The Future of Educational Technology

Say “Educational Technology” to a room of teachers, administrators, and vendors, and you will get many different definitions. Having recently attended the Future of Educational Technology Conference (FETC 2018) as a “civilian” rather than an exhibitor, I was able to attend workshops and presentations, visit the entire convention floor of vendors (387), and stop …

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Manufacturing Heroes: Do We Need a New Type?

manufacturing in small shops

If we really want to return manufacturing to our communities, we are going to need to support a new kind of manufacturing hero …

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Woodworker Nick Buchholz’s ShopBot helps him explore new areas of design

This Art Nouveau building in Belgium is an inspiration for Nick Buchhholz

Nick Buchholz has been an amateur woodworker for many years, maintaining a shop in his garage while working as a computer programmer for the National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. He retired from his programming career in 2012 after 25 years with the …

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ShopBot precision helps Astor Bannerman meet the special needs of its customers.

Astor Bannerman’s VANNA height-adjustable bath

 

Founded 20 years ago in the UK, Astor Bannerman is a company that designs and manufactures specialized furnishings — including baths, lavatories and office desks — for use by people with special needs and their caregivers. I spoke with Astor Bannerman’s Technical Director Peter Deverson about the unique …

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Making the Leap

A typical project for Atlanta Closet & Storage Solutions

Sorry I haven’t been around much lately, but I thought I’d touch base for a minute while I finally have a chance. I have been busy beyond belief for the last year or more, to where visiting the forum or writing has had to take …

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How to start up a micro-factory in your garage.

A Case Study: Ryan Patterson’s MyHue.

The potential for individuals to create, design and manufacture products themselves continues to be realized every day all around the country. With the affordability of robust digital fabrication tools such as the ShopBot Desktop, running a micro-factory out of handy space is not a dream, but reality. We …

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Bennett Harris is “Reinventing Science” to inspire kids.

That’s Ben Harris on the right, grabbing a selfie with Bill Nye “The Science Guy” at the first ever White House Maker Faire, Spring 2014

Bennett Harris (who goes by Ben) is probably best described as a Renaissance man of education. He tinkers, he designs, he builds, he teaches, he’s a tireless evangelist for …

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Freedom Challenge Ministries serves more people in need, thanks to their growing ShopBot-based business.

Just about any time of day, any day of the week in Balstrop, Louisiana, you’ll find an industrious production facility with 4 ShopBot PRSalpha ATC tools running at full tilt. About 11 years ago, James Brent (Pastor Jim) was called into the ministry and felt compelled to witness to people in need; specifically people …

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Celebs like Jessica Chastain love wearing Sidney Molepo sandals. Sidney Molepo loves his ShopBot.

Designer/Manufacturer Sidney Molepo

 

Film actresses Jessica Chastain (“The Help,” “Zero Dark Thirty”), Cody Horn (“Magic Mike”), and internationally renowned singer Celine Dion have something in common: their love of Sidney Molepo’s unique shoes and fashion accessories.

Mr. Molepo, who was educated as an architect and furniture designer, in recent years has turned his …

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Meet Gustavo Bonet. To the NYC design world, he’s becoming known as “the Fixer.”

Gustavo Bonet, architect and designer. He helped out at the ShopBot booth at this year’s Maker Faire NYC

 

Gustavo Bonet is a traditionally trained architect who started making furniture in Florida before moving to NYC to get his Masters in Architecture from Columbia University. Gustavo says, “During my time at Columbia, I developed …

Continue reading >>> Meet Gustavo Bonet. To the NYC design world, he’s becoming known as “the Fixer.”