3D Printing and the Coming Rise of Lo-Fi Things

3D Printing and the Coming Rise of Lo-Fi Things

With the advent of the industrial revolution, the quality of just about everything had been on the rise. Printing went from black and white movable type to high tech digital color. The audio went from recording on wax cylinders to hi-fi stereophonic sound, radio went from mono AM to hi-fi stereo FM, the film went from silent films to Technicolor and surround sound, and black and white broadcast TV gave way to color and then cable TV and then satellite TV. And manufacturing costs went down while quality went up on just about everything. But the computer revolution, albeit a boon for mankind, has brought with it an ironic *reduction* in the quality of media. And very soon a similar reduction in quality is about to befall everyday things.

The fall and rise of media quality

Ironically, the past half-century brought with it a drop in the quality of audio, video, and graphics. Early computers had one font, one color, no bold or italic, and dot-matrix printing was not pretty. Digital recording lost some of the “warmth” of analog. The MP3, albeit a step down in audio quality seems to be acceptable for the masses due to its portability. Online video is blocky and choppy and sometimes intermittent, but it’s convenient.

The reduction in quality of media was because the content had to be digitized and reproduced using analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, graphics cards, and printers. The reduction in quality of each form of media was only temporary and has …

3D Printing and the Coming Rise of Lo-Fi Things Read More

Incredibly Useful Web Design Checklist

Website design is complex these days. This web design checklist will help you plan and execute a stellar website.

From creative design to the site launch, it is important to work from a plan so that you don’t miss any essential keys to website design that could negatively impact user experience, search engine optimization or conversions.

This website design checklist features important questions that will help you to organize your web design and content development process to ensure that the goals for the website are met.

This is not an exhaustive list because there are many technical website checklists out there. This is a guide with questions to help you make sure you design the best website possible.

So, let’s jump in and explore these essential web design questions:

1. Industry and client requirements

Audit the current website design, content, user experience, online footprint, social media and messaging.

Then meet with the client to learn:

  • What is the purpose of the website? Lead generation, branding, education, etc
  • Who does the website serve? Prospects, customers, stakeholders
  • What do they need to know to achieve the website goals?
  • How should the website position the company and its products/services?
  • What content is currently available and what content will need to be created?
  • How do competitors position their content?
  • What are your clients’ differentiators?

2. Planning for your Design

Journey mapping and creating use cases are an important part of the planning process.

Talk with sales and customer service teams to learn how prospects …

Incredibly Useful Web Design Checklist Read More

Things To Consider When Choosing An Industrial Repair Company To Hire

When you own a business that works with complex tools, you will need to ensure you hire the help of a reputable company to repair your industrial equipment in a timely fashion. If you are looking to get something fixed, such as industrial circuit board repair, only entrust your equipment with professional and trustworthy companies such as the one found at www.industrialrepairstore.com. Below are some things to take into consideration when choosing the right company to hire.

Convenience

One thing to consider when choosing a company to hire for industrial repair is how quick and easy their process to submit a claim is. You need your equipment working correctly for your business to run efficiently. You don’t want to hire a company that takes longer than necessary to repair your equipment. Repair facilities that offer online forms, pick-up services and a quick process from start to finish will make it easier for your business to get back on track.

Free Evaluations

You should look for a company of industrial repairs that will give you free evaluations. When you have equipment that doesn’t work any longer and you have no clue why, the last thing you want to do is spend a fortune repairing it if its not worth it. Reputable companies can give you some answers without costing you extra money.

Warranties

No professional company of industrial equipment repairs should fix your equipment without offering you a warranty on the work they performed. Only work with companies that are …

Things To Consider When Choosing An Industrial Repair Company To Hire Read More

3 Considerations When Buying a Commercial Blender

Commercial blenders aren’t like everyday blenders. In fact, they couldn’t be more different. It would be a mistake to think that you understand industrial blending machines just because you’ve used a kitchen blender to make smoothies. Here are a few tips for understanding the different types of commercial blending machines and what they can do for you.

1. Understand Their Capabilities

What do you need to blend? Some machines aren’t meant for things like volatile chemical mixtures. Others might not be able to keep up with your daily volume requirements, or they might require too much power for your mid-sized factory to handle. It doesn’t mean that the blender is <i>bad</i>. It just means that it isn’t the right one for you, and you’ll need to keep searching.

2. Get A Good Look

If you live nearby, ask the manufacturer if they have blenders displayed in a showroom. If they company is too far away for such a trip to be feasible, ask if they have pictures of the product from multiple angles and in different kinds of light. You can also look for reviews with user-submitted pictures that have nothing to hide. Ideally, you’ll be familiar with every inch of the blender before you hit the “order” button and set your decision in stone.

3. Ask About Warranties and Guarantees

What happens if your industrial blender gets damaged during transport? What if it stops working after two weeks? What if it requires multiple replacement parts? If you’re covered by …

3 Considerations When Buying a Commercial Blender Read More

Ways to Make Your Billboards More Appealing

Business owners use different advertising methods to appeal to prospective customers. They might purchase ad space on local radio and television stations to grab the attention of those watching TV at home or listening to the radio while driving. Running ads on buses, benches and even buildings can help too. One of the best ways to grab the attention of your customer base is with a billboard. Whether you set up one billboard or multiple boards, you can make each one even more appealing and grab the attention of anyone who walks or drives by.

Add Some Movement

An effective way to make your billboards stand out is with the use of some movement. People sometimes drive right by billboards without taking a second look because they think that the ads never changed. Adding movement will make them want to stop and take another look. They can catch this movement out of the corner of their eyes, which will make them realized that something changed. You can also incorporate some type of digital display that changes regularly instead of using movement.

Include Contact Info

Have you ever looked at a billboard before and found the ad interesting but then realized that it didn’t really tell you anything about the company behind it? Some business owners become caught up in the idea of making an interesting ad that appeals to many people and do not stop to think about what they want to say or what they want customers to do. …

Ways to Make Your Billboards More Appealing Read More