“Oh! My theory about advancing technologies as both our savior and our doom?”
1. Less Chips Has Been Great for U.S. Manufacturing’s Health
Bet you’ve NEVER heard a silicon die potato chip joke before! “Overall, the chip shortage is shining a new spotlight on the state of US manufacturing and how much of it has moved out of the country. Intel, which slipped to third place behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Samsung Foundry, hopes to take advantage of the tailwinds -- rising demand and government funding -- to reclaim its leadership position.”
2. NFTs Are Dumb but Smart for Blockchain
Non-fungibles tokens (NFTs) are really stupid. They’re basically a digital file of some sort, like a picture or gif, that you buy with real money or crypto. Then you gloat to the nice people of the internet about your phat stacks by showing them your file and telling them how much you spent on it … Then the internet people “counterfeit” it by right-clicking on it to copy it or taking a screenshot of it. True story. Well, at least NFTs are a great way to test, develop, and get people to pay to optimize blockchains, since the chain is the only way to tell who owns what NFT. I said all that to tell you this: I guess blockchains are still a thing.
3. 3D-Printed Speaker Enclosures
“Having the right speaker enclosure can make a big difference to sound quality, so it’s no surprise that customizable ones are a common project for those who treat sound seriously.” Hey can #youpeople think of a manufacturing technology that would be ideal for low production custom work with potentially complex internal geometries to optimize acoustics? Nothing’s coming to mind. 😉
4. ICYMI: Formnext 2021
Didn’t make Formnext this year? I told you: I got you! Here’s a list of notable additive machines that debuted at the show. There were a lot, so it’s split up into four categories: material extrusion machines, VAT photopolymerization machines, powder bed fusion machines, and metal additive machines in general for those living under a rock and who think only metal will do. Enjoy!
5. W Is for Tungsten, but the L Goes to the Supply Chain
I told #youpeople on the Tech Trends Podcast and in the Tech Report: Tungsten (or wolfram for those of you who are also 'bout that life) is my favorite element. Looks like I'm a trendsetter. Joking aside, this could be a hit for the manufacturing industry, specifically cutting tools.
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