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…
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.…
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.…
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…
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…
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 time now. The addition of…
-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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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,…
The freshly-released Pico is Raspberry Pi's first venture into Arduino boards. But without an on-board OS like Raspberry Pi's other boards, the Pico's utility is a bit more niche and might require a bit of an explanation for newcomers and veterans alike. That's where we come in. Getting Started with MicroPython The…
Updated 3/14/22 Setting up a Raspberry Pi often involves several basic processes that are the same for every project. This post is meant to serve as a beginner’s guide to some of those processes so you can reference it while working on your project. Flashing an OS with the Raspberry Pi Imager Flashing an operating system…
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