The 3D printing revolution may have slowed down a bit, but the interest in these machines continues to grow. The gadget gurus at TechCrunch are pointing out that the Replicator+ 3D printer from MakerBot is one of the best choices on the market due to its ease of use.

The MakerBot Replicator+ retails for $1,999, which makes it much less expensive than professional 3D printers, though that’s still a significant investment for hobbyists. Still, prices have come down dramatically in recent years, making this technology much more accessible.

If this intrigues you, check out Thingverse as well to see the countless designs available that have been uploaded by their community, all of which are available for use. According to the site, MakerBot’s Thingiverse is a “thriving design community for discovering, making, and sharing 3D printable things” and is “the world’s largest 3D printing community.” The site enables users to to create and remix 3D things regardless of technical expertise or previous experience, and all designs are encouraged to be licensed under a Creative Commons license, meaning that anyone can use or alter any design.

If you’ve been interested in 3D printing, this might be a great time to get started. You can check out the MakerBot site for more information, and the Replicator+ can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Men, it’s that time of the year again: holiday shopping, where you dodge crowds of people like a game show contestant to buy a few gifts for your family, friends, and girlfriend. In particular, the last one is kind of a sensitive subject. If you’ve been dating a girl for a while, what can you give her that really shows your undying affection? The longer you date, the more you learn about a person’s likes and dislikes, so that definitely helps with the gift-giving process. But after the spa days, bottles of her favorite wine, and photo albums of your best antics, you might need a new direction. Luckily, 3D printers have gotten affordable enough and can produce a remarkable amount of cool gifts for your significant other. Here are just a few ideas that will make her holiday special:

Read the rest of this entry »