Naval architect predicts 3D-printed yachts and superyachts by 2030

Why it matters to you

The boat of your dreams could finally be affordable through the proliferation of 3D-additive printing.

You may have heard of 3D printing to produce airless tires, furniture, food, or even marijuana treats. Those applications may be awesome, but how about something a lot bigger, like an entire superyacht? According to Naval architect Greg Marshall, the technology for 3D-printed yachts and superyachts could be in place by 2030, it’s only a matter of scaling up from current 3D printer designs.

Marshall’s views on 3D printed yachts are from an article in Futureyachts, a Boat International bookazine. The interview itself sprung from a presentation Marshall gave at the 2017 Superyacht Design Symposium.

According to Marshall, entire superyachts, including the interiors, could be created with 3D-additive printing. One of the greatest advantages of 3D printing over conventional construction technologies is waste reduction. “Additive manufacturing is changing the playing field. In the very near future, we will be using it to build superior yachts that have significant material reductions and much smaller carbon footprints,” Marshall said.

“Typically in a shipyard, you see about 15 to 20 percent raw material wastage,” Marshall continued. With 3D printing, it’s around 2 percent, so it’s a huge savings in material, a huge savings in labor.”

Marshall also says yachts will be 3D-printed using titanium. Titanium is relatively lightweight compared to steel, which means higher boat speed with less power. If the metal was also used to 3D print yacht interiors, which could later be covered with wood veneers and stone work, fire protection is an added benefit. Titanium’s melting point is about 300 degrees centigrade higher than steel. Titanium also doesn’t corrode and is bio-compatible — that’s why titanium can be used in human bone replacement implants – so maintenance won’t be as much of an issue.

How soon can we expect to see 3D-printed yachts and superyachts? Marshall said the technology for 3D printing with titanium is available now but needs to scale up.

A next-generation 3D printer due in late 2017 will be ready to print large-scale parts. According to Marshall, an even larger scale printer coming online in 2020 will jump up the size considerably. In the mid 20’s he thinks the yacht industry will be printing entire six-meter (19.6 feet) yacht tenders in one step.

“We picture by 2030 we’ll probably be fairly close to 3D printing full-scale metal structures on boats and interiors will come after that,” Marshall said.

Faster construction with 3D-printed yachts could mean a reduction from two or three years to as short as 90 days to print a 45-meter (148-foot) superyacht.

6th-grader invents water-testing device that could help get the lead out

Why it matters to you

Eleven-year-old Gitanjali Rao is one of just 10 finalists for the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, and her invention just might save lives in the future.

“My name is Gitanjali Rao and I like finding solutions to real problems,” says the 11-year-old girl finalist in one of the most distinguished science competitions in the U.S. Her invention, a sophisticated method for testing for lead contamination in water, could significantly improve the response to chemical disasters like the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. In fact, Rao’s water-testing device was partially inspired by stories of chemical contamination like the situation in Flint.

“Imagine living day in and day out drinking contaminated water with dangerous substances like lead,” Rao explains in her entry. “Millions of people around the world are exposed to water containing lead and its harmful side effects. There are over 5,000 water systems in the U.S. alone with lead contamination issues. Timely detection and preventative action can help mitigate the problem, but today it takes a long time because of chemical labs and expensive equipment. My solution addresses a core issue of speedy detection of lead contamination, allowing preventative action and even saving lives!”

Rao is a student at Brentwood Middle School in Brentwood, Tennessee, and one of 10 finalists in the 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. It’s a one-of-a-kind video competition aimed at sparking the imaginations of students across the country.

Her enthusiasm is infectious, and her solution is positively radical. In reading through materials on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s material science department website (as typical sixth-graders are not known to do), Rao learned about a new type of nanotechnology — and made the correlative leap to recognize a new practical application for it.

Her test device, which she has dubbed “Tethys,” uses a disposable cartridge containing chemically treated carbon nanotube arrays. This connects with an Arduino technology-based signal processor with a Bluetooth attachment. The graphene within the nanotube is highly sensitive to changes in flow of current. By treating the tube with atoms that are sensitive to lead, Rao is able to measure whether potable water is contaminated with lead, beaming the results straight to a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone. When it detects levels higher than 15 parts per million, the device warns that the water is unsafe.

Even the name of the device is clever — in Greek mythology, “Tethys” is the Titan daughter of Uranus (Earth) and Gaius (Sky), and the mother of river gods.

Rao’s Tethys device offers real innovation in allowing live testing for chemical contaminants. Homeowners currently have to ship a kit to a chemical lab and wait a week or more for results. Most of the testing device is reusable, meaning it could potentially be produced at mass-market costs. Rao estimates that a Tethys kit could potentially cost as little as $20 or less. She’s working with a mentor at 3M to explore developing a product that people can buy.

“Clean water always makes you feel good,” she says. “The tool allows easy testing at home and by agencies for quick detection and remedial actions. It can be expanded in the future to test for other chemical contaminants in potable water.”

Tethys isn’t even Rao’s first invention. She was the first girl in Middle Tennessee to earn the designation of STEM Scout of the Year from the Boy Scouts of America — Middle Tennessee Council for inventing a device that can determine the kind and amount of toxin in a snakebite. She also placed third in the EngineerGirl Essay Contest with her essay, “Saving Mountain Gorillas with Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics,” and she’s won the National Association of State Aviation Officials Tennessee Art Contest three years running.

In October, Rao will travel to the 3M headquarters in Maplewood, Minnesota, where she’ll compete against the other finalists for a grand prize of $25,000 and the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” In future years, she hopes to become a geneticist or an epidemiologist, working in the field of disease theory.

On the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge website, Rao offers advice for other kids. “Just have fun,” she says. “There’s never a limit to how many times you want to keep trying and tweaking your projects. Keep trying, and one day, you’ll figure it out.”

A Google search is all you need to schedule a haircut

Reserve with Google is going wide. What started as a test run last December, opened to the rest of the country in March and now, in addition to workout classes, you can book a spa day and a haircut too. “This feature is made possible through partnerships with the top scheduling providers you might already use, including Genbook, SalonRunner, Rosy, Yocale and WellnessLiving,” Google writes.

The search juggernaut teases that more types of reservations are en route. Hitting the Reserve with Google website will even use your location to suggest places you might not have heard of prior. So if you’re looking for a new salon and a new ‘do, give it a click and maybe you’ll discover somewhere new.

Source: Google

Racist Airbnb host ordered to take Asian American studies class

An Airbnb host who cancelled a reservation based on a guest’s race has been ordered to pay $5,000 and take a college-level course in Asian American studies. Earlier this year, Dyne Suh booked a cabin in Big Bear, California and as she and three others were on their way to it, the host cancelled the booking. In a text, Tami Barker, the host, said, “I wouldn’t rent it to u if u were the last person on earth. One word says it all. Asian.” After Suh said she was going to notify Airbnb of Barker’s actions, Barker said, “It’s why we have Trump,” and, “I will not allow this country to be told what to do by foreigners.”

Last year, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced that Airbnb would be tackling its racism problem and shortly thereafter, the company introduced new rules for hosts including a non-discrimination policy. In California, Airbnb hosts are also subject to probes and penalties by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). It’s under those regulations that Barker was fined and ordered to take an Asian American studies course and it’s the first ruling to do so. Airbnb also banned Barker from its platform.

After the ugly incident, Suh said in a video, “It stings that after living in the US for over 23 years this is what happens. No matter if I follow the law … no matter how well I treat others, it doesn’t matter. If you’re Asian, you’re less than human and people can treat you like trash.” After the DFEH-mediated agreement was reached between Suh and Barker, DFEH director Kevin Kish told the Guardian, “We were thinking pretty creatively with this agreement. The law tends to be backwards-looking, focusing on compensating people for harm. We’re interested in remedies that repair harm and transform relationships.”

Source: The Guardian

iFixit rips out the Galaxy Note Fan Edition’s new battery

Now that Samsung has officially relaunched its troubled Galaxy Note 7 as a “Fan Edition,” the folks at iFixit couldn’t help but dive back in. As you’d guess, Samsung has chosen to deal with the Note 7’s unfortunate tendency to explode by going to the root of the problem — the battery. By swapping in a 12.32 Wh unit instead of the original 13.48Wh unit, it should have enough room to avoid either of the issues observed previously. The only problems now are that these are only available in South Korea, and the Galaxy Note 8 is right around the corner.

Source: iFixit

WhatsApp lets you share any file you want

In its latest update, Whatsapp has upgraded a few of its capabilities. For starters, while its initial roll out of document attachments last year was limited to PDFs, users can now share any file type. Shared files are limited to 100MB according to WhatsApp’s website, but there are reports that iPhone users can send slightly larger files.

Additionally, you’ll be able to see all of your pictures and videos in the in-app camera by swiping up and if you’re sending lots of photos at once, they’ll now be grouped into a gallery that only displays five images with the last thumbnail displaying how many additional photos have been sent. WhatsApp will also stop compressing photos, allowing your original quality to remain intact. And to easily bold, italicize or strikethrough your text, you’ll just have to tap and hold the text to select it.

These changes are the latest tweaks to the app. Last year, WhatsApp launched video calling and earlier this year, two-step verification was rolled out to all of its users. Those were followed by Snapchat-style status updates, Siri integration and photo filters.

The new update is rolling out for Android and iOS now.

Source: WhatsApp

Apple CEO Tim Cook and iTunes Chief Eddy Cue Attend Sun Valley Media Retreat

Apple CEO Tim Cook and iTunes Chief Eddy Cue this week attended the Allen & Co. Sun Valley media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, as they have done for the last several years.

Many well known tech and media moguls attend the Sun Valley event, which is essentially a retreat and is invitation only, but meetings and discussions at the conference are kept under wraps so it’s unlikely we’ll hear details on anything that goes on. In years past, Cook and Cue have kept a low profile during the week long event.

Described as a “summer camp for billionaires,” the conference includes activities like rafting, cycling, and golf, and because it brings so many major media executives together in one place, it’s been credited as the catalyst for major deals like the AOL and Time Warner merger, Walt Disney’s acquisition of ABC, Google’s purchase of YouTube, and Jeff Bezos’ acquisition of The Washington Post.

Apple has been taking a more direct approach to media in recent months with its ever-growing interest in original content, so it’s no surprise to see Cook and Cue at the event once again.

Other notable 2017 attendees include Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Jared and Ivanka Trump, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, Twitter COO Anthony Noto, 21st Century Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch, CBS Chairman Les Moonves, and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.

Image via Rob Latour, Shutterstock

Tags: Tim Cook, Eddy Cue
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Platform Game ‘illi’ Available for Free as Apple’s App of the Week

Platform game illi has been named Apple’s App of the Week, and as a result, it is available as a free download for the next seven days. illi, which has four stars in the App Store, has only been free once before since it was released in April of 2016.

The game is described as a “one button platform puzzler” that asks players to take control of illi, a fuzzy white horned creature, to travel through a strange world. Illi is able to bend the fabric of the world and defy gravity while traveling through portals to gather up light crystals.

There are more than 60 levels available in illi, and each new world features unique mechanics, traps, and obstacles that players need to overcome. There are also 170 quests to complete, and no in-app purchases.

illi will be available for free from the App Store for the next seven days, at which point a new app will be chosen as App of the Week. [Direct Link]

Tag: App of the Week
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AT&T’s DirecTV Now to Gain Cloud DVR and Revamped User Interface

AT&T today announced plans to unveil a next-generation video platform this fall, which will be introduced first to DirecTV Now customers later this summer.

As part of a beta test for the platform, DirecTV Now subscribers will gain access to a cloud DVR feature, which will allow them to record and access their shows from anywhere. A wide selection of live channels will be able to be recorded, with 4K and HD video quality.

“We all want easy and quick access to our content, regardless of where, when or on what device we watch it,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Entertainment Group. “By developing for a single video platform, we’ll deliver new features and platform innovations in a faster, more efficient way. And it will be simple and consistent wherever you watch–TV, phone or tablet.”

AT&T also plans to introduce a whole new interface for the video platform, which will provide a “consistent look and feel” across all of the company’s consumer video services. DirecTV testers will be able to provide AT&T with feedback on the new design.

Eventually, the next-generation video platform is expected to support features like live TV pausing and parental controls, expected later this year, and user profiles, offline watching (download and go), and 4K HDR are planned for 2018.

According to AT&T, beta testing for the video platform will begin in the summer, and select DirecTV Now customers will receive invites to test the features.

Tags: AT&T, DirecTV Now
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AMD’s powerful 16-core Threadripper CPU will cost $999

AMD didn’t have many details to share about its 16-core Ryzen Threadripper CPU when it was announced back in May, but now it’s ready to spill the beans. The chip, officially known as the Threadripper 1950X, will sell for $999, the company announced today. It’ll feature a base speed of 3.4GHz with a boost clock of 4GHz. But that’s not all: AMD also revealed a $799 12-core Threadripper 1920X CPU, for extreme PC users looking to save a couple hundred bucks. Both chips, along with new motherboards, should be available in August.

While the 16-core Threadripper seemed like the fastest chip on the block when it was first announced, Intel quickly one-upped AMD at Computex with its 18-core i9 Extreme Edition. As usual, though, AMD holds the price advantage. That Intel CPU will run you $1,999, while its 16-core version is a slightly less crazy $1,799. Intel’s chips sport base speeds of 3.3Ghz, with boost clocks up to 4.3GHz. If you’re looking to get the most multi-threaded computing bang for your buck, AMD still looks like your best option.

Switching from extreme high-end to low-end computing, AMD also offered up a few details about its upcoming Ryzen 3 chips. Both models will be quad-core/quad-threaded processors based on their Zen architecture. The Ryzen 3 1300X will sport speeds between 3.5Ghz and 3.7Ghz, while the Ryzen 3 1200 will clock between 3.1Ghz and 3.4Ghz. The company isn’t talking about pricing details yet, but you can expect the new chips to be cheaper than the mid-range Ryzen 5 and high-end Ryzen 7 CPUs.

Source: AMD