thebaldgeek

Terry and I have looked at getting a 3D printer.
Once again however, for us, it’s a solution looking for a problem.
There have been very few times in the past 2-3 years that I have wanted (needed) to build a replica of part that I already have.
There have been even fewer times when I have wanted to make a part from a CAD drawing in the computer.
I get that some people (like Kickstarters) would want to print a bunch of stuff…. We use them at work as well to print prototypes of new parts we are looking at building…..
For your average guy at home? Not so much.

All that said, the makers of 3D printers have not stopped at trying to make 3D printers so cheap and friendly, that you can not ignore them.
(Bit like wide screen monitors really – they came when no one asked for them).

http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/11/the-da-vinci-1-0-aio-is-the-future-of-all-in-one-3d-printers/

This one is trying to make the whole end to end process as simple as possible to ‘photocopy’ real world objects.
They see that the common man is not going to want (or have the skill) to design a part from scratch, with a mouse and a whole lot of time.
Rather, they are more likely to want to copy something they already have (why, I have no idea, but don’t let that get in their way).
So, this thing is a laser scanner and printer all in one.

The AiO is a closed box that contains a full ABS 3D printing system as well as a laser 3D scanner. A turntable under the built platform spins objects slowly as a laser takes in their contours and the resulting objects can be printed directly from the scanning software. It is literally a 3D copier with true object-in/object-out systems. In short, it is a Star Trekian replicator – within reason.

There are size limits of course, you are not going to print yourself a Smart Car with this thing, but for fist sized objects, it might be just the ticket.

First, lets’ take a moment to marvel at what this thing truly is. You can place an object into it and make a 3D copy of that object. If you really think about what that means you realize that we have moved from the age of bits into the age of atoms. While the AiO might not be the best 3D printer in the world it does bring 3D copying into your home or office. Let that sink in. A few years ago that was deemed impossible, the realm of science fiction. But no longer. But that’s not the most amazing thing. The most amazing thing about this printer is its $799 price tag. That’s right: $799 gets you a 7.8×7.8 x7.5 inch build envelope in ABS as well as a 3D scanner. A good color laser printer cost that much in 2013.

I will leave it at that.
The price is coming down, the features and friendliness of the process is going up.
There is no question that a 3D printer is in my (or Terry’s) future.
Just like the Raspberry Pi sat on my shelf for 2-3 years before I found a task for it, this thing is much the same, only I am not going to buy one to have it sit around, as the technology will only get better and better over time.
When the need arises, I will pick one up from the local hardware store.

3D printers. Its a thing. They are getting better, cheaper and faster.

Oh, look, yet another use of a Raspberry Pi that I did not need….

https://learn.adafruit.com/piphone-a-raspberry-pi-based-cellphone

Ever wanted to build you own cellphone? Well now you can with this guide that uses a Raspberry Pi, PiTFT, and a FONA to make a functional cellphone that you can call your friends with!

Things You’ll Need:

Raspberry Pi computer, the Model B or Model B+.

Resistive 2.8″ PiTFT or Capacitive 2.8″ PiTFT – 2.8″ TFT touchscreen for

Raspberry Pi. The capacitive version looks nicer and has a glass top that does not require pressing down, but it’s more expensive!

SD memory card, 4GB or larger.

1200mAh Lithium Polymer battery

DC-DC converter

FONA + Antenna

“Hands-free” Headphones with Microphone

You can use a DC-DC converter to give us 5V for the Raspberry Pi. Or just go with a big USB battery pack such as this one, but it won’t look as tidy.

I really should stop with the sarcasm on these weird uses of these small computers.
I’m sure, someone, somewhere will be building this for who know why….. I mean you can go to a any Op Shop (Thrift store in USA) and get a perfectly good flip phone for 5 bucks or a smart(ish) phone for about 10 bucks.
Much better battery life, much more durable and just better all round, but hey, you did not build them, you just saved them from landfill.

Am I getting old and grumpy? [Don’t answer that – anyone!].

Oh, I am all over this!

https://gigaom.com/2014/11/24/omsignal-biometric-shirt-review/

Shut up and take my money!

My heart is moving at 52 beats a minute and my lungs are cycling through 17 inhales and exhales per minute as I write this post. Earlier today during a treadmill run, the picture was completely different: A peak of 171 beats and 42 breath cycles a minute.

I’m not getting this data from a strap, band or a watch. It’s actually coming from a shirt.

Put this shirt on, load up your iOS app (yeah, thats the deal breaker for me right there – I’m an Android guy, not an Apple guy), and you can start getting your body metrics from your shirt!!!!!

It has heart rate, breathing and activity level (aka, movement) all built in.
Not only that, but it looks like something you would actually want to wear!
Best thing of all, we are not talking future, its here and now.

Sure, at 200 bucks for the first shirt and 70 bucks after that, it’s a little steep now, but the price will come down. (Also, keep in mind that you can pay – easily – 50 bucks for a workout shirt…. I don’t, Freddy gets mine from the Op shop (thrift store-USA) and pays around 4 bucks each!).

Anyway, point is, it’s great to see something other than just the usual worn out wearable / smart watch / wrist band thing… but, yes, it’s yet another app in your phone.

EDIT. Before this blog was published, another shirt maker is claiming they are the first to make a bio-shirt.
http://www.ralphlauren.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=46285296

I don’t care whos first or not, my point is, bio-clothing for the quantified self is coming. Ready or not.

Ok, now here is a use of a Raspberry Pi I can get behind.
This is what I am talking about.

A computer that just sits and does it’s job of reporting data to the cloud and then letting AI take it from there….

http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/24/weaved-hauls-your-raspberry-pi-projects-online

Playing with Raspberry Pi is a lot of fun, but what happens when you want to get some real work done? While it’s not difficult to make a RaspPi board do cool stuff, getting it to communicate with the wider world is a bit of a challenge. That’s why Ryo Koyama, Mike Johnson, and Doug Olekin made Weaved.

While the goal is a bit broad – “Weaved is looking to enable Internet of Things for everyone, and sees a vision where IoT capabilities are a feature onto all electronic devices,” said Koyama – the idea is fairly simple. By giving a RaspPi Internet of Things capabilities, you can expand the scope of the hardware immensely.

Essentially, using the service and a Wi-Fi connection, the RaspPi board becomes a secure node in your private IoT network. This means you can login to your Pis and get notifications from various inputs on the board.

So, what they are talking about is having a computer in the cloud that is a ‘socket’ for the data coming from your small computer.
It’s out in the real world, it’s small, cheap, low power and can run unattended. It just logs the data from its inputs to the big database in the sky.
You log into the big sky computer – which is much faster and more powerful than your little computer – and get the data of the process that you have your little computer hooked up to.

Sweet.

I might sign up for this one just to check it out.
(Once again, it’s a solution for a problem I – personally – don’t have).