NASA plans first 3D printer space launch in 2014

US space agency NASA is planning to launch a 3D printer into space next year to help astronauts manufacture spare parts and tools in zero gravity.

It will be the first time a 3D printer has been used in space and could help reduce the costs of future missions.

Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24329296

Google surprise everyone by announcing Android KitKat.

Google surprised everyone today by announcing that the next version of Android will be called Android KitKat.

Google have decided to co-promote the launch of the next version of Android with Nestle and named the new version as Android KitKat. Why would Google associate themselves and their one billion activation strong Android operating system with a confectionery sweet?

Is this another stroke of brilliance on Google’s part?

Source: http://goo.gl/eXXUYG 

It's Business As Usual As School Holidays Come To An End.

With the long school summer holidays coming to a close, some companies find it a great relief that business gets ‘back to normal’

Companies offering business services tend to factor August into their business plans as a ‘quite month’.  With warmer weather and staff holidays business decisions or purchasing tends to be postponed until September arrives.  “Starting in September” and “I’ll get back to you in September” are common themes.  Even networking tends to slow down with many business networks not bothering to hold August meetings.

How do the school holidays affect your small business?

Canon (USA) Release New Colorwave 900 Wide Format Printer

Capable of printing more than 12,000 square feet per hour and with the ability to create 3.4 billion drops of ink per second, the colorwave 900 has been released in the US

Read more here

Microsoft becomes the first retailer to sell MakerBot's desktop 3D printers

Microsoft has become the first US retailer to sell MakerBot's desktop 3D printers for customers to take home on the same day.

Read more here

 

EU could impose levy on printers and printer ink after ruling

The European Union could impose a
levy on printer ink and printer consumables

The European Union could impose a levy on printer ink and printer consumables after a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), says computing.co.uk

The judgement follows a case in the German Court of Justice in which publisher VG Wort took action against Canon, Epson, Fujitsu, HP, Kyocera and Xerox, demanding compensation for the printing of published works on their equipment.

The surprise decision by the ECJ will enable the EU to introduce a Europe-wide levy and could open up printer manufacturers to a slew of compensation claims from "copyright holders".

Printer manufacturers, meanwhile, may be forced to raise the prices of their products or to withdraw from Europe entirely. It also raises the prospect of buyers sourcing printers from outside the EU to avoid the copyright levy.

Read More on this story on the computing.co.uk website

3D Printed Casts Could Soon Become A Reality

At last fracture support is brought into the 21st century. Jake Evill, a graduate from the Architecture and Design school at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, has been exploring a new concept that he calls Cortex.

Read More about Cortex on the Sprint-Ink printer ink and toner cartridge blog.