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H2O Helper: A Simple Water Sensor for Your Christmas Tree
H2O Helper: A Simple Water Sensor for Your Christmas Tree In this guide, we undertake a technical exploration of the Raspberry Pi Pico, utilizing the MicroPython Programmer Starter Kit. This project is a tutorial for those looking to understand microcontroller applications and circuit design. We will cover three core…
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Creating Stunning Lithophanes in Blender: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Creating Stunning Lithophanes in Blender: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners Lithophane Printed in Inland Filament White PLA: https://www.microcenter.com/product/485641/inland Printed with the Creality K1: https://www.microcenter.com/product/666007/creality In this edition, we're exploring the fascinating world of 3D…
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The Evolution of 3D Printing and the Role of AI
Over the past decade, the world of 3D printing has undergone a remarkable transformation. What was once a niche hobby reserved for enthusiasts and tinkerers has now blossomed into a mainstream technology that's reshaping industries across the globe. From healthcare and automotive to fashion and architecture, 3D printing…
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The xTool S1 First Impressions - A High Quality Laser for a Mid Tier Price
Written by Nick Biederman Diode lasers have been around for a while now, but that doesn’t mean they’re not constantly innovating. Last year we took a look at TwoTrees’ Totem S. The Totem S uses an open frame design, which tend to be inexpensive and easy to produce but lack some important safety features. They also tend to…
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Hands On with the Twotrees TTC 450 CNC Router
Written by Nick Biederman We’ve taken a fairly in-depth look into the world of hobbyist laser cutters over the last year. Today we’ll be shifting gears and looking at a desktop-sized CNC router from Twotrees, the TTC 450. CNC routers are conceptually similar to laser cutters but with a major difference in how they cut.…
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Laser Safety - Make The Most of Your Home Laser Cutter or CNC Machine!
Written by Nick Biederman As more home shops begin to use laser cutters, it's important to remember safety procedures. Like most other tools at our disposal, laser cutters are safe when operated correctly but can be dangerous if misused. Today we'll be addressing material hazards, fires, laser exposure, and other common…
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The Inland Line of Arduino/Raspberry Pi Accessories
While the Inland house brand at Micro Center has long been known for its cables, computer accessories, and more, in more recent years they have added 3D printer filament and Arduino Boards as well as modules and accessories to go with the popular microcontrollers and even single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi.…
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New to 3D Printing? Here are our top 5 rules for successful printing.
Written by Andy Leer You’ve just picked up your first 3D printer. You’re excited to print all of your favorite characters or figures from that hot new video game/anime/TV show. You follow all instructions for installation, watch a few youtube videos, slice your first file, send the print to the machine, and shazam! A…
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Announcing the Raspberry Pi Pico H and Pico W!
Written by Sean Mekinda At 8:00 am UK time this morning, the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced three more entries to the Raspberry Pi Pico family. The Pico H/Pico W and Pico WH all feature additions which fans of the Pico will find useful. The first in the line is the Pico H, which users have been asking after for some…
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Your Own Maker Space At Home
-Andy Leer (Merchandise Manager for Maker Boards/3D Printing) It’s never been easier to create your own at-home maker space. Not only is it becoming more accessible for new-comers and novices, but desktop digital fabrication machines have lowered in price over the last 10 years. In 2013, companies like Printrbot were…
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3D Print of the Month: Wand Holder
I wanted to print something Harry Potter themed as the new Fantastic Beasts movie was released in April 2022. After searching Thingiverse for a bit, I came across this cool wand holder. I haven’t printed the wand yet, so I am currently using it as my pencil holder. Created by Chalter on Thingiverse The middle crest can be…
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Making an Eco-Friendly 3D Printer Ecosystem
3D printing is a wonderful technology that has revolutionized rapid prototyping, small-scale manufacturing, and allowed individuals to produce custom products on a one-off basis. But, like any technology, it isn’t without its hiccups. Packaging and failed prints can produce plastic waste, and running a 3D printer…
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The TwoTrees TOTEM S Material Cutting Guide
For many makers, the types of material that can be processed is an important consideration when looking at laser cutters for their shops. Today we’ll be looking at some common materials and comparing the results obtained by processing them with the TwoTrees TOTEM S and an unbranded 50-watt CO2 laser. Besides the difference…
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Making a Magic Mirror
Have you ever wanted to wake up in the morning, go to your bathroom, and when you see yourself in the mirror, see all the information you need for the day? Calendars, weather, voice assistant. You name it. With a magic mirror, you really can make your house something from a Sci-Fi movie. With a Raspberry Pi, you can create…
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Using LaserGRBL for the TOTEM S Laser Engraver
Last time we talked about the TOTEM S laser engraver from TwoTrees, we looked at controlling it using LightBurn. Today we’ll be looking at LaserGRBL, the other software package recommended by TwoTrees for the Totem S. LaserGRBL isn’t as feature-rich as LightBurn, but it’s free and open source. Start by downloading and…
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Using LightBurn with the TOTEM S Laser
LightBurn is one of two software packages recommended for controlling Two Trees’ TOTEM S laser. LightBurn is a powerful software package that includes basic CAD functionality, support for most vector files including .pdf, .ai, and .dxf, and support for a wide range of laser controllers. Unlike LaserGRBL, it’s neither free…
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TwoTrees TOTEM S Diode Laser Unboxing and First Impressions
Written by Nick Biederman I have owned and worked with several laser cutters over the last few years. It started with a Full Spectrum Laser at Cincinnati’s public library. Next I bought a K40 laser which lasted about a year before the tube died. When I moved to Columbus I started using the Trotec and Rabbit lasers at The…
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Inland16-channel 12-bit PWM/ Servo Driver
Inland16-channel 12-bit PWM/ Servo Driver 1. Introduction You want to make a cool robot, maybe a hexapod walker, or maybe just a piece of art with a lot of moving parts. Or maybe you want to drive a lot of LEDs with precise PWM output. Then you realize that your microcontroller has a limited number of PWM outputs! What…
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Create Your Own Animated Ornament with QTPy!
Written by Nick Biederman With the holiday season in full swing, two things are sure to happen: 1) you'll want to do more holiday DIY projects, and 2) you won’t have time to do holiday DIY projects. Thankfully, the Neopixel Christmas ornament is a fantastic DIY project that won’t take long to put together. This is a simple…
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New Projects for Old Raspberry Pis
With the release of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, some makers might feel older models like the 3 Model B+ or 3 Model B are outdated. However, there are numerous projects that still run well on older versions of the Raspberry Pi. Below is a list of six classic Pi projects that can breathe new life into older hardware. OctoPi…
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How to set up a VPN on Raspberry Pi
Privacy is an integral aspect of our lives, and yet privacy remains one of the most overlooked apects of internet usage. Whenever you do anything on your network, your ISP, or Internet Service Provider, can see what you're doing. The best way to browse the web privately is by installing a VPN onto your home network…
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How to Set Up a Raspberry Pi Media Server
How often do you go to check Netflix to find your favorite movie and it's not on the site? don't you wish there was some way to take all the old DVDs lying around your house and watch them on any of your devices? A Pi media server is just for you! With a Pi media server, you can take all of those old movies around your…
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ESP32-Cam Breakdown And Project Ideas
Wireless cameras are extremely useful for a wide range of maker projects. A Raspberry Pi with a USB webcam or Pi camera can make a good, inexpensive wireless camera. The ESP32-Cam board offers an even lower cost option for projects that don’t require much processing power for the camera with just as many uses. With its…
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How to set up a Raspberry Pi
Have you just recently purchased a Raspberry Pi and don't know where to start? Then, this is the place to be. We'll go over what you need and where to start when setting up your Pi for the first time so you can jump right into making projects! What You Will Need Raspberry Pi (Any Model) Micro USB Cable MicroSD Card…
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How to Set Up a Remote 3D Print Server with your Raspberry Pi
Have a 3-D printer at home but want to get more prints done throughout the day, even while you're out? Then this is the project for you. With your Pi, you can start and even monitor prints from anywhere. This project runs off of a custom OS for the Pi called Octoprint OS. OctoPrint OS is an operating system specifically…
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How to enable the Inland 3.5" TFT LCD Touchscreen Monitor with Raspberry Pi
Recently some users have reported issues using the Inland 3.5” TFT LCD Touchscreen Monitor with their Raspberry Pi. When the screen is connected, everything will power on and show a plain white screen, but nothing will be displayed. This issue can be resolved with some simple configuration done from the command line. Start…
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How to Create a Retro Game Console With Raspberry Pi
Do you miss going to arcades? Or are you too young for that and just want to play some retro arcade games? Well, with Raspberry Pi, you are in luck. You can actually turn your Pi into a retro arcade game machine with access to hundreds of games. You'll be able to play more games on one little device than you ever could at…
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Configuring the Dual Fight Stick and Trackball
Hi everyone! My name is Nick Biederman, and I’m the Maker Apprentice
at Micro Center this summer. I’ve spent the last few days working with our Dual
Fight Stick with Track Ball. One of the best parts is the broad compatibility.
It works great with emulators on a number of systems, including Raspberry Pis
and PCs and other…
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Now in our Dallas Store – The Raspberry Pi Store-In-A-Store!
Want a sneak-peek of the newest thing to arrive at Micro Center? Look no further: One photo not enough? How about a full 3D tour? Presenting the Raspberry Pi Store-in-a-Store, now ready for visiting in our Dallas Micro Center! We've set up a brand new Raspberry Pi experience to showcase all that Raspberry Pi has to offer.…
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Raspberry Pi Pico Launch - What You Need to Know
The Raspberry Pi Pico is Raspberry Pi's first foray into the
world of microcontrollers. This new product is a departure from Raspberry Pi's
previous line of single-board computers and is very similar to other companies'
microcontrollers. Unlike a single board computer (which is a full computer
with an operating system,…
