Six Tips to Buying a 3D Printer

by : John C Arkin

If your company has decided to buy a 3D printer so you can create your own scale models, you need to study your options carefully before you make the actual purchase. That is because 3D printers are not exactly inexpensive, with entry level units costing around US$15,000. Not all companies have that much capital to spare on machines like that and buying machines that you will end up not using is only a waste of resources.

So that you will not end up with a machine that will eventually just gather dust in your storage room, you need to weigh in a few considerations before you buy your 3D printer. Here are six tips that can guide you along the way.

1. Identify your needs. Before you buy the 3D printer, ask yourself why you need the machine in the first place. What are you going to use it for? Will you be using it to test and validate the designs you have drafted? In that case, you will need a 3D printer that is not fussy so long as it comes up with the models that you need. Will you be presenting your scale models to your clients?

2. Assess your needs. As useful as a 3D printer may be to your company, if you do not create more than a couple of scale models in a month, it may be more cost-effective for you simply to outsource your scale models to a service provider. After all, the costs of a 3D printer do not just involve its purchase price but also the price of the resins and powder you will use with the printer as well as maintenance and tune-up done at least once a year.

3. Consider if the machine will indeed meet your needs. If you have determined that your company will really benefit from having a 3D printer at your disposal, you may want to consider a number of 3D printer models and take a good look at their features. Not all prototyping machines are made with the same features, so you would want the kind that will suit your needs the most.

4. Weigh in the sensitivity of your projects. One advantage of having your own 3D printer is that you may be bound by a confidentiality clause with your project contracts. Outsourcing your models can jeopardize that confidentiality clause, even if your service provider signs a non-disclosure agreement.

5. Ask for a demonstration. You can also ask the dealer from which you will buy your 3D printer for a demonstration of how the printer works from start to finish. This demonstration can give you a clear idea of how the machine will serve your needs, especially if the dealer allows you to operate the sample machine on your own.

6. Inquire about after-sales support. Since 3D printers can be sensitive machines, you will need some after-sales customer care from the dealer or the manufacturer. Do not hesitate to inquire what kind of product support they provide before you buy. Also, ask about the costs of maintaining the machine and the costs of the materials to be used with the printer.

Skype Launch Skype Access

Great news for all Skype users. Skype's latest product, Skype Access will enable free WiFi access in over 100,000 hotspots worldwide this coming weekend, 20-21 March 2010. It will lets anyone pay for WiFi access per minute using Skype Credit, so that they can surf the web, email and make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls in a massive network of WiFi hotspots including cafes, hotels and airports worldwide. From 00.00 GMT on Saturday 20 March to 23.59 GMT on Sunday 21 March, Skype Access will be completely free to use from anywhere in the world. All you need is a connection to a Skype Access Hotspot and the latest version of Skype (Windows 4.2 or Mac 2.8) which can be downloaded from www.skype.com/go/download

Blind Soldier Can See With Tongue Device

Can you believe that you can see everything with your tongue? Please believe it now cause Lance Corporal Craig Lundberg who was blinded by a grenade in 2007 has test the new technology calld BrainPort. The device consists of a tiny video camera attached to a pair of sunglasses which are linked to a plastic "lollipop" which the user places on their tongue to read the pulses. It converts visual images into a series of electrical pulses which are sent to the tongue. The different strength of the tingles can be read or interpreted so the user can mentally visualise their surroundings and navigate around objects. It's amazing what technology can do!



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LEGO Sequencer - Turning Lego Into Music

This brilliant instrument is the work of Yoshi Akai, a mad scientist from Japan. He has turned a background in textile art and design and an interest in sound into some of the most unusual musical instruments ever. Check out video.






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Blog

Blogs are one of the greatest phenomenon ever produced by the Internet. Nowadays everyone has their own blog. You can create your own blog on a free or paid platform. Almost every business these days has a presence on the Internet. The real genius in blogs appears in the process of how they are written. You can update your blog instantly from any internet connection on any computer anywhere in the world.

Another advantage of having a blog as way of doing free internet business advertising is that you create a credibility and show visitors that you have a lot of knowledge and passion for the subjects related to your business. Yes, you too can advertise on blogs to make money. Blogging is an excellent strategy to put a face to your business name and website by the nature of human interaction on the blog. You can actually lead your blog visitors to your main website, choosing exactly where you take them. Writing on a topic that you know a lot about and thus sharing your expertise with others can be very rewarding. A blog is really a great tool for free internet business advertising and if you use it in a smart way it can really help you to boost the amount of visitors to your website and also have them coming back over and over again.

Free PDF Converter - Choose It Wisely

Have you in a situation where you need to choose a free PDF converter and you're stuck to pick the best one? If yes, read on,and I think you will love this tips that I found.

PDF or Protocol Document Format is a widely used file format for both personal and business communication. Its popularity is due to this type of file’s versatility. You can convert your documents and images into PDF files using free PDF conversion programs available on the web. An expensive PDF converter is unnecessary. There are a number of free software titles to choose from that can be easily downloaded from online sources. When choosing a free PDF converter for your documents and images, consider the following tips.

1. Output quality. The quality of the converted file is the main factor in choosing a free PDF converter. Some converters cannot preserve the original content and layout of the files. Overlapped text as well as watermarks or unusual text boxes sometimes appear in the converted file. Choose a PDF converter that can keep your columns and tables where they are. Text and graphics should be preserved upon conversion. If the document contains hyperlinks, once converted, these hyperlinks should still work.

2. Conversion speed. Some free PDF converters require you to upload your file or send it via email like Zamzar and Koolwire. Then, you wait for the converted file to be returned to you. Some converters take quite some time before returning the converted file to you especially if the original file is a large one. Explore the option of downloading and installing a free PDF converter to your desktop. This way, you don’t have to wait for an email before you get your converted file. Topshareware.com has a variety of suggested free PDF converters ready for download.

3. Support for different formats. Look for a free PDF converter that can convert different file formats you normally use (for example, .doc, .html, and .rtf). If you work with encrypted or password protected PDF files, make sure you look for a converter that can support this as well.

4. User friendly interface. Most free PDF converters are easy to use and straightforward. But just in case you find one that is giving you a headache, skip it and try other options.

5. Partial and batch conversion. Flexibility can be another factor in choosing a free PDF converter. If you need to perform a batch conversion of hundreds of PDF files, choose a converter that can handle your requirements.

6. System requirements. If you plan to download a free PDF converter, make sure your computer can handle the system requirements of the software. Your computer’s operating system will also dictate which free converter you can use.


Credits to How To Do Things

Playstation Move Motion Controller

Playstation Move the name given to the new Sony Playstation 3 motion controller that looks something like a microphone with a big glowing ball at the end. The PlayStation Move motion controller offers a motion-based, High Definition gaming experience unlike anything on the market. The PlayStation Move motion controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced motion sensors, including a three axis gyroscope, a three axis accelerometer and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, as well as a colour-changing sphere that is tracked by the PlayStation Eye camera. Source

Laser Eye Surgery

by : Adam Douglas

If we have some eye problems, we can choose to receive eye surgery. However, in the surgery, no scalpel will be used, but laser. The Excimer laser plays the same role as scalpel in the surgery. Laser surgery is also suitable for those who can not receive scalpel surgery.

Generally, eyeglasses and contact lenses are the commonest solutions for nearsightedness and farsightedness. Of course, laser surgery is also suitable and effective for the two problems. But for sufferers of other complicated eye problems, like astigmatism, those glasses and lenses are not so ideal. On the contrary, LASIK surgery is the best alternative.

In laser surgery, every detail is operated in an accurate way. Safety is also another very important feature of this surgery. The recovery time is very short and receivers can enjoy perfect vision after the surgery. In the surgery, the inner cornea will be reshaped by the laser.

Generally, cutting cornea with laser will lead to great risk. And luckily, this has been much improved in the accuracy of the surgery now.

In U.S., there are no less than one million receivers of laser surgery with very high success rate, almost 80%.

In the past, the surgery on the cornea requires greatly on the surgeons and almost no people can receive it. And now, the emergence of laser surgery has solved all such problems.

Some merits of laser eye surgery have attracted many people to receive it, like the great success rate, short recovery time, etc. Several days after the surgery, receivers can have very good vision. However, this surgery is very expensive. If you earn a lot of money, you can consider of receiving it.

One of the most important steps in the surgery is to find the just right surgeon. It is true that there are more and more surgeons for LASIK. Therefore, it is essential to confirm the identification of the surgeon, including the equipments for the surgery. Also, it is a very good idea to listen to other's feedbacks on the surgeon.

Play Pinball With Your Mind?

Will you playing pinball with your brain? Recently the Berlin brain-computer interface group show off their mind controlled Pinball machine. The player imagines left and right hand movements, algorithms decode his brain activity signals in real time into control signals for the pinball machine. If they have mastered the training regime, they are hooked directly to the pinball machine. There, their brainwaves are linked to the left and right paddles so they can play the game without using their hands at all.






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Fridge With Built-In Internet by Samsung

Wow, another cool fridge for future. Samsung has unveiled the most hi-tech fridge called "Samsung Zipel e-Diary" which you can also use it to surf the Net. The door of the "Zipel e-Diary" features a 10-inch (25 cm) touch screen equipped with locally developed wi-fi software, allowing users to monitor Internet news and weather and store or display pictures and data. The refrigerator comes with a price of 2.49 million won or about 2,174 US dollars.


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Skinput - Turns Your Arm Into A Phone?

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Microsoft have produced Skinput, an experimental device that turns the body's largest organ into a touch screen. This is amazing and hello future! I wonder, how much radiation will exposes to our body. hm..




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Free Trend Micro Internet Security 2010

Trend Micro is offering FREE 1 year genuine license of their "Internet Security 2010" software. This software will cost you around $49,95 but if you follow this step, you can get it for FREE:

1. All you need to do is just download the 149MB TIS175_IOMEGA.exe setup file from this promotional link here.

2. During installation, when asked to enter your Trend Micro Internet Security serial number, just select "Install a free trial version". You will also come to a part where you need to activate the program by entering your email address.


That's it. Hope everything is fine and enjoy your FREE Trend Micro Internet Security software.