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5 Awesome Sites To Find Free Valentine’s Day eCards

Posted: 26 Jan 2016 01:20 AM PST

free Valentine's Day hallmark ecards

These days, to give your loved one a perfect Valentine’s day experience, you need to begin with a good Valentine’s Day e-Card. Finding the right one isn’t easy, but more than half the work is done for you when you go on the right website for your needs. The following five are the best the Internet has to offer in this regard, pretty much covering every option.

1. Hallmark eCards

When you think of cards that get attached to anything – from birthday presents to weddings and pretty much any conceivable event you might be going to in your life, Hallmark probably has you covered. It offers the biggest variety you’ll get to feast your eyes on for Valentine’s day included, without focusing just one on genre. You can be funny, cheesy, romantic or old fashioned with how you e-Card your loved one for Valentine’s, and it’s pretty easy to make your way around so you don’t spend too much time finding the perfect card.

2. American Greetings ecards

Not that different from Hallmark in concept, but you’ll find a different style of e-cards for Valentine’s on American Greetings. The twist here? Less animated compared to hallmark. Still funny and weird which makes them delightful, but involves more photoshopping of real people or animals into the cards. Not everyone likes the same thing, so it’s good to have different options.

3.CrossCards eCards

CrossCards focus a lot on greeting via food, which is completely fine. But to more easily point out the difference here compared to Hallmark and American Greetings, they focus on being completely romantic on, well, the official day of romance, which makes a lot of sense. There are cards which have more cuteness to them than just cheesy love dripping out of them, but the overall idea here isn’t to be funny and maybe make fun of your Valentine’s, but to really show them how much you love them.

 

4. BlueMountain eCards

Bluemountain do offer other things besides funny e-Cards for Valentine’s day, but their humor section, while not too big, is the best they have to offer, with their dog animations their strongest asset. Again, they don’t exactly invent the wheel on this corner of the market, but for people who love cute-funny videos that probably involve pets in them, this is the e-Card site for you.

5. 123cards eCards

Like CrossCards, 123cards.com are about the romance in Valentine’s day, with a touch of humor, but mostly going for the cute, cuddly side of your personality with babies (a strong hint to those getting to that point in their lives) and puppies, which always make for a perfect attachment to any Valentine’s day greeting.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter. For more Valentine’s day related articles check out our 20 Funny Valentine's Day Cards and our 10 Awesome Geeky Valentine's Day Gifts Ideas.

4 Affordable 3D Printers for Your Home or Office

Posted: 26 Jan 2016 12:59 AM PST

XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer

The replicators from Star Trek are close to becoming a reality with the development of 3D printers and it is really easy to get your hands on one to see the miracle for yourself!

The process of 3D printing is also called additive manufacturing and if they were a matter of the future a few years ago, now you can get one for yourself. These printers could lead to a new industrial revolution since you can send a blueprint of any product on another continent and they will be replicated there.

Although they were first developed during the 1980s, they became a mainstream item in the 2010s and today everyone knows about them. In case you never thought about buying one, today they are quite affordable and thus we made a selection for you to choose from. Let us find out how much it would cost you to get a 3D printer in your own home and what other supplies you need to make it work.

XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer

This won the Editors' Choice Award at the CES 2014 for being the most affordable 3D printer and at the price of $499.99 it is really cheap when compared to the others on this list. This one totally beats its competition when it comes to the size/price ratio, being 69% bigger than the competition. It has a size of 20x20x20cm and you can use it straight out of the box due to the plug-and-play features.

The filament cartridges are easy to replace or install and the CE certified printer with an enclosed design protects the users from the high temperatures while also making the printing process more efficient. You get access to a large online community which shares 3D designs and you will be really surprised to see how much this printer can do for such a small price.

The cartridges come in 13 colors and the XYZ Printing Filament Cartridges were made to offer the most accurate image. You can print in ABS or in PLA, the two most common thermoplastics available and the layer thickness is between 100-400 microns.

HICTOP Prusa I3 3D Desktop Printer

Although this printer was originally listed for a higher price than the XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 at $550, you can now get it for $363.99 on Amazon, so it is even cheaper than the first one and thus a comparison is in order.

The high accuracy CNC self-assembly means that when it comes to setting this printer up it will take quite a long time, but once the calibration is completed you will have a really high quality 3D printer at a very modest price. If you want an adventure and like to put things together yourself (as with the IKEA furniture for example) then this might be worth buying.

This printer has a software entitled ReplicotorG and you can print a size of up to 270x200x170mm on ABS or PLA with the same layer thickness as the previous one (100-400 microns). The printer can be upgraded due to the flexible motherboard and thus its adaptability much higher than the Da Vinci one, but this is only a plus for those who like to tinker and the others might prefer the sturdiness and easy control found with the previous one.

FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro

This desktop 3D printer was built on an open-source platform and comes with features like a metal frame structure, acrylic covers, an optimized build platform and dual extruder w2 spools. The hardware additions make the prints it makes in ABS stand out as highly detailed and it can also print on PLA.

For the price of $1,199 you get FlashForge Creator Pro, two spool holders, two spools of filament, two filament guide tubes, the cables needed and an SD card of 4GB with the software, sample files and manual. This one can be used on Linux as well, something that the other printers couldn't say and you have a build envelope of 225x145x150mm.

Aside from the great customer support and attention to details, this printer gives you access to a wonderful community which will provide a lot of new ideas and designs. The platform system was completely redesigned for this model to withstand high temperatures and the overall construction is really solid with a steel frame so you will have this printer for a long time.

MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer

This is the most expensive item on this list at the price of $2,745.84 and that was discounted from $3,499, so let us check out the additional features you get for the extra dollars. This is the fifth generation of this technology and it is the easiest and most versatile so far.

The volume is of 250x200x150mm and they say the prints are true-to-life objects and that isn't hard to believe at a resolution of 100-microns. Another quality it has is the speed with which it prints and the great support for the hardware, firmware and software you get access to. You get USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity and have an on-board camera as well as diagnostics and assisted build-plate leveling to give you insight into how things are going.

Conclusion

In conclusion the best bet is to think about what you want to do with the device before buying it and if you just want to give a printer like this a try without too many complications then the XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 3D Printer is unbeatable for that price (at about the same price the HICTOP Prusa I3 will be quite difficult to assemble and thus more suitable for someone specialized in this kind of equipment).

If quality is what you are looking for then you should check out the FlashForge 3D Printer Creator Pro since it is overall more stable and efficient than the MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer and you also save over $700 dollars in the process.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories at Ultimaker Upgraded Its 3D Printers at CES 2016 and Tiertime to Unveil UP Mini 2 3D Printer at CES 2016

Loon Copter Amphibious Drone Flies, Dives and Floats

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 04:22 PM PST

Loon Copter Amphibious Drone 01

Presented as a proof-of-concept in early 2015, the Loon Copter multi-rotor platform is now at its third prototype, and along with other 9 UAVs it is taking part in the semifinals of the 2016 Drones for Good competition.

Developed by a Oakland University team of researchers comprised of Dr. Osamah Rawashdeh, Sean Simpson, Hamzeh Alzubi, Iyad Mansour and several other friends who have helped in various ways, the Loon Copter amazes with its amphibious capabilities, as it is able to fly, float on water and dive underwater. Design aside, one could say that this shares quite a lot of features with the Loon duck it took its name from.

Much like the duck, the Loon Copter can take to the skies in order to have an ampler view of what’s beneath it. In case there is something that needs to be analyzed from a closer distance, the drone can easily land on water. For an even closer inspection, the Loon Copter starts pumping water into the buoyancy chamber, and as a result of this, it sinks underwater.

“We are looking into acoustic modems, repeater buoys, and some other techniques that could allow streaming of live video for operator feedback as well as data and control commands,” explained lead scientist Dr. Osamah in an interview with Gizmag. “For open-water applications, we can have the vehicle dive at predefined GPS points to various depths autonomously and follow some pre-programmed movement patters underwater to collect data or video footage.”

Needless to say, the Loon Copter could be used for search-and-rescue missions that take place after diving, or even naval accidents. Other applications include underwater pipeline inspections, bridge foundation inspections, tracking of oil spills, and marine life studies.

Getting the drone topside is quite easy, as all it takes is emptying the buoyancy chamber.

The drone cannot dive at great depths, as the pressure would probably damage it. However, considering that this is the third iteration of the Loon Copter and there is still room for improvements, I’m firmly convinced that the team of researchers that came up with the concept will continue to work on it until there’s a version that can be marketed.

“The Loon Copter can loiter on the surface of the water without energy usage,” he says. “It can also change and control depth with little power (no propeller use). Not having to use propellers to change depth or resurface also has an advantage when obstacles (e.g: structures or vegetation) are close to the drone. We can resurface without hitting any obstacles.”

Assuming that it passes the semifinals, the Loon Copter amphibious drone is set to appear in the 2016 Drones for Good finals that will be held between February 4-6, 2016 in Dubai. The winning team will take home $1M, so this really isn’t a competition for amateurs. Anyone willing to vote for the Loon Copter is asked to do so on the Drones for Good website.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about EHang’s human carrying drone, or the ONAGOfly smart nano drone.

[via Gizmag]

The Ultimate Star Wars Giveaway

Posted: 25 Jan 2016 02:46 PM PST

The Ultimate Star Wars Giveaway

The latest giveaway featured on Walyou Deals combines something from Lucas’ episodes with one of the most adored characters from Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, the BB-8 droid.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is still being played in theaters all around the world, so if you haven’t watched it yet, you should get a couple of tickets, grab a friend or twenty, and go experience J.J. Abrams’ version of this space saga. Of course, Disney has launched a lot of merchandise for this flick, and while the Kylo Ren action toys and hoodies are cool, nothing impressed people as much as the BB-8 droid created in collaboration with Sphero.

Sphero’s BB-8 is definitely not the first app-enabled toy around, but the way it is designed and the way it moves around definitely sets it apart. Some have named it not only the best Star Wars toy ever, but also the best toy people could have bought for their kids or even for themselves this holiday season. The droids capabilities, along with the way it charges makes it unlike any other toy you might have seen until now, so be prepared to have your mind blown upon opening the box. Also, make sure to read the article I’ve written about BB-8 (see the link at the end of this article).

If you’ve already watched Episode VII and think that Kylo Ren is nothing more than a teenager Sith wannabe with granddaddy issues, then you’re probably the type who has more appreciation for Darth Vader and his old ways. Star Wars: The Complete Saga features all of the six episodes written and directed by George Lucas in Blu-Ray, so you’d get to enjoy the story of Anakin Skywalker and how he turned into Darth Vader in glorious high-definition. More than that, this edition includes 40 hours of special features, so you’ll get to learn more about the movie sets and the actors that made this whole thing a reality.

Provided that you win this giveaway, the two prizes should keep you well entertained until Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gets launched, later this year. In case you didn’t know that already, Rogue One’s action is set before the events that take place in Episode IV: A New Hope, so that should provide a bit more context on how the Rebels stole the plans for the Death Star.

To enter the giveaway, head over to Walyou Deals, read the terms to make sure that you are eligible for both participating in the sweepstakes and winning the prize, log into your account or register if you don’t already have one, and keep your fingers crossed. The winner of the prize will announce in about a month, when the giveaway ends. It should be mentioned that neither Sphero, nor Disney are associated with these sweepstakes.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the Sphero BB-8 app-enabled droid, or Sony Classical’s reissue of the Star Wars Episodes I-VI scores in newly restored audio collections.

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