MakerBot yesterday announced a new a 3D print service at its retail stores, which it is making available immediately. Customers can now bring a .STL, .OBJ, or Thing file into the stores on USB drive, and items will be 3D printed on a MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer. Pricing is based on print time,
Last month, we wrote about a design challenge MakerBot hosted on its Thingiverse website asking users to create 3D-printed math manipulatives for use in the classroom. The idea was that these educational tools, which are typically fairly expensive, could be made more widely available through 3D printing. MakerBot says it received more than 160 entries, which
The economic effects of innovations like 3-D printing and robotics aren’t always readily apparent. For instance, 3-D printing is recognized as a way for businesses to cheaply create prototypes, but it’s not widely viewed as a way to reduce expenses in school classrooms. 3-D printing company MakerBot, however, sees an opportunity. MakerBot is holding a
In the latest sign that 3-D printing is getting closer to the mainstream, organizers of the 2014 International CES reported yesterday that the technology will be highlighted in a new “3D Printing TechZone” at next year’s show. The annual Las Vegas-based consumer electronics show will feature 20 such market-specific zones. The public profile of 3-D
In yet another sign of how quickly 3-D printing is growing, Stratasys announced yesterday that it will acquire MakerBot in a stock-for-stock transaction initially valued at $403 million — not including performance-based incentives that could increase the total to more than $600 million (based on Wednesday’s stock price). It was just last week that we
As VentureBeat and several other sites noted this week, Amazon.com recently added a new section focused on 3-D printers and their related supplies, joining Staples as a major retailer supporting the technology. So far, 3-D printers aren’t exactly splashed across the Amazon homepage under “The Perfect Gift For Dad” heading — instead they’re tucked away
