Why You'll Want A 3D Printer In Your Home

When it comes to 3D printing, there are two types of people.

There are those who say, “How convenient! I can 3D print new paper clips whenever I run out. And it only takes two minutes to print each one!”

And there are those who say, “I can order 1,000 paper clips on Amazon Prime and have them arrive tomorrow—no expensive machine required.”

But devotees and skeptics alike get one thing right: 3D printing continues to sit at the juncture between novelty and practicality. It makes sense for some uses, but hasn’t yet proven itself to be a technology we can’t live without.

See also: 3D Printing’s On A Roll, But Still Missing A Beat
Even the most cynical of us can acknowledge that 3D printing is capable of change on a global scale. 3D printing could boost manufacturing productivity if warehouses adopt it. On the medical front, it’s already being used to create functional, affordable prosthetics in Uganda.

At the Consumer Electronics Show this January, companies showed off their 3D-printed wares like useless plastic tzotchkes, models, and toys. But once the gimmick of printing something out of plastic wears off, the question remains—why do we need these in our homes again?

Larry Crenshaw, AT&T's "director of strategic messaging," told ReadWrite his company invested in a relationship with 3D printing company Cubify because it strongly believes that a more useful era of 3D printing is already on the way.

“Today it’s novelty, tomorrow it’s tools and things you need,” Crenshaw said.

3D Printing Comes Home

At AT&T’s Innovation Center in Washington D.C., Crenshaw demoed the Cubify for a group of reporters, including me. He passed around a juicer, a paper clip, labeled plant stakes, and other minor practical objects for us to see. He also passed around models of the Washington Monument, which admittedly, weren't practical in the slightest.

Some of Crenshaw's 3D prints.
Some of Crenshaw's 3D prints.
The reason companies rarely demo functional 3D prints, he said, is because they take a long time to create, and sometimes, they consist of multiple parts that later need to be fused together. The more time you’re willing to spend on 3D part printing and assembly, the more practical a 3D printer starts to become.

These plans all came from Thingiverse, Makerbot’s hub for free, Creative Commons-licensed 3D models. Anyone with a 3D printer can create anything from the site: Thingiverse has a section for household goods, as well as one for more challenging, multi-part models with larger payoffs like cameras and functional robots. Now that newer 3D printer models have dual cartridges, it's possible to print multicolored objects and, eventually, multi-fiber objects out of materials other than plastic.

It's important to realize that to get something truly useful out of a 3D printer, it requires your own labor and time—from adjusting models to specific sizes or shapes, to printing multiple pieces and then assembling them. 3D printing is certainly no Star Trek replicator, spitting out fully formed, complicated items in a matter of minutes—at least not yet.

For this reason, it's easy to see why the emerging technology of 3D printing seems like a step into the past. It could be difficult for companies to grasp why anyone, aside from makers or hobbyists, would want a device that requires so much effort on the user's part. 3D printing does not immediately meet customers' every need, at least by default, so its tempting to say that it never will.

But time and again, we've seen large corporations reject emerging technologies simply because they're not there yet.

In "Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave," authors Joseph L. Bower and Clayton M. Christensen note that Xerox let Canon create small desktop copiers because it couldn't imagine why customers would need them. Granted, back then, desktop scanners were slower and clunkier than they are today, but it still seems like a huge oversight considering that hardly any of us still use the oversized copiers of the past. The lesson here is that large companies aren't always right about technologies, and what they consider "novelties" could turn out to be the next big thing.

See more: 3D Printing's On A Roll, But Still Missing A Beat
Crenshaw brought up the example of cell phone texting: Once the realm of tweens, texting was seen as a step backward in technology from talking on the phone. But it soon became so popular, even corporations now embrace SMS.

“It was a trend with tweens, but companies looked down on it,” he said. “Now, everyone texts. Will 3D printing follow the same roadmap? It could be.”

My guess for the "hidden use" of 3D printing? Absolute and total customization.

We're all different people with different needs; why shouldn't our physical stuff be just as original as we are? Sure it's easier to order paper clips from Amazon Prime today. But perhaps my personal inclinations might sway me toward printing office supplies in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors that fit me and my tasks perfectly. Perhaps the new luxury will be to tailor our things the way celebrities tailor each and every one of their outfits.

As 3D printing becomes cheaper and faster—today it took Crenshaw one hour and twenty minutes to print this hollow citrus juicer—the cult of convenience won't even need to make way for the cult of personalization. And once you've gotten used to literally creating your environment according to your exact specifications, it could be hard to go back to wearing the same jewelry and buying the same interior furnishings as everyone else on the block.

You should never underestimate the human ego. And that's exactly why it's foolish to underestimate 3D printing






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The chastity bra that only opens when you find true love – or so they say

Japanese lingerie brand has unveiled a 'smart bra' that claims to 'know how women truly feel', remaining locked until its wearer falls in love

The stakes are getting increasingly high in the battle for the weirdest piece of wearable tech. After wifi-detecting hats and smartphone-charging wellies, it was only a matter of time until it all turned to sex – with the arrival of vibrating knickers, dresses that turn transparent, and aGoogle Glass app that lets you imagine you're having sex with yourself.

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Now, saucy Japanese lingerie brand Ravijour has upped the ante with a bra that pops open when you discover true love. Like a chastity belt for the social network age, the bra remains firmly locked shut most of the time, to defend its wearer from the hordes of sleazy menfolk trying to weasel their way in. But as soon as Prince Charming arrives, it dutifully bursts open with a gleeful spring, saving clumsy fumbling in the bedroom – and potentially taking his eye out in the process.

“When we fall in love, we experience an instant boost in excitement,” says the company's in-house Human Sexuality Specialist in the promotional video. “That feeling is unlike any other excitement we encounter in life.”

Then comes the science bit: “When excited, the adrenal medulla secretes catecholamine,” announces a man in a white coat, called Doctor. “This affects the automatic nerve and stimulates the heart rate.”

A cunning sensor built into the bra detects the wearer's heart rate and sends it to a special smartphone app for analysis, via Bluetooth. The app then calculates the “True Love Rate” based on changes in the heart rate over time. When this rate exceeds a certain value – hey-presto! – the hook opens.

“Until now, the bra was a just piece of clothing to remove,” says the smart-bra's creator, “but now it is an instrument to test for true love … destined to become a friend of women around the world.”

A friend, that is, until the bra decides to fling itself open when you're running for the bus. It might also get a bit annoying when you're watching a scary movie, if it keeps popping undone when the tension mounts. It's probably not the bra for a job interview either. Or if ever – shock horror – you want to have sex with someone you don't actually love.

As tech companies creep deeper into our homes, their eyes ever more on our bedrooms, we can no doubt look forward to bedsheets that post our performance to Facebook and condoms that send a celebratory climactic tweet. Or maybe they'll burst open too, when they can tell that you really want to have kids.
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The hilarious Russian marriage snaps that show how NOT to take a wedding photo

It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life, so what better way to celebrate your wedding than by posing as centaurs to demonstrate your love? Or riding a giant swan? Or perhaps fleeing a fire-throwing Transformer?

From the crude, to the rude, to the downright bizarre, this collection of images of provincial Russians getting married show exactly how not to take wedding photographs.

Several are carefully choreographed pictures that turn out to be absurd the moment the posing is over, yet they remain in the family albums for posterity.

Their special neigh: This happy couple couldn't stop horsing around throughout their wedding ceremony

A good rear to marry: This bride needed a well-earned nap after the ordeal of getting married (apparently)

Baguette me to the church on time: This bride knows exactly which side her bread is buttered

Young love: This couple couldn't get to the honeymoon suite soon enough

Thigh do! The photographer couldn't wait to start the shoot whether the brides stockings were on or not

Holy pond of marriage: This wedding was ruined by a giant swan who swooped in and whisked the happy couple off for an early honeymoon... at their local park

Always the bridesmaid: This bridesmaid was keen to show her frustration at never being the centre of attention herself

Others seem to be the newly betrothed wife seeking to show who is the boss after the nuptials.

Cars feature strongly - in one picture the couple's faces are superimposed on the wheels as they begin the journey on the family road to happiness.

To have and too cold: This bride has her husband wrapped around her little finger

Stupid's arrow: This bride was more concerned about snaring herself a groomsman than she was about her dress

Wee do: This photo raises more questions than it answers

The first chance: It wasn't long before this couple sneaked away for a bit of alone time

Who says a can of lager and a cigarette or putting a chair between your legs isn't classy?

Wedding cows: The groom at this wedding wanted nothing more than to celebrate by climbing a giant bull

Stay there! This photo isn't creepy at all

Give us a big kiss: There has been a huge rise in demand in recent years in Russia for mini brides

Does this dress make my bum look big? Even when all the groomsmen worked together, they couldn't get this bride to fit in her dress

Transformers in surprise: No one knew which way to turn when Optimus Prime arrived to give the bride away

A tyring day!: The congregation realised the car would need a push when the bride and groom turned into wheels

Criminal photography: The bridesmaid was inconsolable after she stumbled across the crime scene

Run for your wives: When the best man described the groom as larger than life, he didn't mean it literally

You are my strength: Her pre-wedding diet appeared to have paid off

Your love is like a giant mug: It's unclear exactly what point this picture is trying to make

Smile, we're framous: Despite every attempt to bring a touch of class to their wedding, he just couldn't take it seriously

Lenin me your ears: This couple were desperate to trumpet their union from under the statue of their favourite revolutionary

In most cases, though, you wouldn't know this is supposed to the happiest day of their lives, though one couple are look full of joy as they serenade a statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin.

The popular blogger who goes under the name 'pryf' simply says 'How not to take wedding pictures', and his montage is spreading like wildfire round the web.

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Devout Christian mother-of-three, 31, becomes first woman in Britain to DIE from cannabis poisoning after smoking a joint in bed to help her sleep

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Gemma Moss from Bouremouth, Dorset, is believed to have become the first woman in Britain to die directly from cannabis poisoning

A young mother of three died after she was poisoned by the cannabis she smoked to help her get to sleep.

Gemma Moss, 31, was killed by the level of the drug in her blood, an inquest heard.

The regular churchgoer, who was found dead in her bedroom, is thought to be the first woman in Britain known to have died directly from cannabis poisoning. 

Her death was caused by cannabis toxicity, and a coroner recorded a verdict of death by cannabis abuse.

The inquest was told that Miss Moss smoked half a joint a night to help her sleep.

The devout Christian had  been a frequent user but stopped for two years before her death last October.

Her family say she started using the drug again to help her sleep after becoming depressed when she split up with her boyfriend. 

A female friend told police Miss Moss smoked as much as £60 worth of the drug a week, although her family disputed this.

On the night of October 28  last year Miss Moss, who had two sons, Tyler, 15, and Tessiah, eight, and a daughter who lives abroad, went to bed after rolling a joint.

She was found the following morning by Tyler’s girlfriend who called an ambulance to the flat in Bournemouth.

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The cat who hates junk mail more than you! Aggressive feline lies in wait for postman then rips everything he puts through the letterbox to shreds...including his gloves!

While dogs are usually associated with hating the mailman, it's a cat that's gone postal on the postman in a YouTube video that has recently gone viral.

Clearly accustomed to the naughty kitty, the mailman records his foe as it does battle with every letter he tries to deposit in a mail slot, and nearly snatches the mailman's glove while he's at it.

The hilarious video proves it isn't just people who hate junk mail, felines do too. The cat disappears behind the closed door. 

But as soon as the mailman tries slipping in the mail, the cat reappears. 

Or at least its paws do. 'Boy, he’s getting tougher,' the mailman says.

The cat stops every attempt the mailman makes to deliver the mail.

Then, as if it has a change of heart, the cat starts pulling things in instead of swatting them out.

And in the process, it nearly snatches one of the mailman's gloves.

'Give me my glove back,' the cheerful mailman laughs.

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Going postal: This cat looks harmless, but it secretly has it in for mail in all its forms

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor cat? The cat fends off every attempt the laughing mailman makes to deliver the mail

The cat also snags the mailman's glove while he attacks the mail

The cat already lurks at the window when the postman arrives, as if it knows its enemy is coming.

'You coming down here,' the mailman asks in the clip from a recent America's Funniest Home Videos, though he knows the answer.

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'Zombie' Bees Surface in the Northeast

Mutant "zombie bees" that act like the ghoulish creatures of horror films have surfaced in the Northeast after first appearing on the West Coast, a bee expert told ABC News on Wednesday.

An amateur beekeeper in Burlington, Vt., last summer found honeybees infested with parasites that cause the insects to act erratically and eventually kill them. It was the first spotting of zombie bees east of South Dakota, according to John Hafernik, a professor of biology at San Francisco State University whose team in October verified the infestation.

"They fly around in a disoriented way, get attracted to light, and then fall down and wander around in a way that's sort of reminiscent of zombies in the movies," Hafernik said. "Sometimes we've taken to calling [it], when they leave their hives, 'the flight of the living dead.'"

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Honey bees are seen at the J & P Apiary and Gentzel's Bees, Honey and Pollination Company, April 10, 2013 in Homestead, Fla.

The professor accidentally discovered the zombie bees in California in 2008, and since then cases have been reported in Oregon, Washington state, California and South Dakota, he said.

The effect starts with a fly called the Apocephalus borealis, which latches onto European honeybees — common across the United States — and lays eggs in the bees that eventually hatch and wreak havoc on their hosts, Hafernik said.

"It's sort of a combination of zombies and aliens mixed together," he said.

But there's not necessarily any threat of a zombie (bee) invasion anytime soon, according to Hafernik.

The Vermont iteration of the bees first came to light when Anthony Cantrell, a hardware-store employee who took up beekeeping as a hobby less than a year ago, noticed some dead bees outside his home. Later, he came across ZomBeeWatch.org, a website run by Hafernik and his colleagues, and realized some of his bees might have become infested.

Honeybees sometimes become infested by other parasites and diseases. "I just thought, great, one more thing that the poor honeybee has to deal with," Cantrell, who has two hives, told ABC News.

Steve Parise, an agriculture production specialist with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, on Tuesday brought up the threat posed by zombie bees, at a meeting of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, according to Cantrell, who is a member.

Farmers rely on bees to pollinate agriculture fields and produce honey, but there hasn't been any sign of a widespread infestation, even though it remains unclear just how many bees across the continent have been infested, he said.

While researchers at San Francisco State University have confirmed reports of the parasitic flies infesting bees up and down the West Coast — one-third of hives in the San Francisco Bay Area may at certain points in time be infested — no confirmed cases have popped up in the Northeast since October, according to Hafernik.

Once the flies infest bees with their eggs, the bees start exhibiting zombielike behavior; then, once the eggs hatch, they generally drop dead after about five minutes, he said.

The culprit fly was originally discovered in the 1920s, in Maine, and has been found across the United States, where it had been known to parasitize bumblebees and yellow jacket hornets — but not honeybees, he said.

In Vermont, the state's Agency of Agriculture may trap bees to investigate the zombie bee threat, according to The Associated Press.

Cantrell's waiting out the winter to see if the parasite survives the winter.

McDonald's worker's Happy Meals had a bit extra: heroin, authorities say

A McDonald's employee in Pittsburgh was arrested

Wednesday after undercover police officers said they discovered her selling heroin in Happy Meal boxes, according to a criminal complaint.

Shantia Dennis, 26, was arrested after undercover law enforcement officials conducted a drug buy, according to a statement from Mike Manko, communications director for the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office.

Customers looking for heroin were instructed to go through the drive-through and say, "I'd like to order a toy." The customer would then be told to proceed to the first window, where they would be handed a Happy Meal box containing heroin, Manko said.

During the drug buy, the undercover officers recovered 10 stamp bags of heroin inside of a Happy Meal box, according to the statement.

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Officers immediately arrested Dennis and recovered an additional 50 bags of heroin, as well as a small amount of marijuana, according to the complaint.

The sales of heroin do not appear to be related to the potentially lethal batches of heroin being sold in Western Pennsylvania, according to the statement.

Dennis is charged with two counts of possession, one count of criminal use of a communication facility, one count of prohibited acts of delivery and one count of possession with intent to deliver.

Attorney information for Dennis was not immediately available Wednesday.

The McDonald's location declined to comment to CNN.