As we approach the end of the year, many of the industry’s newest products have come to market the the buzz has simmered down. With SolidWorks World 2014 just 5 weeks away, the excitement of what is to be revealed in the next version of SolidWorks is upon us. Here are a few highlights from the last two months:
SolidWorks Updates:
- SolidWorks 2014 SP1 is available for download
- SolidWorks Enterprise PDM 2014 SP1 is available for download
- EPDM Office Add-in update is available for download
SolidWorks World 2014 News:
- SolidWorks World 2014 top 10 idea list is now open for voting!
- Win a FREE pass to SWW14 with the Holiday Gift Contest!
- Don’t miss all the San Diego Attractions while attending SWW14
SWW14 Top 10 List - Do you have ideas or want to vote what is in the next version of SolidWorks? For the past couple of months ideas have been submitted to SolidWorks for new ideas to make the next version and now it is time to vote your favorites up or down. The results will be presented in the SWW14 General Session on Wednesday 1/29/2014.
Bo & Yana: Programming for Kids - If you want to teach your kids (toddlers to high schoolers) how to program. Younger kids can program with visual programming tools and hand gestures while older kids can use existing tools like Blockly. The project can even be moved into mobile app development and other traditional programming tools. Pre-order now open..
Apple to Build Manufacturing Facility in Arizona - Apple has chosen Mesa, Arizona to be the next manufacturing facility for sapphire production, used in lenses and the new Touch-ID. The new facility will employ 700 Apple employees and bring 1300 construction jobs as well as new solar grid to power the facility.
Smart Bike Locks – In this world of connected devices, did you ever think about unlocking your bike with your phone. Lock8 and Bitlock, both Kickstarter funded, leapt out of the gate with similar smartphone controls but a variety of additional features like GPS, push notifications and even calorie counting!
Fingerprint Scanning and Waterproof? – LifeProof, a SolidWorks and DDi customer, manufactures waterproof cases or the Apple line of products. When the iPhone 5S shipped with a Touch-ID fingerprint scanner, many though cases like LifeProof’s were going to be left for dead. Not so fast!
Google’s Next Moonshot: Robots – Andy Rubin, the father of Google’s Android platform, has deep roots in the robotics industry and is moving onto the next Google project involving robots. Google has been acquiring many robotics companies around the world including Boston Dynamics, makers of the BigDog.
The “Internet of Things” movement has driven an uprising to so many interesting products that are a mesh of mechanical, electrical, software and other engineering achievements. It is one of the most exciting aspects of being an engineer and staying close to what is possible with technology.