Tech Talk with Toni

Scan for a surprise If you frequent bars or restaurants these days, you will notice that most of them have done away with traditional paper-based menus and opted for a funny-looking square. As someone who believes we should strive for paperless options as much as possible, I really appreciate the use of these QR codes. Now, I don't know about you, but I feel like these pixelated squares are now everywhere, and I don't even know what the "QR" even means. So, out of curiosity, I did a quick search so you don't have to (you're welcome), and it means Quick Response. Think of Quick Response Codes as a 2D barcode that stores more data than the traditional lines we are familiar with seeing cashiers scan as we worry about our total bill in the grocery store. QR Codes can be scanned with most smartphones to quickly access information such as URLs (Uniform Resource Locator), basically the address used to access websites. With that being said, here is a brief history as ...

  A prism, a cube and a cylinder Today's post is inspired by the 3D printed morel mushroom that I received from a friend this week.  The ability to simply print on paper from the comfort of our homes is something that we take for granted.  Instead of hitting that "Print" button, folks indulged in the ancient art of handwriting ,  The concept of 3D printing can be traced back to the 1960s when the first attempts were made to develop a process called "stereolithography" or  solid printing  in Greek.  In 1984, Charles W. Hull invented and patented the first 3D printing technology, stereolithography apparatus, which used a UV laser to solidify thin layers of photopolymer resin to create 3D objects layer by layer. In the 2010s, 3D printing became mainstream across industries. Affordability increased, and materials expanded beyond plastics to include metals, ceramics, and even food. With that being said, here are ways in which 3D printing is used:  Pro...