3D Printing Industry: The Next Industrial Revolution

My husband is a financial advisor and reads and listens to stock market predictions and advice continually. This morning he pulled up an audio story on the financial advisory website, Motley Fool. While I was making coffee I found myself listening to a story about 3D printers and how this industry is on the verge of exploding and becoming the next industrial revolution.


What intrigued me was this:


"Wall Street know-it-alls laughed when we said the host of The Tonight Show was onto something. But it's no joke -- his favorite new gadget is launching a 21st-century industrial revolution that will end the "Made in China" era -- and generate serious wealth for well-positioned American investors." ("Jayleno's trillion dollar," 2012)


I googled the words "3D printing industry" and with over 2 million hits it was instantly apparent we are already in this next industrial revolution. Just read the start of this article on Newscientist.com:


3D printing: Game add-on makes Minecraft edifices real




References:


Aaron, J. (2011, August 4). 3d printing: Game add-on makes minecraft edifices realNewscientist.com, (2823), Retrieved from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128236.200-3d-printing-game-addon-makes-minecraft-edifices-real.html


Jayleno's trillion dollar investing tip . (2012, April 11). Retrieved from http://www.fool.com/fool/free-report/18/sa-3dprintingaudio-181284.aspx?source=isaspodft0000122

Storytelling your portfolio

Yesterday we had a terrific portfolio presentation by an upcoming new grad. He's about to graduate from RIT's 3D Digital Graphics Program in May. What made his portfolio presentation so effective is his use of 3D software to help tell his story.

If you're a designer, I'm sure you've read or have been told more than once that your portfolio needs to tell a story - even if you're not present - that is, if you email pdf samples or provide a link to your website - your portfolio should tell the story with or without you.

In this case, the designer/student/job applicant was in the room and we had the benefit of listening to him as he narrated his portfolio. He had previously sent a link to his website which provided a glimpse into some of is work to include a fully 3D rendered image, motion graphics, video and a few graphic illustrations. What he did (smartly) in the interview is to show work we hadn't seen before and he was well prepared. He carefully articulated each of three projects and using tools such as 3D Maya - demonstrated not only his computer graphics skills - but also used these tools to enhance the story. New technology should only be used if it helps to tell the story or enhance the image - tools for tool sake and just because they're new shouldn't be the reason to use them.

He also had training in After Effects, Photoshop and a few other applications and demonstrated his skills in this area as he walked us through a project. Very well done -

The other thing I complimented him on when he was done and other interviewers had left the room. I told him he did an outstanding job of handling questions that poked at some of his design solutions. He used humor, smiling, and responded to the Design Director when questioned about an image with something like "gee I hadn't looked at it that way....thanks for pointing that out". The biggest mistake an interviewer can make when presenting their work is to become defensive when questioned. What would this person be like to work with if they cannot be open to constructive criticism? It leaves the impression (as the student pointed out so well) that they cannot let go of their ideas.

The new face of facebook or is it something else?

Each semester I poll my students to ask them their use of Facebook. These are students ranging in age from 20 - 25 attending Syracuse University. Each semester I'm hearing less and less engagement with this site - they talk about how much it was part of their lives when they were in high school and first started out in college but that the appeal is wearing off. Some of the comments include from one male student age 22, "it's creepy .....I mean when you think about it you're putting yourself out there for the whole world to know about you....your pictures, things you like and don't....there's no privacy". Another student age 23 had this to say, "when my 14 year old sister was finally given permission to join Facebook and wanted to friend me I thought, this is not right....I mean it's my Facebook". She went on to add that for her (and other students in the class agreed) Facebook has changed - what started out as a fun way to connect with people and almost a hobby, is now too much effort (time wise) and is no longer catering to the college student. Female student age 23 had this to say, "when my 50 year old Aunt friended me I had to think twice about what I would and wouldn't share and I also wanted to know - what is she doing on Facebook anyway?....I mean....I think for some older people, women especially, they're on Facebook because they're bored". Well I am in the over 50 age group and for me I love seeing posts and pictures of our adult children who live far away from "home" - when I get messages from high school friends about a date we once had it does creep me out. I agree it's time consuming and between work, teaching, grad school, family and friends - posting and keeping up with the streamline alone on Facebook is not on the top of my list.

So what is the new Face of Facebook? Or is it a new face altogether - something more secure - public yet private, engaging yet not time consuming - what do we want in a social media site anyway? I believe it's different for each generation - maybe that's it - a generational Facebook? GenY GenX.....

#140Cuse Conference - sorry I missed it!

"#140cuse will expose you to the power the real-time web has to disrupt businesses, change lives and create serendipity. You will leave with a fresh outlook on how the real time web can be used in your business and/or personal life to do something meaningful." (140cuse.com)

Not sure how I missed this one - I mean - my studies are right on top of this very topic - looks like it was a very beneficial conference on a number of fronts for many different attendees (i.e. student, faculty, practitioner, professional). As noted in the Daily Orange by Associate Copy Editor, Chelsea DeBaise, "the conference  drew big names from the world of social media, including Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, and Tim
Pool, the independent journalist responsible for live-streaming Occupy Wall Street."

I won't miss this again because now I'll follow #140cuse

Mother Mary's sacred blue cloak....

Author, Christopher Moore's new book released on April 3, 2012, Sacre Bleu, was also talked about the same day I was tuned into NPR. I found it fascinating the story he tells about the special color blue of Mother Mary's cloak. On this most Holy of weeks I thought it fitting to post this.

As quoted from NPR.org:

"The translation of sacre bleu is sacred blue," says Moore. In medieval times, the church said that if you are going to portray the Virgin Mary's cloak, it has to be in a certain shade of blue. And that blue must be ultramarine, because ultramarine blue is permanent. It doesn't go black or fade as organic colors do. And that is made essentially from crushed lapis lazuli, which is only available in Afghanistan. If you think about the 11th and 12th century, trying to get a stone from Afghanistan to Europe, for years and right up into the 19th century, was more valuable, weight for weight, than gold.

Moore's novel introduces readers to the bygone figure of the color man. The pigments that went into paint came from all over the world, and painters in Europe depended on these itinerant merchants to supply them with rare pigments from far-flung locations.

We all think that Michelangelo and da Vinci all went out to the hills of Italy and dug ochres out of the hills. Some colors you just couldn't get. I mean, purple would come from snails off of Syria. And the cochineal beetles that came from what is now Hungary, they made red out of. And so a colorman provided these pigments. And they sort of had a route. They'd travel all over the world trading and collecting sometimes rare pigments and getting them to the people that could use them." (NPR Staff, 2012)

I wonder what these stones were worth per ounce if more valuable than gold - imagine today with the price of gold?

Citation:

NPR Staff. (2012, March 31). Art, mystery and posh pigments in 'sacre bleu'. Retrieved from http://m.npr.org/news/front/149542710?page=1

The quietest place on earth.....

Listening to NPR radio this week I heard about  Orfield Labs Anechoic Chamber.

Orfield Laboratories provides clients with design, research and testing. The anechoic chamber at Orfield Labs, dubbed "The Quiet Room", is used for testing how a product sounds (story link).  Many journalists have spent time in this room for the experience and to tell their story. The founder, Steve Orfield has spent a maximum of 30 minutes in the chamber at a time. He said (on public radio) he was born with a heart defect and has a mechanical valve replacement - as soon as he walks into the chamber he can hear his heart beat so 30 minutes is the longest he's stayed. Other observers/participants experience hearing their heart beat after a period of time along with the sound of their lungs and gurgles from the stomach. Some journalists and participants have been quoted as saying this chamber will "drive you nuts" as in this article on Gizmodo.com. A most unusual consumer products testing lab.....ingenious - personally - I could not spend 1 minute I'm slightly claustrophobic

and  I would definitely go insane!

I Remember You......

I Remember You......