ZEISS Announced New Camera Lenses for the iPhone

Posted on 18/01/2016 by Alexandru Chiuariu

Apple already gets a lot of praise for the cameras it has implemented in the iPhones, but ZEISS thinks that there is still room for improvement.

ZEISS, one of the biggest names in the world of optics, unveiled at CES 2016 in Las Vegas three new lenses for the iPhone 6S it has developed in partnership with Fellowes Brands, a manufacturer of premium mobile photography accessories. Did Apple’s latest smartphone need better optics for its camera? ZEISS and Fellowes seem to think so, and so do the numerous blog posts you can find on the Web about what lens add-ons produce the best results.

“We are thrilled to announce our new relationship with ZEISS, who has been setting standards in optics for almost 170 years,” stated John E. Fellowes, Chief Executive Officer of Fellowes. “Following the launch of our new ExoLensTM mobile phone photography line last year, our partnership with ZEISS will enable unique and innovative consumer lens solutions. ExoLensTM with optics by ZEISS will redefine quality in the mobile photography space, providing professional-grade results for end users.”

“The impact of an image is decisively influenced by the lens and its technical properties,” added Dr. Winfried Scherle, Executive Vice President of Carl Zeiss AG and Head of the ZEISS Consumer Optics business group.

And here is what Zeiss had to say in a blog post announcing the launch of the lenses:

“The new lenses are characterized by their leading-edge design featuring smooth surfaces made of black anodized aluminum with white labeling. This is a systematic continuation of the distinctive, innovative product design that typifies current families of ZEISS camera lenses. The modern design offers excellent optic properties and the lenses meet even the highest aesthetic standards.

The lenses of ExoLens with optics by ZEISS are the best currently available on the market. We have achieved the best possible technical balance between a small size, light weight and high image quality.”

While the line might feature many more lenses, probably depending on the public’s perception, for the moment the two companies have only unveiled three lenses for three different applications: wide-angle, telephoto, and macro. As if the excellent image performance of the first two wasn’t enough, the macro lens even has a zoom function, which is a premiere for such accessory lenses.

The first lenses by ExoLens and Zeiss should be available late Q2 2016 on Amazon.com, as well as at exolens.com. Surely, by then, Apple will already launch the iPhone 7, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Once the lenses hit the market, finding adapters for one iPhone or the other shouldn’t be that difficult. There has been no word on how much these would cost, but given that they’re made by ZEISS, it’s anyone’s guess that they won’t come cheap. That being said, anyone who can buy an iPhone right after launch surely can shell a couple more hundred dollars for a ZEISS lens.

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[via Geeky Gadgets]

Cheero Sleepion Employs Light, Sound and Aroma to Induce Sleep

Posted on 12/01/2016 by Alexandru Chiuariu

If milk and honey served just before bedtime are no longer effective in helping you fall asleep, you might want to give Cheero’s Sleepion a try.

Exhibited at CES 2016 while also being featured on Kickstarter at the same time, Cheero’s Sleepion is a gadget that relies on sound, light, and scents to help you travel faster to the land of dreams. Some could say that a mood lamp, an aromatherapy lamp, and a playlist with nature sounds, but Sleepion is supposed to be more effective than those three combined. After all, Professor Shimizu, on whose research the Sleepion is based, has spent 15 years trying to find out how exactly light, sound and aroma influence our sleep, and how they could be brought together in a single device.

“Sounds heard while sleeping plays a significant role in inducing sleep and its healing effects. Among many sounds, those that are close to what occur in nature have particularly strong effects which have been verified in studies,” claims Dr. Shimizu.

Sleepion includes 16 distinct healing sound loops that induce sleep by evoking the environment of mother’s womb. Don’t know about you, but I find this part pretty disturbing.

As far as light’s influence on sleep is concerned, Professor Shimizu explained that “Light is characterized by its color temperature and luminance, and the optimal levels for sleep are 2700k in color temperature and 35% in luminance. This is close to the color of candlelight, and to the moonlight, which mankind has been gazing at since the birth of the human race.”

In terms of aroma, the Sleepion is delivered with three oil blends that include both steam distilled and solvent extracted lavender, cedarwood and geranium scents. Each of them is sourced from different parts of the world, but the effect is the same. Once the aroma fills the room, you start to feel more relaxed. One interesting aspect is that the aroma is not diffused by heating by oil, but by the vibrations generated by the speaker. That means that Sleepion is safe to use even when there are children or pets in the room.

The Sleepion Kickstarter campaign is a success, as the $15,000 funding goal has already been surpassed. Anyone who has backed the project with at least $170 should expect to receive their Sleepion kit at the end of March/beginning of April. The device can be ordered in a color of your choice, and the options include white, black, blue, pink, and green. This way, there won’t be any discrepancies between the color of your Sleepion and the color of your room. Unless contrasts are your thing.

Considering the campaign’s success, I’d say that quite a few people believe in Sleepion’s effectiveness. We’ll have to wait until April to see some hands-on reviews of the device, and to learn whether it really is as good as its manufacturer claims or not.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Barisieur coffee maker-alarm clock hybrid, or the SensorWake alarm clock that fills the room with scents.

Don’t Text and Drive: SmartWheel

Posted on 12/01/2016 by Natalie

smartwheel2

Do not text and drive. Texting while driving is a serious problem due to the high accidents and fatal rates reported. By the time it takes to check a text message, a car can travel a distance greater than a football field while the driver is not looking at the road. Many fatal accidents are attributed to texting while driving. The SmartWheel is designed to prevent such fatalities from occurring by detecting if the driver is texting when they should be driving.

Creator

The SmartWheel was invented by T.J. Evarts. Evarts wanted to create a proactive safety device that could detect issues before an accident occurred. He compared his invention to other reporting tools that only provide information after an accident. He was inspired to invent the SmartWheel when he witnessed a friend texting and driving.

Behind the Wheel

The SmartWheel is designed to work on most cars, it is simply placed over the steering wheel. Sensors in the SmartWheel can detect if the driver has both hands on the wheel or not. It is ideal to drive with both hands on the steering wheel and hence, this device senses that. If the SmartWheel detects that the driver does not have both hands on the wheel, it will sound an alert and start flashing. SmartWheel can also communicate with an app. It will alert the owner of the car with access to the SmartWheel device if the driver of the car is not keeping both hands on the wheel. This will provide parents with a way to track how safe their teens are behaving while they are on the road.

Features

The main feature of SmartWheel is its ability to alert the owner of the vehicle in real time if the driver takes their hands off the wheel. This feature adds an element of accountability. Drivers are more likely to keep their hands on the wheel if they know they are being monitored.

This feature can be used by parents to track their teen’s driving habits. But it can also be used by companies, like IT consulting Los Angeles companies, to ensure their drivers are not endangering themselves or others. If a driver still chooses to text and drive, the company will be able to take corrective action. The main advantage is that everyone on the road will be a bit more safer.

Price

SmartWheel is expected to be released to the public sometime in 2016 for about $199.

Audeze Sine Lightning Cable Headphones Pave the Way for iPhone 7

Posted on 11/01/2016 by Alexandru Chiuariu

Having heard that Apple might drop the 3.5mm audio connector starting with the iPhone 7, Audeze developed yet another pair of headphones that use a Lightning connector, and unveiled them last week at CES 2016 in Las Vegas.

Advertised as the world’s first on-ear planar magnetic headphones, Audeze Sine a brilliant piece of technology that have been adapted to be used with Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7. Designed in collaboration with BMW DesignWorksUSA and showcased at CES 2016, the Sine headphones are the lightest of Audeze’s headphones, weighing just 230g, but there’s really more to them than just the extreme portability.

At first, it may seem like a very stupid decision to replace an universal connector such as the 3.5mm with a proprietary one (i.e. the Lightning connector). People thought that Apple is doing this just to spite both smartphone and headphone makers, pretending that the final goal is to make the iPhone slimmer. Well, that’s true, as the 3.5mm port’s bulkiness prevented not just the iPhone, but pretty much every other smartphone out there from getting thinner. Still, how much thinner can smartphones get while still maintaning a decent battery life?

Secondly, Apple says that the 3.5mm port takes much more space than it would have you think, as it goes deep inside the phone, whereas the Lightning connector is far more compact. Not at last, Apple claims that the 3.5mm port prevents it from making waterproof iPhones. Well, Sony has been waterproofing its flagships for five years now, and guess what, they all have 3.5mm ports. Whether the existence of the 3.5mm connector is beneficial or not is still debatable, but my personal opinion is that Apple is trying to create its own ecosystem that includes only accessories that they approve of.

Here’s a fragment of Audeze’s press release that announced the debut of the SINE planar magnetic headphone at CES 2016:

“The SINE headphones feature Audeze’s renowned Fluxor® planar magnetic technology with Fazor® Elements and Uniforce® Diaphragms to provide a highly efficient yet lightweight headphone, with very low distortion, good bass, a seductive midrange, crisp extended high frequencies, and excellent imaging.

Audeze’s fully integrated Apple Lightning cable is also an option for the SINE headphones. The exclusive Lightning cable streams a complete 24-bit digital signal through a high quality DSP and DAC to offer better sound quality directly from the iPhone. The built in microphone can be used for phone calls or Skype and is SIRI compatible.”

To pre-order the Sine on-ear planar magnetic headphones, head over to Audeze’s website and get ready to shell out $499.95, as this is how much these jewels cost. If it makes you feel any better, the Audeze EL-8 Titanium cost $800, which is more than what the iPhone 7 will probably be.

As an audiophile (since I assume that this is who Audeze is targeting with its products), do you think it’s OK to invest that much in a pair of headphones that can only be used with Apple’s products?

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Sennheiser’s $55,000 Orpheus headphones, or the Wearhaus Arc wireless headphones.

The Autonomous Cars And Drones By Ford At CES 2016

Posted on 11/01/2016 by Federico Lo Giudice

International technology fair CES 2016 brought us many new gadgets and products of all kinds, and now it’s Ford’s turn, who want to tell us about the future of cars.This is the future according to the American company, with connectivity, drones, and autonomous cars. Read all about it in this story!

World-renowned company Ford also had a lot to show during CES 2016 at Las Vegas, Nevada, where they announced all the new features coming to their cars, their new drones, and connectivity features coming to their products – all of which look very promising and interesting.

They had a keynote where they explained their vision, with their new connectivity features integrated and new software coming to their cars, such as the SmartDeviceLink which allows interaction between our favorite smartphone apps and the car through voice commands, so the driver never has to take his hands off of the steering wheel. FORD Sync creates a link between vehicles and smart homes, and allows the cars and specific devices to communicate so the user can turn devices on or off from their car. What’s more, many of their vehicles and drones use SYNC AppLink which benefits from these connectivity features to help when it comes to emergencies related to climatic catastrophes or accidents.

One of the most acclaimed features deals with the connection between vehicles and smarthomes. With this we refer to having the ability to use voice commands to control lightning, heater, security and many other features from our smart homes from the comfort of our car. An example of this would be, say, having the ability to program our garage once it detects we’re within certain distance of the door, and use light of our choosing to welcome the driver. Wouldn’t that be neat? Ford SYNC Connect along with 4G LTE technology allows to control doors, check fuel or find our exact parking location straight from our phone which are all quite useful features, especially for those of us that happen to forget exactly where in the parking lot we were.

Finally, Ford also told attendees about a future in which vehicles and drones can work together, particularly useful if our area has been affected by, say, an earthquake, tsunami or other natural catastrophes. This inspection system will be used by the United Nations to reach inaccessible areas, and the first vehicle capable of using this technology will be the Ford F-150.

In order to hasten the development of autonomous cars, Ford are currently producing three times as many proofs of concepts, and has just recently released some 30 Mondeo Hybrid in California, Michigan and Arizona among other areas to try them out. These vehicles use a sensor called PUCK which guarantees precision when it comes to 3D mapping a new area in real time.

Investigation and engineering vicepresident Ken Washington ended the presentation explaining how Ford are trying to bring the best from each area of their business together in order to increase the quality of life of everyone, and their consumer base above all.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories at EHang’s Human-Carrying Drone Is More of a Personal Helicopter and Star Wars Characters Reimagined as Menacing Cars.

CES 2016: Lenovo Introduce Products And Rename Motorola

Posted on 11/01/2016 by Federico Lo Giudice

Tablets, ultrabooks and portable gadgets – the revamp of the “Moto” brand was the main thing Lenovo had going for them at CES 2016. Read all about it in this story!

Lots of things happened at CES 2016, the biggest tech show in the entire world. Among all these happenings, Chinese giant Lenovo made it clear why they were one of the fastest growing business during the last few years, and why each of their products are so acclaimed and succesful around the globe. CES 2016 was the perfect platform to show their new catalog and impress users with their new technology, and that’s exactly what they did with many new laptops, tablets, smartphones and several other high-end devices that we are sure will be among the most desired gadgets for this 2016 that has just started.

Keeping in mind the several suggestions from their buyers (something the Chinese giant excels at), Lenovo updated the beloved X1 line, of which the X1 Carbon is the undisputed main star. This ultra thin notebook will have, in its upcoming revision, an incredibly powerful sixth generation Intel Skylake processor, a total weight of barely above one kilo (about 2.2 pounds) and a fingerprint reader, which is slowly becoming the default among high-end devices. It will be available starting this February, and it will cost some $1.299 USD – not bad for such a high-end device.

For the users who would instead have a more functional and adaptable device, the Lenovo team introduced the X1 Yoga, a computer which is really similar to the X1 Carbon but features a tactile screen, stylus, and a keyboard that can be rotated 360 degrees, turning it into a tablet too. The computer’s screen is a beautiful OLED surface with a 2560X1440 resolution, and will come out this month at $1449 USD, just a couple hundred above the X1 Carbon.

Both of these new devices will feature next gen i7 processors, up to 16 GB of RAM memory, a 1TB SSD hard drive, and 14 inches screens capable of full HD resolutions. These two models will have an alternative version called ThinkCentre X1 which measures 24 inches (that is basically a small TV!), an all-in-one monitor with USB C connectors and 4K technology that can recharge the laptop’s battery while using it as a screen at the same time, as if to start their own Lenovo ecosystem.

Still, the biggest and most resounding bit of news is that Lenovo will rename Motorola, recently after having bought it out from the Google team. The legendary phone creators are now going to work on devices named “Moto by Lenovo”. This might not be a huge change to some, but some of the more nostalgic users might end up missing the creator of the Startac, just like Nokia fans still can’t get over how Microsoft renamed the entire brand as Lumia, the flagships of the new Windows Phones.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories at CES 2016: Mate 8, Huawei’s New Flagship and CES 2016: Sony introduced cams, 4k displays & headphones.

Snapdragon 820-Powered LeTV Le Max Pro Gets a Best of CES 2016 Award

Posted on 10/01/2016 by Ariela Ross

It has become a tradition for Chinese smartphone manufacturers to be the ones premiering devices based on new Qualcomm chipsets. This time it’s LeTV with the Snapdragon 820-based Le Max Pro, a monster of an Android smartphone that took home a Best of CES 2016 award.

LeTV, a Chinese company that started as a content creation platform, has made a goal out of dethroning Xiaomi, and that not only in their home country, but also globally. Being a somewhat new player in the smartphone industry, that’s a pretty lofty goal, but LeTV seems to have what it takes to succeed. This is the first time the company is present at CES, and for one of the devices exhibited there, it has managed to take away a Best of CES 2016 award already.

Each major online publication has given awards to the tech companies attending the event, so it’s no surprise than Samsung went home with more than 100 awards and LG with a bit over 50. Android Authority has decided to name the LeTV Le Max Pro the Best of CES 2016, and given the numerous revolutionary technologies that have been implemented in this device, their decision makes sense entirely.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the enthusiasm for Letv,” said Eric Mika, senior vice president of open ecosystems, strategic alliances and partnerships at Letv. “To walk away with an award from Android Authority in our debut CES appearance reflects all the hard work our team has put into making extraordinary products that create extraordinary experiences.”

“As the first Snapdragon 820-powered device, the Letv Le Max Pro ushers in an exciting future for smartphone performance,” responded Joshua Vergara, video producer and host, Android Authority.

That being said, the LeTV Le Max Pro is quite a beast, not only in terms of design, but also as far as its technical specs are concerned. The LCD display measures 6.33-inch in diagonal and comes with a QHD (2560×1440 pixels) resolution. With such features, the Le Max Pro steps firmly into phablet territory. Under the hood it sports the previously mentioned Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with a quad-core CPU clocked at 2.2GHz and an Adreno 530 GPU. The 64-bit Kryta CPU is said to offer twice the performance of the Snapdragon 810, and the AnTuTu benchmark more than confirms that, with scores upwards of 130,000.

To make sure that users are able to run as many apps they want, LeTV has included 4GB of DDR4 (!) RAM. It certainly is great that this RAM tecnology is finally finding its way to smartphones. As for the storage, there will be 3 models available, with 32, 64 or 128GB of internal memory.

The dual-SIM Le Max Pro is also among the first devices to come with 802.11ad Wi-Fi, which is a standard that features higher speeds and longer ranges than Wi-Fi ac.

Camera-wise, the phone is equipped with a 21MP rear-camera with optical image stabilization, while the front sports a 2 Ultra Pixel camera. Not at last, Le Max Pro comes with a 3,400mAh non-removable battery and runs LeTV’s EUI on top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. These end the long list of features that make the Le Max Pro one of the best devices on the market.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the LeTV X600, which marked the debut of the Mediatek Helio X10 chipset, or the Mate 8, Huawei’s new flagship.

[Source and Image Credits: Android Authority]

ONAGOfly Smart Nano Drone Took Indiegogo and CES 2016 by Storm

Posted on 09/01/2016 by Alexandru Chiuariu

Companies looking to crowdfund their drones should learn a thing or two from ONAGOfly, a Delaware, US-based startup that has already raised nearly 10 times their funding goal, and all that nearly a month before the campaign’s end.

The ONAGOfly smart nano drone is getting a lot of attention these days, due to the extremely successful Indiegogo campaign on one hand, and with a lot of exposure at CES 2016 on the other hand. There are so many factors that contribute to this success that it’s hard to decide which one to describe first.

When it comes to the manufacturer’s priorities, they like to advertise the drone’s size, along with its GPS functionality and hi-res video camera. Palm-sized drones seem to be preferred by a lot of people, especially if they are equipped with a high resolution camera. ONAGOfly scores points in both departments, as it measures only 125x125x46mm, weighs just 140 grams and carries a Sony 15 MP camera that’s capable of shooting video in 1080p at 30 fps. Oh, and on top of that, it also has a GPS “follow me” function that enables it to maintain the distance between itself and the controller.

ONAGOfly also packs an IR sensor that helps it to intelligently avoid obstacles such as walls and trees. The ONAGOfly app can be used not only for controlling the drone, but also for syncing photos and videos as they are being recorded. P2P streaming functionality enables users to watch on smartphones or tablets whatever the drone is filming.

Not at last, the ONAGOfly smart nano drone includes a 1,000mAh battery that permits flight times of up to 15 minutes. Considering that the competitors struggle to get past the 10-minute mark, what ONAGOfly has managed to do is rather impressive.

To reserve the ONAGOfly smart nano drone for yourself you need to head over to Indiegogo, where the company’s crowdfunding campaign is hosted and pledge $199 or more + $25 for shipping, if you don’t live in the US, Canada or China. Assuming that nothing goes wrong within the next 27 days, when the campaign ends, you should receive your ONAGOfly mini quadcopter in March. At the time of writing, backers had pledged $1,399,294, which is 933% of the $150,000 funding goal, fact that certifies the awesomeness of the drone. Besides the drone, there are plenty of other perks, including ProKit packs and carrying case that make the entire campaign so much more appealing.

That being said, people who commented on the above YouTube video are very skeptical, claiming that the whole thing is a scam, and that the actual promotional video is full of lies. The memory of the Zano drone, Europe’s biggest Kickstarter project that went bust after raising $3.6m is still fresh, so it’s easy to understand why they’re making such comments. On top of that, Indiegogo has a history of accepting projects that got banned on Kickstarter (remember the Skarp laser razor?), so their crowdfunding platform is not always seen with good eyes. I guess we’ll just have to wait a few more weeks to see if ONAGOfly shares the same fate.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about AEE Technology’s new quadcopters unveiled at CES 2016, or the EHang 184 human-carrying drone that’s more of a personal helicopter.

CES 2016: Wulian’s Latest IoT and Smart Home Devices

Posted on 09/01/2016 by Tal Siach

Besides drones and various computer parts, another segment that has really picked up steam at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is IoT and the smart home industry, in general, thanks to such exhibitors as Wulian.

Chinese company Wulian is a member of the ZigBee Alliance along with other such big players as Philips, Samsung, Logitech, Bosch, and Comcast, and it’s great to see that actual tech titans have converged on creating a standard for smart home devices, which is known as the ZigBee protocol.

Just to give you an idea about how many products Wulian has exhibited at CES 2016, the company had to set up seven exhibit areas: Smart Lighting, Access Security Control, Electrical Appliances Control, Wireless Monitoring System and Environmental Monitor. All of these are related one way or another to IoT and smart home systems, which are exactly the industries Wulian activates in.

The Dream Flower smart vase, picture above, represents the perfect combination between elegant design and technology. It’s very stylish and unobtrusive, so many of your guests will have no idea that it actually has more than just an aesthetic role. In fact, the Dream Flower smart vase acts as a comprehensive environment detector. It connects to dual-band Wi-Fi and provides information about the levels of PM 2.5, CO2, VOC gases, and even noise. On top of that, it comes with voice broadcasting capabilities and can light up in one of 16 million colors.

Secondly, the company has unveiled the Cylincam, a multi-function HD cam that features IR night vision and two-way communication. While this sounds great for a device meant for protecting your home, I can also see it working as a baby monitor. The 720-degree rotation enables it to be great for home monitoring, as well.

Up next is Wuilan’s Mini Gateway, which amazes with its small dimensions that actually qualify it for the title of the smallest gateway in the Smart Home Industry. It has numerous functions, and among many other things, it can work as a night lamp or a signal repeater for Wi-Fi networks. The built-in infrared sensor enables it to pick up movements that in turn trigger the night lamp function. Much like the Dream Flower smart vase, the Mini Gateway can let you know when someone is at the door, assuming you have it connected to a doorbell.

Home security is an aspect that couldn’t have been left behind. The Wulian Smart Door Lock features infrared intrusion detectors snaps photos when people approach the door, so you know at all times if there are any invited or uninvited guests in the neighborhood. The lock even sports a Stress mode that can be activated when family members feel threatened. Upon entering a PIN code, an emergency number is dialed, and the problem is solved, one way or another. The Smart Lock enables access based on fingerprint, password, NFC and remote keys, so it’s very versatile.

Not at last, Wulian has developed a Smart Home App that manages all of the above devices, and even lets you control them using an Apple Watch. Besides that, the app features such functions as remote control, time setting, scenes control, interactive communication, NFC and even GPS.

This is the last day of CES 2016, so if you haven’t checked Wulian’s exhibit areas, head over to Sands Expo Level 2, Hall A, 71531 and see some of their ZigBee devices with your own eyes.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Logitech Circle smart camera for home monitoring, or the SwannOne smart home smartphone app.

Ultimaker Upgraded Its 3D Printers at CES 2016

Posted on 09/01/2016 by Jude Cavale

The new Ultimaker 2+ and Ultimaker 2 Extended+ 3D printers have been unveiled at CES 2016, where the manufacturer has also discussed its vision regarding 3D printing in 2016.

As successors of the Ultimaker 2 and Ultimaker 2 Extended, the two new products focus even more on making 3D printing accessible. While the devices developed by the Netherlands-based Ultimaker aren’t exactly cheap, they are extremely easy to use, and I’m sure that’s what the main priority should be.

“We are excited to release two new 3D printers at CES this year,” says Jos Burger, CEO of Ultimaker. “The Ultimaker 2+ and Ultimaker 2 Extended+ are results of countless collaborations and insightful feedback we have received from the Ultimaker community. Both printers feature crucial upgrades based on what our customers are looking for in a 3D printer.”

Some of the features shared by both 3D printers include interchangeable nozzles, optimized print results and enhanced surface quality. By allowing users to change the nozzles whenever they want, Ultimaker provides them a greater freedom for choosing the materials they work with. Both printers come with 4 nozzles that measure 0.25, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mm in diameter. Depending on the nozzles that are used, people can choose between highly detailed prints and high speed prints.

Similar in length and width (493 x 342 mm), Ultimaker 2+ and Ultimaker 2 Extended+ differ significantly in height, the latter being 10 cm taller than the former (688 vs 588 mm). That difference becomes noticeable in the build volume (223 x 223 x 305 mm vs 223 x 223 x 205 mm), as well as in the overall weight of the 3D printers (12.1 vs 10.8 kg).

In terms of used materials, layer resolution and speed, the two printers have identical specs, again. Both can work with open filament systems and are optimized for PLA, ABS, and CPE. The layer resolution ranges from 600 microns to 20 microns. As for the speed, the new Ultimaker 3D printers build at up to 24 mm3/s, and travel at up to 300 mm/s.

“We have seen great success this year with professionals and educators who can optimize the modular components of our infrastructure for their own specific needs,” concluded Burger. “Ultimaker has seen an expansion of sales within industries such as Aerospace, Automotive, Healthcare, Energy and Education especially within engineering, design and manufacturing in the past year. We look forward to see how Ultimaker’s global community will continue to grow and help it create the products of the future.”

Both printers are available for purchase now, and while the Ultimaker 2+ costs €1,895, the 2 Extended+ comes at €2,495 (both prices exclude VAT). These definitely aren’t cheap printers, but that’s not even what Ultimaker wants for its products. Instead, the Dutch company wishes to provide reliable, versatile 3D printers that print quickly and accurately. Keep in mind that the company is working on also providing top-class software for its 3D printers, and not only the hardware. This stands to show Ultimaker’s commitment to making all of its customers happy, regardless of what they’re using the 3D printers for.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Lumi Industries’ 3D printing revolution, or the Gaia Multitool 3D printer.

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