays your system's devices but also those of any other computers on your network, as long as you have Admin privileges. It's a great choice for managing a home network, letting you keep tabs on each system's hardware and drivers from one interface. DevManView is available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions; we downloaded the 64-bit version for Windows 7.

We've tried many of developer Nir Sofer's excellent free apps, including the 32-bit version of DevManView, and we've … Read more

There once existed a land where DLC (downloadable content) didn't exist and games came on cartridges. The Freeware Crew frequently reminisces about those golden days and we've dug up three titles to bring them back to life on your PC. Check out these 16-bit tributes and kiss your weekend goodbye. … Read more

Audi proved the worth of its diesel engine technology with a win at the 2006 Le Mans, breaking new ground for the legendary endurance race. This year, Audi ups the ante with two cars using hybrid diesel-electric drive systems.

The drive technology, branded by Audi as e-tron, uses a V-6 turbo-diesel engine on the rear axle, and an electric motor on the front axle. Similar to Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) being deployed in F1 racing, the Audi R18 e-tron quattro captures braking energy in a flywheel. The car can then convert the energy of the spinning flywheel into electricity, … Read more

YouTube user RockeyPlanetesimal's "Go right" video might send you dashing down memory lane with its array of clips of beloved game characters running for their lives.

The beautiful montage of video game history, infused with dramatic music, shows off many popular games from past and present. As an enhancement to the experience, the footage appears self-shot, giving it a much livelier feel. … Read more

Any barbecue kit worth its salt (or sauce) is going to have a few essentials in it. Topping the list might be a spatula or a food turner of some sort. Additional useful items might include tongs as well as a grill brush to clean the grates before use. And, of course, a light of some kind so as to keep grilling after the sun goes down. Preferably one with magnets.

Not only does the Man Law MAN-F378BBQ Twist Flashlight come with a tripod mount that sticks to the grill magnetically, it also stands by ready for action without the … Read more

If you've seen "Iron Man 2," you've seen 3D printing in action at a very high level.

When director Jon Favreau and Paramount Pictures were making the hit 2010 film, they needed to find the best way to put together a physical Iron Man suit for certain scenes in the movie that couldn't be computer generated.

Rather than build models by hand, as was long the practice in Hollywood, the filmmakers turned to 3D printing, one of the hottest technologies around.

Indeed, in the film's scenes that were done in live-action -- as opposed to CGI (computer-generated imagery) -- its star, Robert Downey, Jr., can be seen wearing a suit that was first digitally modeled, then produced in pieces on a sophisticated 3D printer, and then painted. … Read more

The anniversaries this week of the first man in space and the launch of NASA's first space shuttle missions come at time when commercial spacecraft are ushering in a new era of space flight.

Thursday was the 51st anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's 108-minute orbit around the Earth, an event that shocked the world and ratcheted up the speed of the Cold War-fed space race.

And 31 years ago on April 12, the space shuttle Columbia lifted off, the inaugural flight of NASA's shuttle program which drew to a close last year.

Astronauts from different countries on the … Read more

A founder of the Bradley Manning Support Network, who says federal agents seized his laptop because of his support for the alleged Wiki-leaker, will have his day in court.

U.S. District Judge Denise Casper in Boston yesterday ruled that a lawsuit challenging activist David House's border searches and other interviews by government agents may continue.

In an opinion (PDF) rejecting the U.S. government's request to dismiss the case, Casper wrote that just because "the initial search and seizure occurred at the border does not strip House of his First Amendment rights," especially because it … Read more