Technologies

Best 3D Printer Deals: 9 Fantastic Printers at the Best Prices

There are heavy discounts on 3D printers, if you know where to look.

3D printing is more popular than ever, which means it’s never been easier to dive in and try out this technology for yourself. You may think you’ll have to drop $1,000 or more on a printer and materials to get started, but there’s a big market out there with plenty of entry level models that you can pick up for around $200 or less. And there are tons of deals you can take advantage of right now to start your setup for less.

If you’re a first-time buyer or looking to buy a 3D printer as a gift for a beginner, getting a good deal is even more important. All the best 3D printers have advanced features that make your life easier, so if you can snag one for less than the normal price, that’s a big plus.

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Elegoo Neptune 2 — The gift of creation

If you have a creative person in your life, then they should really own a 3D printer. The joy that comes with seeing your creations brought to life in the 3D can’t be overstated. Currently on sale for a little under $200, the Elegoo Neptune 2 is a great starting point for a hobby that produces excellent results with little effort.

This is perfect for a high schooler interested in engineering or an adult looking to start 3D printing for the first time.

$180 at Newegg

Anycubic Kobra Go — A simple kit for a tiny price

We recently reviewed this new entry-level printer, which offers fancy features like a self-leveling bed at a reasonable price. This printer is normally priced at around $200, but some sales do drop it lower than that. It’s a simple kit, that is easy to assemble and works surprisingly well for such a budget price.

$169 at Anycubic

Anycubic Photon Mono X: $299 — Save $230

The Mono X is the perfect mid-size resin printer for making those larger pieces of jewelry or an entire army of miniatures. The build plate is almost twice as big as the standard resin printer, and it gives you a lot more scope on what projects you can do. This deal is nearly half price, so it’s well worth picking one up today.

$299 at Anycubic

Flashforge Finder 3: $399 — Save $100

I’ve recently been working with the Finder 3 and I’m impressed with the quality it was able to produce straight from the box. It’s easy to set up and comes with a flexible build plate that you can replace the glass bed with. It makes it far easier to remove builds.

This is the perfect printer for a teacher, as the enclosure makes it stable, and the slicer can control multiple printers at once via Wi-Fi.

$399 at Flashforge

Elegoo Mars 3: $220 — Save $54

This is easily my favorite small resin 3D printer. It’s super-fast and prints beautiful models every time. Elegoo are old hats at resin printing, so every part you’ll ever need to replace is easily acquired at a reasonable price. The details that can be captured with the Mars 3 are stunning, and some of my favorite models have come from this little machine.

Any time you can get the Mars 3 on a discount is a good day, so snag one now.

$220 at Amazon

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Anycubic Kobra Plus: $379 — Save $120

The Kobra Plus is in that sweet spot between a printer that is overly large, and one that is too small to be useful. You can make full-size helmets and big cosplay items without needing an entire workbench dedicated to it. With $120 off the price, it’s a bargain.

$379 at Anycubic

Elegoo Saturn 2: $450 — Save $180

The Elegoo Saturn 2 is my favorite resin printer right now. It prints incredibly detailed models at a speed that is often astonishing. The bed size is much larger than the printers in the smaller category, while its footprint is much easier to deal with than other, larger printers. You can print finely detailed cosplay pieces or multiple tabletop miniatures with equal ease with the Saturn 2, making it perfect for a small business. Plus, this deal comes with a free $25 Newegg gift card.

Read more: Elegoo Saturn 2 review

$450 at Newegg

Creality CR-30: $899 — Save $201

The CR-30 is one of the first commercially available conveyor belt 3D printers, and it is fascinating to use. It isn’t for the beginner hobbyist as it takes a little bit of tweaking to get right, but once you do you can print long models like swords or lots of small models on a production line.

If you make the same model over and again for your Etsy store, this is a great printer to try.

$899 at Amazon

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Anycubic Mono 4K: $189 — Save $100

The Photon 4K is being replaced with the new M3 series, but it could still be worth your time. With a 4K monochrome screen, the printer is very fast without sacrificing any detail. In fact, the details on this machine are superb, especially on small models like miniatures.

At $189, the Photon 4K offers an amazing entry into resin 3D printing, even if Anycubic is selling off the stock.

$189 at Anycubic

Materials and accessories

It’s not just the 3D printers themselves that are on sale. It’s often the accessories and materials too. While the savings aren’t as drastic — $5 to $10 savings, maybe — these add up over time when you have to buy a lot of materials for your projects.

MatterHackers Quantum PLA — Double the color, double the fun

Quantum PLA takes the standard filament we all know and adds a new twist. The dual tones create a shimmering effect on your printed model and make it change color as you turn it. It’s gorgeous and you should get as many different colors as you can.

$25 at MatterHackers

iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Your Questions on the iPhone Update Answered

Here’s what you need to know about new features and upcoming updates for your iPhone.

Apple’s iOS 17 was released in September, shortly after the company held its Wonderlust event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17. It’ll also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.

iOS 17 updates

Using iOS 17

Getting started with iOS 17

Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

+15 More

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Technologies

Get Ready for a Striking Aurora That Could Also Disrupt Radio Communications

Don’t expect the storm to cause a lingering problem, though.

A geomagnetic storm is threatening radio communications Monday night, but that doesn’t mean you should be concerned. In fact, it may be an opportunity to see a colorful aurora in the night sky.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after witnessing a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Saturday. The watch, which was issued over the weekend and will expire after Monday, said the onset of the storm passing over Earth on Sunday night represented a «moderate» threat to communications. As the storm continues to pass through, it could deliver a «strong» threat on Monday night that could cause radio communications to be temporarily disrupted during the worst of it.

Even so, NOAA said, «the general public should not be concerned.»

A coronal mass ejection occurs when magnetic field and plasma mass are violently expelled from the sun’s corona, or the outermost portion of the sun’s atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, the ejection occurs with no real threat to Earth. However, in the event the ejection happens in the planet’s direction, a geomagnetic storm occurs, and the Earth’s magnetic field is temporarily affected.

In most cases, geomagnetic storms cause little to no disruption on Earth, with radio communications and satellites affected most often. In extreme cases, a geomagnetic storm can cause significant and potentially life-threatening power outages — a prospect that, luckily, the planet hasn’t faced.

Switching poles

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic poles switch, with the north pole and south pole swapping positions. During those cycles, the sun’s activity ramps up as it gets closer to pole-switching time. The height of its activity is called solar maximum, and scientists believe we either may be entering the solar maximum or may be already in it.

During periods of heightened solar activity, sunspots increase on the sun and there’s an increase in coronal mass ejections, among other phenomena. According to NOAA, solar maximum could extend into October of this year before the sun’s activity calms and it works towards its less-active phase, solar minimum.

Even when geomagnetic storms hit Earth and disrupt communications, the effects are usually short-lived. Those most affected, including power grid operators and pilots and air traffic controllers communicating over long distances, have fail-safe technologies and backup communications to ensure operational continuity.

But geomagnetic storms aren’t only about radios. In most cases, they also present unique opportunities to see auroras in the night sky. When the storms hit, the plasma they carry creates a jaw-dropping aurora, illuminating the night sky with brilliant colors. Those auroras can be especially pronounced during the most intense phases of the storm, making for nice stargazing.

If you’re interested in seeing the aurora, you’ll need to be ready. The NOAA said the «brunt of the storm has passed» and even if it lingers into Tuesday, there won’t be much to see after Monday night.

Technologies

Last Total Solar Eclipse for 20 Years Is Coming: How to See and Photograph It

It’s your last chance until 2044.

Get your eclipse glasses ready, Skygazers: the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last one until 2044.

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET), and then traverse the US in a northeasterly direction from Texas to Maine, and on into easternmost Canada. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodation and travel to a spot on the path.

Or how about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.

Not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.

Total solar eclipse path

The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and head northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.

By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.

Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse

When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.

Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up.

So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast. And Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit has just four seats left at the time of publication.

Eclipse eye safety and photography

As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.

During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.

If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.

If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.

Read more: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse

In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.

There’s also a new app to help you both protect your eyes and take better photos of the eclipse on your phone. Solar Snap, designed by a former Hubble Space Telescope astronomer, comes with a Solar Snap camera filter that attaches to the back of an iPhone or Android phone, along with solar eclipse glasses for protecting your eyesight during the event. After you attach the filter to your phone, you can use the free Solar Snap Eclipse app to zoom in on the eclipse, adjust exposure and other camera settings, and ultimately take better shots of the eclipse.

2024 eclipse compared to 2017

The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.

The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just 2 minutes, 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.