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API Evangelist Blog

3D Printing Company Shapeways Raises $30 Million C Round Led By Andreessen Horowitz

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3D printing service Shapeways has raised a $30 million round led by Andreessen Horowitz.Current investors including Union Square Ventures, Index Ventures, and Lux Capital also chipped in.Chris Dixon, partner at Andreessen Horowitz, is joining the Shapeways Board.The company plans to grow their team and add more factories to allow for more local production of products.“We’ve come a long way with Shapeways,” said co-founder and CEO Peter Weijmarshausen.

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Learn Foundations of 3D Printing and Introduction to 3D Modeling

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This class has evolved greatly over the past year and a half.This is an extended version that is essentially two classes: Foundations of 3D Printing, and Introduction to 3D Modeling.The goal of the class is to give a complete primer on printing processes and software, then show how you can apply that knowledge to create your own designs and manufacture them at home or from a service bureau like Shapeways.You will also learn about selling items from your Shapeways shop, custom object co-creation, and the logistics of re-selling printed items through other venues like Etsy and Ebay. 

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Keep Corners Flat With MakerWare’s Helper Disks

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Thingiverse users ctheroux and whpthomas have been great advocates for using Helper Disks, which act like feet on the corners of your model to help keep everything pinned down.When the MakerBot Slicing Engine sees the disks, it treats them as part of the model.Once the print is finished, the disks can be peeled or cut away pretty easily.Below is a quick step-by-step for using these little lifesavers.Try Helper Disks out and share your experience with us in the comments below or on twitter: @makerbot.

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Great Things From The Thingiverse Hackathon

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On April 6-7, MakerBot Headquarters played host to a few dozen members of the MakerBot and Thingiverse communities for the first ever Thingiverse Hackathon!If you’ve never heard of a hackathon, check out this Wikipedia explanation.This was a fun couple of days with several great projects going on.Participants used the Thingiverse API to exploit Thingiverse data for other cool purposes, and we wanted to let you know the winners.There was a slight delay in sharing as the new Apps are still mostly in progress.

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New Zealand Panics Over 3D Printing

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A report from New Zealands 3 News shows big concerns about 3D printing are brewing in that Pacific nation.Minister of Customs Maurice Williamson has evidently learned about 3D printing technology and believes that:  Household printers are likely to be able to manufacture drugs, weapons and other contraband in just a few years, which will make New Zealand’s borders extremely vulnerable.Indeed, this could happen.So what is New Zealand to do?Apparently, this:  He has asked his department to begin thinking of ideas on how to prevent these items from entering the country through file-sharing over the internet.

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3D Printing: Worth Billions By 2025?

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Last years value was a mere USD$777M, suggesting a rise of USD$7.6B over the next twelve years.This is a compound annual growth rate of around 22%.Thats big.  Lux Research indicates most of the growth will occur in manufacturing, rather than personal use, saying:  Over the longer term, 3D printing has potential to reshape the manufacturing ecosystem, but it will have the most impact in the near term for products that are made in small volumes, require high customization, and are more cost-tolerant.

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EFF To Challenge Six Innovation-Stifling 3D-Printing Patents

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Documents the EFF is filing are essentially examples of prior art that would invalidate these patents.They also offer links to StackExchange so interested parties can submit their own examples of prior art.Patents can protect ideas but more and more they are being used to destroy small innovators.It’s good that the EFF is standing up in favor of a nascent and important technology and that it’s getting to it so early on in the process.

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EFF Challenges 3D Printing Patent Applications

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In a dramatic move, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has launched legal challenges against six foundational patent applications directly related to 3D printing.Theyve done this by submitting prior art (evidence of prior use or invention by others) to the proper authorities.  Will the EFF succeed in overturning these patent applications?We have no idea, as the mysteries of US Patent processing are well beyond our comprehension level.Whatever the outcome, we are certain it will take a very long time.

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As Seen On The Today Show

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We are very excited to announce that a handful of Shapeways Shop Owners designs were featured on the Today Show this morning!We wanted to give a special congratulations to the creators and highlight the products that were mentioned.Check them out below!

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Shapeways Educational Discount for 3D Printing on a Student Budget

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Today we have launched the first stage of the Shapeways Educational Program with an awesome 10% discount on 3D printing for all students and educators with a Shapeways account registered with an.edu email address.This is our first step at helping students and educators have better access to high quality 3D printing through Shapeways. We will be rolling out more features as part of the Shapeways Education Program so that everyone from elementary to post graduate students can use 3D printing to help them learn, understand and communicate their ideas whether they be technical, artistic or conceptual.Register for the 10% discount on all 3D printing by visiting the Shapeways Education page and activating your email.

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