Welcome to another month of the Fictiv Hardware Roundup, where we share interesting news, education, events, and opportunities from the hardware ecosystem.

I’m dying to know what you think about the Roundup thus far—what articles you’d like to see more of, less of, or any additional sections you think we should add.

Respond to this email, or reach me directly at madelynn@fictiv.com and let me know. As a thank you, you’ll get a Fictiv T-shirt, a personalized thank you card, and a shoutout on Twitter.

Industry News

  • The industry has been tough on Juicero over the past week, after Bloomberg released an video of one of their reporters hand-squeezing the packets of juice, with the same results the machine promises. So what is actually inside the Juicero, and what makes it so expensive? Bolt partner Ben Einstein tore down the juice press to investigate. [via Bolt]
  • Uber has likewise been hammered by the media over a neverending list of questionable business practices, but in better news, the company announced on Tuesday that it plans to roll out a network of flying cars in Dallas-Fort Worth and Dubai by 2020. Ambitious, most certainly, but potentially feasible, with their prestigious list of aircraft, automotive, and regulatory partners. [via Wired]
  • Local SF hardware accelerator Highway1 has opened up applications for their next cohort, which runs July 31 to November 17, 2017. Accepted startups will join Highway1’s 79 alumni companies, who hail from 13 countries, have raised more than $115 million in total venture and crowdfunding, and include such companies as Navdy, Ringly, Molekule, Drop, and Modbot. Applications are due May 22, 2017. [Apply here]

Hardware Knowledge

  • If you ever wanted to know what makes common fasteners such as screws, nuts, bolts, pins, and collars aerospace-grade, and learn more about the entire (and regrettably thriving) industry of counterfeit aerospace fasteners, Cabe Atwell at Machine Design has put together a thorough article on the subject. [via Machine Design]
  • MIT Mechanical Engineering researchers have discovered an atom-thin lattice of graphine that is actually incredibly sturdy (remaining intact under applied pressures of at least 100 bars), opening up new applications of desalination and other high-pressure membrane separations. [via MIT News]
  • Veteran Industrial Designer Eric Strebel has begun a great video series articulating the product design process. Part 1 and Part 2 are available now and cover ideation through digital rendering, with more videos to come. [via Core77]

Events

  • Makerfaire Bay Area is back May 19-21. With giant robots, electronics demonstrations, and lots of talks from leading makers, designers, and engineers, it’s sure to be a great event. While we won’t be participating in the Power Racing Series this year, there’s still time to get a team together to build and race a tiny kids’ car. You can check out the build documentation of our former car, the Bananagini, for inspiration. [Buy Tickets]
  • The D2P trade show is making its Santa Clara stop May 24-25. This is a leading trade show to source manufacturing partners, components, and stock parts. [Register for free]
  • For more educational content at the same time as D2P, head right next door to SME’s day-long event, “21st Century Manufacturing – Advanced Technology Trends in Silicon Valley” on May 25. [Register here]
  • If you’re working on healthcare products, check out HAX’s free panel event on the evening of May 27. [Register here]

Jobs

  • Astro Gaming is hiring a Mechanical Engineer to work on their premium video game equipment. [via LinkedIn]
  • Eatsa is hiring experienced Mechanical Engineers who are passionate about foodtech and have robotics and machine design experience. [via LinkedIn]
  • Casper is looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer to join their team. They are specifically looking for folks who have shipped products and understand what it takes. [via LinkedIn]

For the Love of Engineering

  • Ever wanted to know why your shoelaces become untied? Me either. But now that you’re curious, a group of engineers did some extensive testing and documented the results. [via Engineering.com]
  • Richard Browning has built the closest working replica of the Iron Man suit in his spare time. No big deal. [via Wired]

Until next month!

Madelynn, Director of Community at Fictiv