Star Wars Ice Cube Trays Turn Your Freezer Into A Battle Station

Use the ice cubes Luke! Yes, that’s correct, you never have to have another ‘Luke-warm’ boring drink ever again. Star Wars collectibles are continuously creating wonderful additions to a universe packed with incredible items. The latest drink chilling, chocolate molding, party starting masterpieces are literally out of this world. They are beautiful and intricate detailed ice cube trays that help you add some Star Wars magic to any drink or afternoon treat.

These wonderful ice cube trays come in all sorts of weird and wonderful Star Wars character shapes such as Darth Vader, R2-D2, X-Wing fighters, the Death Star, Stormtroopers, the Millennium Falcon and even a carbonite Han Solo literally frozen in ice (this is my personal favorite)! How cool is that? I am not sure I will be able to look at a normal ice cube ever again and not be disappointed. What right minded Jedi wouldn’t insist on being able to geek out during his or her next visit to a bar? Don’t you want to have a few Star Wars ice cubes battling it out between the bubbles?

What’s the best part about it? You don’t need Jedi powers to enjoy these ice cube trays. They’re easy to use, clean and serve up. The only problem with these is that there is no warp speed that would allow you to jump straight to ready-made ice cubes or ready-to-eat chocolate treats in an instant. I found it very difficult to pick a favorite amongst all these delights, but no matter who you are, Jedi, Sith, Wookie or droid, we know your drink will be looking pretty empty unless you strike back into the freezer and reach for a Star Wars ice cube tray full of ice cubes. The next time you are at a friend’s house and are offered a drink without a Star Wars ice cube, remember a phrase from Jar Jar Binks (possibly the least liked character of the Star Wars empire) that will let your host know exactly how you feel, “How Wude!”

Get Your Star Wars Ice Cube Trays On Amazon

(Use them to make ice, chocolates, popsicles or anything else you can think of)

3D printers to revolutionize the medical field with printable kidneys and livers - TechSpot

According to Gizmodo, researcher and professor Xu Mingen of Huazhong University has successfully printed the first living human kidney using a 3D printer. The printed kidneys are currently too small for human use, and much like their liver counterparts from Organovo, they are miniature versions of the real deal. Impressively, 90% of the printed cells are alive, and they can perform the same type of functions as their big brother – they can break down and metabolize bodily toxins.

A few months back, scientists at Organovo, a San Diego-based company, also announced their success in using 3D printers to replicate human livers. The tiny livers measure just half a millimeter thick and four millimeters wide, consisting of only a few layers of cells. Despite their size, they are more than capable of producing the proteins required to transfer the body's necessary hormones and drugs, cholesterol, as well as the enzymes used in the detoxification of alcohol.

As you might assume, the 3D printers used in these processes are far different than the plastic-based systems that you may be familiar with. “It’s different from traditional 3D printing – to print a cup, we have to fill up the object with our material. But this method doesn’t work in cells because a cell contains blood vessels and has tissue space. We have to make sure to spare enough space for them to grow,” explained Mingen.

So in place of the conventional plastic polymer, what exactly is being used to print these artificial organs? In the kidney’s case, real human samples are harvested and subsequently combined with a water-rich hydrogel that acts as an effective nutrient source. Interestingly, the final mixture has a life expectancy of up to four months in a lab setting.

Although there is tremendous optimism surrounding such projects, it will take some time before we see printed kidneys and livers in a hospital setting. Nevertheless, this is definitely an amazing achievement and one that has the potential to change the world for the better.

3D printers to revolutionize the medical field with printable kidneys and livers - TechSpot

According to Gizmodo, researcher and professor Xu Mingen of Huazhong University has successfully printed the first living human kidney using a 3D printer. The printed kidneys are currently too small for human use, and much like their liver counterparts from Organovo, they are miniature versions of the real deal. Impressively, 90% of the printed cells are alive, and they can perform the same type of functions as their big brother – they can break down and metabolize bodily toxins.

A few months back, scientists at Organovo, a San Diego-based company, also announced their success in using 3D printers to replicate human livers. The tiny livers measure just half a millimeter thick and four millimeters wide, consisting of only a few layers of cells. Despite their size, they are more than capable of producing the proteins required to transfer the body's necessary hormones and drugs, cholesterol, as well as the enzymes used in the detoxification of alcohol.

As you might assume, the 3D printers used in these processes are far different than the plastic-based systems that you may be familiar with. “It’s different from traditional 3D printing – to print a cup, we have to fill up the object with our material. But this method doesn’t work in cells because a cell contains blood vessels and has tissue space. We have to make sure to spare enough space for them to grow,” explained Mingen.

So in place of the conventional plastic polymer, what exactly is being used to print these artificial organs? In the kidney’s case, real human samples are harvested and subsequently combined with a water-rich hydrogel that acts as an effective nutrient source. Interestingly, the final mixture has a life expectancy of up to four months in a lab setting.

Although there is tremendous optimism surrounding such projects, it will take some time before we see printed kidneys and livers in a hospital setting. Nevertheless, this is definitely an amazing achievement and one that has the potential to change the world for the better.

Teen Uses 3D Printer to Make Robotic Prosthetic Arms for $500

t seems that 3D printers can be used to create just about anything, from fully functional guns to super skittish robots. And 3D printers could be the solution for amputees in developing countries too, thanks to the work of 17-year-old Easton LaChappelle from Colorado.

Looking to some free online resources, he has used a 3D printer to create a fully functional prosthetic arm and hand that comes with robotic technology. The hand can grip and hold things; even cooler, the 3D-printed robotic prosthetic arm can cost less than $500 to make. By comparison, a state of the art prosthetic worn by a seven year old girl he met at the 2011 Colorado State science fair costs about $80,000.

The 3D printed arm by LaChappelle can be controlled using an EEG headband, which measures brain waves. The user will likely have to get used to the interface and there will be a training period, but that’s pretty amazing for less than 500 bucks. The actual movement of the arm and fingers is done through a combination of fishing line and servo motors.

The Colorado teenager showed off his 3D printed arm at TEDxMileHigh. You can watch the embedded video below for his demonstration.

UPS Store To Offer 3D Printing Services To Small Businesses

UPS is all about delivering packages and then refusing to leave them on your doorstep even when you politely request that they do so. Now the package delivery company is expanding its service into a surprising area – 3D printers.

UPS announced today that it will be bringing 3D printers to select UPS Stores this year. The new service will allow small businesses and entrepreneurs to use the 3D printer in store to create prototypes and other objects that are required for their business.

“Start-ups, entrepreneurs and small business owners may not have the capital to purchase a 3D printer on their own, but they may have a need to show prototypes to their current and potential customers,” said Michelle Van Slyke, vice president of marketing and small business solutions at The UPS Store. “By offering 3D printing capabilities in-center, we’re able to help further our small business customers’ opportunities for success.”

UPS says that customers will soon be able to try out 3D printing for themselves with the Stratasys uPrint SE Plus. This particular 3D printer uses ABSplus material, has a build size of 8x8x6 inches and has a layer thickness of .010 inches or .013 inches. All in all, it’s a great machine that should serve the needs of anybody interested in professional applications.

So, where will you be able to start using 3D printers at the UPS Store? The company says that it’s rolling out the service in San Diego soon, and will follow with rollouts at more UPS Store locations nationwide.

Seismic Shifts in the 3D Printing Industry

A Lux Research study we reported on a few months ago regarding the future of 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM) suggested that business relationships among the makers of AM machines and their users will need to change. As the larger OEMs bring these technologies inside and want greater control over processes and materials, we speculated that some with specialized requirements might try to acquire 3D printing/AM companies, and invest in them as well.

That hasn't happened yet, although we have seen industry/university R&D partnerships between aircraft-engine-maker Pratt & Whitney and the University of Connecticut to develop processes and materials, and between Optomec and the University of Pittsburgh to train next-generation engineers in AM. I still think major-manufacturer ownership of 3D printing technology or materials is coming eventually.

But some other interesting developments have happened, and more are on the horizon.

In June, Stratasys, the high-end inventor of fused deposition modeling (FDM) techniques bought MakerBot, the low-end maker of desktop machines that use FDM. A few weeks ago, 3D Systems acquired Phenix Systems, makers of equipment for direct laser sintering with metals and ceramics. Both purchases represent two ends of the industry coming together in ways that they haven't before, in terms of materials, users, or applications.

Will further consolidation happen? Probably. 3D Systems is already known for acquiring technology and markets by buying other companies, so this isn't new for the company. Stratasys has also made a few purchases in the last couple of years. Connecting the high-end metals part of the industry with the medium-to-high end of the industry that works only in plastics is a major change, as is merging the leading desktop 3D printer maker with one of the high-end 3D printer makers. I think there will be more partnerships or acquisitions, or both, as this industry continues to grow.

That's not all. Microsoft said in June that the Windows 8.1 update will have built-in support for desktop 3D printing via an SDK. The partners it mentions as helping to make this possible include 3D Systems, Autodesk, Dassault, Formlabs, MakerBot, and Stratasys, among others. 3D Systems was the first to demonstrate a printer driver for Windows 8.1, for its Cube 3D printer, at Microsoft's Build 2013 developer conference.

I think this development is huge -- much bigger than Staples offering 3D printing services or Amazon selling 3D printers and supplies -- and at least as huge as the two consolidations we just mentioned. Giving engineers the ability to use their PCs to print out objects as easily as they do word processing documents (notice I didn't say design as easily) could be a sea change bigger than when desktop computers got direct access to 2D printers. Does anyone else remember waiting in line for the old printer server?

Carpenter Uses 3D Printing to Rebuild Saw-Injured Hand

JOHANNSEBERG, SOUTH AFRCA - When master carpenter Richard Van As lost four fingers on his right hand in a table saw accident in 2011, he said he was immediately determined to find a way to regain use of his hand to continue pursuing his livelihood.

(Watch Robohand video.) 

Van As of South Africa turned to 3D digital printing technology to help build a prosthetic device that would provide the needed flexibility and agility to mimic the hand that was severely injured in the blink of an eye.

Van As collaborated with designer Ivan Owen based in Washington state, who had posted a YouTube video of a mechanical hand prop he had invented. The duo corresponded regularly through the Internet and Skype, reviewing each others' sketches and photos.

Using 3D printers, Van As and Owen were able to prototype and manufacture small parts made mostly from plastic for what would ultimately become the mechanical fingers for a device dubbed Robohand. Using the device has helped Van As resume his carpentry career.

While his initial attention for the device was focused on serving his own needs, the device quickly gained the attention of parents of children born with birth defects or who have suffered hand injuries. Van As said he has made than 100 hands being used by kids to live more normal lives. His price tag - about $100 each, far less expensive than conventional prostheses. (Watch Robohand video.)

Van As and Owen said their next goal is to make the Robohand available on the Internet so that anyone in the world can access the needed information to make their own device using a 3D printer to get a perfect fit.