Chromebook users may sometimes get an annoying error that says, "You are not authorized to use this device." This issue often occurs when users try to log in with an email address from an unauthorized domain. Here's what you can do to bypass this issue on ChromeOS. … [Read more...] about How to Fix Chromebook Authorization Errors
Posts About Hardware
3D Printing Basics: Z-offset
To have a good chance at getting a high-quality result from your 3D printer, you need your first layer to be perfect. There are a number of things you can do to help this or to make it worse. The most basic requirement is to have a properly levelled print bed. You can, however, face issues if you add something to the bed after you’ve calibrated it. If you add a sheet of … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Basics: Z-offset
What is Cold Spray Metal 3D Printing?
3D printing is a cool way to create real-world replicas of 3D computer models. There are several different ways to do so in your own home. FDM printing with thermoplastics and MSLA printing with photosensitive resins are both relatively affordable and easy to buy. There are other, more exotic methods of 3D printing that can offer unique advantages. Unfortunately, these are much … [Read more...] about What is Cold Spray Metal 3D Printing?
3D Printing Basics: What Is Z-Seam?
Everyone familiar with FDM 3D printing knows about layer lines. They’re an almost ever-present menace, limiting the final quality of all prints. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only downside of the additive manufacturing approach. At the start and end of each layer, the plastic simply can’t be smoothed together, leaving a visible seam. Depending on your slicer settings, this can … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Basics: What Is Z-Seam?
3D Printing Basics: What is Top Surface Ironing?
One of the ever-present features of 3D printing, especially FDM, is layer lines. Because the size of the printed plastic is still visibly large, very little can be done to minimize this. Even when using the smallest layer sizes available, layer lines are visible. They’re also noticeable on flat surfaces such as the top of the print. Interestingly, there is something that can be … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Basics: What is Top Surface Ironing?
Fix: Chromebook Battery Not Charging
Chromebooks sport excellent battery life and can power you throughout the day. But since all man-made things tend to break at some point, your Chromebook battery may sometimes fail to charge. If you keep getting low battery alerts on ChromeOS, follow the steps below to solve the problem. … [Read more...] about Fix: Chromebook Battery Not Charging
3D Printing Basics: Tips to Avoid Quality Issues
3D printing may sound like an easy thing to do. Unfortunately, many things can go wrong and negatively affect the print quality or cause a complete print failure. The best place to start to avoid quality issues is to stick to the manufacturer’s advice. Each printer will come with setup instructions and configuration recommendations. … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Basics: Tips to Avoid Quality Issues
3D Printing Basics: Printing Your Own Stamps
Stamps can be a useful part of your job or a fun way to personalize stationery. They allow you to quickly recreate a design on any flat surface the ink you use can stick to. A limitation you can easily face, though, is the availability of designs that you want. While there are plenty of stamp designs available on the internet, you may not be able to find a design you like. With … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Basics: Printing Your Own Stamps
3D Printing Basics: Printing Threaded Parts
If you’ve got a 3D printer, it can be easy to think that you can print anything. Some parts require more planning and careful design than others, though. There are also applications for which 3D printing can struggle, at least with common materials and processes. One of these applications is threaded parts. When talking about threaded parts, most people will think of screws or … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Basics: Printing Threaded Parts
3D Printing Basics: Improving Dimensional Accuracy
Any 3D printable that you print will have some level of inaccuracy compared to the 3D model on the computer. This inaccuracy is called tolerance and is a feature present in all forms of manufacturing. In some fields, this tolerance needs to be particularly fine. For example, in the watchmaking industry, the tolerances on each component are tiny. … [Read more...] about 3D Printing Basics: Improving Dimensional Accuracy