TechEBlog -

ABB IRB6400 Robot Arm Gets Turned Into a Functional 3D Printer

By Jackson Chung January 19, 2026

A huge industrial arm now slaps down layers of plastic rather than welding steel, a long cry from its factory floor roots. Brian Brocken got his hands on an ABB IRB6400, a 26-year-old two-ton workhorse that is often used to move huge payloads for large industrial organizations, and converted it into a fully functional 3D printer. The end result is a beast that combines the brute power of an industrial robot with the precision of a high-end printer, making items that dwarf any desktop 3D printer.

Mini Record Player is Actually a Spotify Streaming Device

By Jackson Chung January 19, 2026

A small record player has stepped into the 21st century, collaborating with Spotify in an unexpected way. The mastermind behind this project, AKZ Dev, has managed to breathe fresh life into a novelty coaster set built like a little turntable, combining old-school elegance with modern audio streaming. They’re designed to look like real records, complete with printed labels and all.

Why Apple’s AirTag Still Rules the Hunt for Lost Stuff in 2026

By Jackson Chung January 19, 2026

People have a tendency to misplace items, such as keys that slip under the couch cushion, wallets that fall out of pockets in crowded pubs, and luggage that take the scenic trip home from baggage claim. But even in 2026, the same white disc from Apple continues to pull the same old tricks to help people track their lost items, as the AirTag, priced at $65 for a 4-pack (was $99), remains the most popular item in the struggle to stay on top of things, even as other brands like Tile begin to take things more seriously and whispers about an updated version begin.

World’s Smallest Steam Machine Turns a Mini PC into Pocket-Sized Gaming Magic

By Bill Smith January 19, 2026

Valve revived the Steam Machine concept last year, promising a handy tiny box that could reside in your living room, run SteamOS, and provide real gaming capability. Guess who wasn’t waiting around? One enthusiast had previously taken a tiny micro PC, placed it in a custom 3D-printed shell, and created what could very well be the tiniest functional Steam Machine available. This palm-sized beast has enough power to run modern games fluently while still accommodating a Steam Controller.

Apple Commits to OLED with Five Key Upcoming Products Set for the Switch

By Jackson Chung January 19, 2026

Photo credit: Daniel Korpai
Apple has relied on OLED screens for years, including iPhones, Apple Watches, current iPad Pro models, and even the Vision Pro headset. Now, the company is expanding the option to include even more everyday devices. According to recent supply chain leaks, Apple has a clear strategy for five more of its devices to switch from LCD or mini-LED to OLED panels between 2026 and 2028.

Floppy Disks Just Became the Ultimate Kid-Proof TV Remote

By Jackson Chung January 19, 2026

Photo credit: Mads Olesen
Mads Chr. Olesen handed his three-year-old son a stack of vintage 3.5-inch floppies, each with a label depicting a favorite cartoon character or music mix. His little man grabbed one and stuffed it into the wooden box on the coffee table, eliciting the familiar click-whirr of the drive spinning up. Thirty seconds later, the precise episode he wanted is playing on the living room television. He pulls the disk out mid-show, and the video comes to a halt, with no menus, scrolling, or being taken down some weird video rabbit hole.

Seletti’s BIC Lamp Turns an Iconic Writing Tool Into Something You Hang From the Ceiling or Stand in the Corner

By Bill Smith January 19, 2026

Photo credit: Seletti
Seletti, an Italian design brand, collaborated with BIC to commemorate the 75th anniversary of their legendary Cristal ballpoint pen, a clear stationery staple that has sold over 120 billion units since 1950. To commemorate the occasion, designer Mario Paroli blew up the pen to 12 times its original size and transformed it into a lighting fixture, the BIC Lamp, which can be used as a chandelier, hung on a wall, or even placed on the floor.

Conquest Reforged Rewrites the Rules on an RTX 5090 to Reveal Minecraft’s Hidden World

By Bill Smith January 19, 2026

When you fire up that beast of a graphics card, the RTX 5090, Conquest Reforged adds a whole new level of depth and visual complexity to Minecraft’s blocky old environment. This modpack, which is based on a core mod that adds a staggering 12,000 additional blocks and 3D models, requires some substantial hardware to perform properly.

Crawler-Transporter 2 Carries NASA’s Artemis II Moon Rocket to the Launch Pad

By Jackson Chung January 18, 2026

The Crawler-Transporter 2, cradling NASA’s Artemis II moon rocket, arrived at the launch pad about a week ago, marking a quiet but historic step toward transporting astronauts beyond outer space for the first time in more than 50 years. That mission is scheduled to take place on January 17, 2026, at the famous Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At 7:04 a.m. eastern time, the crawler began hauling the fully built Space Launch System rocket, Orion spacecraft, and mobile launcher from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B.

Windows RG Brings the Classic Parody to Life in a Surprisingly Installable Form

By Jackson Chung January 18, 2026

Windows RG started off as a snarky little Flash animation in 2001, when using Windows ME felt like an endless misery. James Webb, the person who came up with the idea, programmed a spoof of Windows ME that captured the irritation of dealing with a broken operating system that simply wouldn’t operate.