Australia’s New Asbestos Scare In Schools

Asbestos is a nasty old mineral. It’s known for releasing fine, microscopic fibers that can lodge in the body’s tissues and cause deadly disease over a period of decades. Originally prized for its fire resistance and insulating properties, it was widely used in all sorts of building materials. Years after the dangers became clear, many countries eventually banned its use, with strict rules around disposal to protect the public from the risk it poses to health.

Australia is one of the stricter countries when it comes to asbestos, taking great pains to limit its use and its entry into the country. This made it all the more surprising when it became apparent that schools across the nation had been contaminated with loose asbestos material. The culprit was something altogether unexpected, too—in the form of tiny little tubes of colored sand. Authorities have rushed to shut down schools as the media asked the obvious question—how could this be allowed to happen?

Hiding In Plain Sight

Australia takes asbestos very seriously. Typically, asbestos disposal is supposed to occur according to very specific rules. Most state laws generally require that the material must be collected by qualified individuals except in minor cases, and that it must be bagged in multiple layers of plastic prior to disposal to avoid release of dangerous fibers into the environment. The use, sale, and import of asbestos has been outright banned since 2003, and border officials enforce strict checks on any imports deemed a high risk to potentially contain the material.
Colored sand is a popular artistic medium, used regularly by children in schools and households across Australia. Via: ProductSafety.gov.au
Thus, by and large, you would expect that any item you bought in an Australian retailer would be free of asbestos. That seemed to be true, until a recent chance discovery. A laboratory running tests on some new equipment happened to accidentally find asbestos contamination in a sample of colored sand—a product typically marketed for artistic use by children. The manager of the lab happened to mention the finding in a podcast, with the matter eventually reaching New Zealand authorities who then raised the alarm with their Australian counterparts. This led to a investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which instituted a national safety recall in short order.

The response from there was swift. At least 450 schools instituted temporary shutdowns due to the presence or suspected presence of the offending material. Some began cleanup efforts in earnest, hiring professional asbestos removalists to deal with the colored sand. In many cases, the sand wasn’t just in sealed packaging—it had been used in countless student artworks or spilled in carpeted classrooms. Meanwhile, parents feared the worst after finding the offending products in their own homes. Cleanup efforts in many schools are ongoing, due in part to the massive spike in demand for the limited asbestos removal services available across the country. Authorities in various states have issued guidelines on how to handle cleanup and proper disposal of any such material found in the workplace.
Over 87 retailers have been involved in a voluntary recall that has seen a wide range of colored sand products pulled from shelves.
At this stage, it’s unclear how asbestos came to contaminate colored sand products sold across the country, though links have been found to a quarry in China. It’s believed that the products in question have been imported into Australia since 2020, but have never faced any testing regarding asbestos content. Different batches have tested positive for both tremolite and chrysotile asbestos, both of which present health risks to the public. However, authorities have thus far stated the health risks of the colored sand are low. “The danger from asbestos comes when there are very, very fine fibres that are released and inhaled by humans,” stated ACCC deputy chair, Catriona Lowe. “We understand from expert advice that the risk of that in relation to these products is low because the asbestos is in effect naturally occurring and hasn’t been ground down as such to release those fibres.”

Investigations are ongoing as to how asbestos-containing material was distributed across the country for years, and often used by children who might inhale or ingest the material during use. The health concerns are obvious, even if the stated risks are low. The obvious reaction is to state that the material should have been tested when first imported, but such a policy would have a lot of caveats. It’s simply not possible to test every item that enters the country for every possible contaminant. At the same time, one could argue that a mined sand product is more likely to contain asbestos than a box of Hot Wheels cars or a crate of Belgian chocolates. A measured guess would say this event will be ruled out as a freak occurrence, with authorities perhaps stepping up random spot checks on these products to try and limit the damage if similar contamination occurs again in future.

Featured image and other sand product images from the Australian government’s recall page.

hackaday.com/2025/12/01/austra…

⛄ 🌷 🍃 Che sia estate o inverno, 𝐥𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐭à 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 è 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚 𝐝𝐢 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐞

🙋 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐈 che lavorano da remoto, che hanno il proprio progetto artistico da portare a termine, o semplicemente esseri umani alla ricerca di pace, ispirazione, un luogo dove sentirsi centrati.

👬 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 𝐆𝐑𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐈, attivisti, gruppi di lavoro o di studio che vogliono organizzare un ritiro condiviso. La Città Invisibile celebra ogni spirito di gruppo che anima progetti comuni e lo accoglie con apertura e calore.

Scrivici!

Big thanks to @pfefferle and @obenland for the #ActivityPub @WordPress plugin office hours today. I learned a lot and am even more excited about the plugin and where they want to take it than I was before.

The office hours continue the rest of this week. Here are the details: activitypub.blog/2025/11/25/jo…

ActivityPub for WordPress

2025-11-25 15:01:02

Join Us for Office Hours: Dec 1-5

We’re excited to announce that the ActivityPub for WordPress team will be hosting open office hours during the first week of December! Whether you’re just getting started with ActivityPub, running into setup issues, or want to chat about where the plugin is heading, we’d love to see you there.

What Are Office Hours?

Think of office hours as an open door to hang out with @pfefferle and @obenland. Drop in anytime during the scheduled sessions to get hands-on help with plugin installation and setup, troubleshoot any issues you’re experiencing, or share your ideas for new features and improvements. You can also discuss the roadmap and what’s coming next, ask questions about ActivityPub, the fediverse, or how it all works, and connect with the community to see what others are building.

No agenda, no registration required—just show up when you can and let’s talk ActivityPub!

Schedule: December 1-5, 2025

We’re offering multiple sessions throughout the week to accommodate different time zones. Join whichever works best for you!

	Monday Dec 1	Tuesday Dec 2	Wednesday Dec 3	Thursday Dec 4	Friday Dec 5
10:00 CET	🗓️ Add to Calendar		🗓️ Add to Calendar		🗓️ Add to Calendar
10 am ET	📅 Add to Calendar	📅 Add to Calendar	📅 Add to Calendar	📅 Add to Calendar	📅 Add to Calendar

Time zone note: CET = Central European Time | ET = Eastern Time (US)

How to Join

Meeting Link: meet.google.com/mdb-bkdw-ypz

Just click the link above at any scheduled time and join us! No need to RSVP—these are open sessions where anyone can drop in.

New to video calls? No worries! Just click the link, and you’ll be guided through joining. Most platforms work right in your browser.

Who Should Come?

Everyone! Seriously, we mean it:

• WordPress site owners curious about connecting to the fediverse.
• Developers working with the ActivityPub plugin.
• Fediverse enthusiasts who want to understand how WordPress fits in.
• Anyone with questions, bug reports, or ideas.
• Lurkers welcome too—feel free to just listen and learn!

Whether you’re running a personal blog, a community site, or just exploring what ActivityPub can do, we’d love to meet you.

Can’t Make These Times?

We know December 1-5 won’t work for everyone. If you can’t join us live, you can connect with us on GitHub or join the conversation in our community forum.

We’re planning to do more office hours in the future based on how this week goes, so let us know what times work better for you!

See You There! 👋

We’re really looking forward to connecting with the community, answering your questions, and hearing about how you’re using ActivityPub on WordPress. Mark your calendars, grab a coffee (or tea!), and let’s chat!

Have questions before office hours? Drop a comment below.

Meet

Real-time meetings by Google. Using your browser, share your video, desktop, and presentations with teammates and customers.

^{meet.google.com}

RE: activitypub.blog/2025/11/25/jo…

Great session talking bugs, ideas and use cases with @pfefferle @obenland & others. Pop in later this week if you have thoughts or Qs re AP.

ActivityPub for WordPress

2025-11-25 15:01:02

Join Us for Office Hours: Dec 1-5

We’re excited to announce that the ActivityPub for WordPress team will be hosting open office hours during the first week of December! Whether you’re just getting started with ActivityPub, running into setup issues, or want to chat about where the plugin is heading, we’d love to see you there.

What Are Office Hours?

Think of office hours as an open door to hang out with @pfefferle and @obenland. Drop in anytime during the scheduled sessions to get hands-on help with plugin installation and setup, troubleshoot any issues you’re experiencing, or share your ideas for new features and improvements. You can also discuss the roadmap and what’s coming next, ask questions about ActivityPub, the fediverse, or how it all works, and connect with the community to see what others are building.

No agenda, no registration required—just show up when you can and let’s talk ActivityPub!

Schedule: December 1-5, 2025

We’re offering multiple sessions throughout the week to accommodate different time zones. Join whichever works best for you!

	Monday Dec 1	Tuesday Dec 2	Wednesday Dec 3	Thursday Dec 4	Friday Dec 5
10:00 CET	🗓️ Add to Calendar		🗓️ Add to Calendar		🗓️ Add to Calendar
10 am ET	📅 Add to Calendar	📅 Add to Calendar	📅 Add to Calendar	📅 Add to Calendar	📅 Add to Calendar

Time zone note: CET = Central European Time | ET = Eastern Time (US)

How to Join

Meeting Link: meet.google.com/mdb-bkdw-ypz

Just click the link above at any scheduled time and join us! No need to RSVP—these are open sessions where anyone can drop in.

New to video calls? No worries! Just click the link, and you’ll be guided through joining. Most platforms work right in your browser.

Who Should Come?

Everyone! Seriously, we mean it:

• WordPress site owners curious about connecting to the fediverse.
• Developers working with the ActivityPub plugin.
• Fediverse enthusiasts who want to understand how WordPress fits in.
• Anyone with questions, bug reports, or ideas.
• Lurkers welcome too—feel free to just listen and learn!

Whether you’re running a personal blog, a community site, or just exploring what ActivityPub can do, we’d love to meet you.

Can’t Make These Times?

We know December 1-5 won’t work for everyone. If you can’t join us live, you can connect with us on GitHub or join the conversation in our community forum.

We’re planning to do more office hours in the future based on how this week goes, so let us know what times work better for you!

See You There! 👋

We’re really looking forward to connecting with the community, answering your questions, and hearing about how you’re using ActivityPub on WordPress. Mark your calendars, grab a coffee (or tea!), and let’s chat!

Have questions before office hours? Drop a comment below.

Meet

Real-time meetings by Google. Using your browser, share your video, desktop, and presentations with teammates and customers.

^{meet.google.com}

RE: mastodon.nl/@Edwin085/11564325…

Где были её глаза???
Смотрит на него и лезет под колёса!
Радует хотя бы то, что её мордой по асфальту протащило как следует.

How To Design 3D Printed Pins that Won’t Break

[Slant 3D] has a useful video explaining some thoughtful CAD techniques for designing 3D printed pins that don’t break and the concepts can be extended to similar features.

Sure, one can make pins stronger simply by upping infill density or increasing the number of perimeters, but those depend on having access to the slicer settings. If someone else is printing a part, that part’s designer has no actual control over these things. So how can one ensure sturdier pins without relying on specific print settings? [Slant 3D] covers two approaches.

The first approach includes making a pin thick, making it short (less leverage for stress), and adding a fillet to the sharp corner where the pin meets the rest of the part. Why? Because a rounded corner spreads stress out, compared to a sharp corner.

Microfeatures can ensure increased strength in a way that doesn’t depend on slicer settings.
Those are general best practices, but there’s even more that can be done with microfeatures. These are used to get increased strength as a side effect of how a 3D printer actually works when making a part.

One type of microfeature is to give the pin a bunch of little cutouts, making the cross-section look like a gear instead of a circle. The little cutouts don’t affect how the pin works, but increase the surface area of each layer, making the part stronger.

A denser infill increases strength, too. Again, instead of relying on slicer settings, one can use microfeatures for a similar result. Small slots extending down through the pin (and going into the part itself) don’t affect how the part works, but make the part sturdier. Because of how filament-based 3D printing works, these sorts of features are more or less “free” and don’t rely on specific printer or slicer settings.

[Slant 3D] frequently shares design tips like this, often focused on designing parts that are easier and more reliable to print. For example, while printers are great at generating useful support structures, sometimes it’s better and easier in the long run to just design supports directly into the part.

youtube.com/embed/uMA-Wt-z_BU?…

hackaday.com/2025/12/01/how-to…

Magnetico e NEVERHACK Italy insieme per formare talenti in Cybersecurity

Magnetico Associazione Culturale e NEVERHACK Italy, società leader nella cybersecurity, hanno ufficializzato un Protocollo di Intesa e un Contratto di Co-Working per avviare una collaborazione strategica volta allo sviluppo di competenze avanzate nel settore tecnologico e alla valorizzazione dei giovani talenti.

La partnership prevede l’apertura di una nuova unità locale di NEVERHACK dedicata alle attività di Ricerca & Sviluppo (R&D) e Delivery presso il complesso Tecno Polo di Regalbuto (EN) gestito da Magnetico, e l’istituzione di un’Academy con percorsi formativi dedicati a specializzazioni critiche come Cybersecurity, Network e Network Security. Grazie a questa collaborazione, NEVERHACK avrà l’opportunità di accedere ai profili formati e selezionati tramite il network educativo di Magnetico.

Nel primo anno di attività, saranno coinvolti fino a 25 tirocinanti formati attraverso i laboratori e le piattaforme simulate di Magnetico, agevolando il loro ingresso nel mondo del lavoro. I percorsi di formazione on-demand, personalizzati ed erogati da istruttori certificati, saranno orientati alle specifiche esigenze operative di NEVERHACK.

Al termine della formazione, gli studenti più meritevoli avranno l’opportunità di partecipare al processo di selezione per un potenziale inserimento all’interno dei team di NEVERHACK.

Il Circuito Virtuoso per l’Occupazione

L’accelerazione della trasformazione digitale e l’aumento delle minacce informatiche rendono sempre di più la cybersecurity una priorità strategica. Tuttavia, permane una carenza strutturale di competenze che indebolisce la capacità difensiva di aziende e amministrazioni: a livello globale, la forza lavoro specializzata in cybersecurity conta circa 5,5 milioni di professionisti, ma per soddisfare la domanda ne servirebbero almeno altri 4 milioni.

In Italia, il mercato è cresciuto del 15% nel 2024, raggiungendo i 2,48 miliardi di euro, ma ancora il 62% delle aziende ritiene insufficiente l’offerta di tecnici ed esperti nella protezione dei sistemi ICT, OT e IoT.

La partnership fra Magnetico e NEVERHACK Italy si inserisce in questo contesto, mirando a contrastare la scarsità di profili di cybersecurity adeguatamente formati e creando un circuito virtuoso di orientamento, formazione specialistica e inserimento lavorativo, in particolare per le aree interne della Sicilia. L’obiettivo è creare un corretto percorso di orientamento, formazione e inserimento al lavoro, trovando nel mondo della cybersecurity un’occasione per rilanciare il territorio.

Ing. Giancarlo Di Lieto, Head Of Cyber Security NEVERHACK Southern Region: “La partnership con Magnetico e l’avvio dell’Academy in Sicilia segna un passo in avanti nel nostro impegno, avviato da tempo in altre aree del Paese, per formare nuovi talenti, riducendo lo skill gap ancora troppo elevato tra domanda e offerta di lavoro nel campo della cybersecurity: investire in formazione significa, infatti, contribuire in modo concreto a colmare un gap che oggi pesa su aziende, istituzioni e cittadini. Con questo progetto valorizziamo il territorio, creando nuove opportunità occupazionali per i giovani che desiderano inserirsi nel mondo del lavoro e costruire il proprio futuro nella loro regione d’origine. L’edizione siciliana dell’Academy conferma, inoltre, la nostra volontà di continuare a investire in persone e territori, accompagnandoli nella transizione digitale e partecipando allo sviluppo tecnologico del Paese”.

Matteo Mirenda, vice-presidente di Magnetico Associazione Culturale: “Questo Protocollo è la prova che anche dai territori dell’entroterra siciliano si può generare eccellenza e attrarre investimenti qualificati. Creare un’Academy focalizzata su Cybersecurity e Network Security con un partner di rilievo come NEVERHACK non solo colma un gap formativo critico, ma offre ai nostri giovani la possibilità di costruire una carriera ICT ad alto valore senza dover lasciare la propria terra. È il nostro modo di rilanciare il territorio attraverso le competenze“.

L'articolo Magnetico e NEVERHACK Italy insieme per formare talenti in Cybersecurity proviene da Red Hot Cyber.

Truffa Wi-Fi negli aeroporti: condannato a 7 anni per furto di dati personali

Un tribunale australiano ha condannato un uomo di 44 anni che ha rubato i dati personali di passeggeri di compagnie aeree e visitatori aeroportuali per diversi mesi. È stato condannato a sette anni e quattro mesi di carcere per aver creato reti Wi-Fi false e aver poi utilizzato le informazioni rubate.

Questa storia è iniziata nell’aprile 2024, quando i dipendenti di una compagnia aerea australiana hanno scoperto una rete wireless sospetta a bordo di un aereo. Dopo aver contattato la Polizia Federale Australiana (AFP), le forze dell’ordine hanno arrestato il sospettato, allora 42enne. Una perquisizione del suo bagaglio a mano ha portato alla luce un dispositivo Wi-Fi portatile Pineapple, un computer portatile e un telefono cellulare. La polizia ha poi perquisito la sua abitazione e lo ha formalmente arrestato.

L’indagine ha rivelato che l’aggressore operava negli aeroporti di Perth, Melbourne e Adelaide, oltre che su numerosi voli nazionali. Ha utilizzato una variante classica dell’attacco Evil Twin, creando falsi hotspot Wi-Fi utilizzando gli stessi nomi di rete (SSID) delle reti legittime di compagnie aeree e aeroporti.

Di conseguenza, ignari passeggeri si sono collegati a reti dannose e sono stati reindirizzati a pagine di phishing. Lì, alle vittime è stato chiesto di accedere utilizzando le credenziali di posta elettronica o dei social media. Le password e i dati di accesso inseriti sono finiti nelle mani dei criminali.

Secondo l’ AFP, l’esame dei dispositivi sequestrati all’uomo ha rivelato la vera portata di questa attività. Migliaia di foto e video intimi, credenziali rubate di numerose persone e registrazioni di pagine di accesso fraudolente sono state trovate sui dispositivi.

È emerso inoltre che il sospettato aveva preso di mira specificamente gli account delle donne. Dopo aver ottenuto l’accesso ai loro social media e alle loro email, ha monitorato la loro corrispondenza personale e rubato immagini e video privati ​​di natura intima.

Dopo che la polizia ha perquisito la sua abitazione, l’autore ha tentato di distruggere le prove. Il giorno successivo, ha cancellato 1.752 file dal suo cloud storage e ha tentato, senza successo, di cancellare da remoto tutti i dati dal suo cellulare.

Nel luglio 2024, l’imputato è stato formalmente accusato di molteplici reati. Alla fine si è dichiarato colpevole di 15 capi d’imputazione, tra cui cinque capi d’imputazione per accesso non autorizzato a dati riservati, tre capi d’imputazione per tentato accesso, un capo d’imputazione per furto, due capi d’imputazione per interruzione di comunicazioni elettroniche, possesso di dati con l’intento di commettere un reato, tentata distruzione di prove e mancato rispetto di un ordine del tribunale.

La polizia australiana ricorda agli utenti che le reti Wi-Fi gratuite legittime non richiedono mai l’accesso tramite e-mail o account social. Se il portale di accesso richiede tali informazioni, ciò dovrebbe destare sospetti.

Inoltre, gli esperti consigliano di evitare di utilizzare app bancarie e altri servizi con dati sensibili quando si è connessi a reti pubbliche e di eliminare manualmente le connessioni salvate dopo l’uso, per evitare che il dispositivo si riconnetta automaticamente a esse.

L'articolo Truffa Wi-Fi negli aeroporti: condannato a 7 anni per furto di dati personali proviene da Red Hot Cyber.

3D Printing and the Dream of Affordable Prosthetics

As amazing as the human body is, it’s unfortunately not as amazing as e.g. axolotl bodies are, in the sense that they can regrow entire limbs and more. This has left us humans with the necessity to craft artificial replacement limbs to restore some semblance of the original functionality, at least until regenerative medicine reaches maturity.

Despite this limitation, humans have become very adept at crafting prosthetic limbs, starting with fairly basic prosthetics to fully articulated and beautifully sculpted ones, all the way to modern-day functional prosthetics. Yet as was the case a hundred years ago, today’s prosthetics are anything but cheap. This is mostly due to the customization required as no person’s injury is the same.

When the era of 3D printing arrived earlier this century, it was regularly claimed that this would make cheap, fully custom prosthetics a reality. Unfortunately this hasn’t happened, for a variety of reasons. This raises the question of whether 3D printing can at all play a significant role in making prosthetics more affordable, comfortable or functional.

What’s In A Prosthetic

Shengjindian prosthetic leg, 300-200 BCE (Credit: HaziiDozen, Wikimedia)
The requirements for a prosthetic depend on the body part that’s affected, and how much of it has been lost. In the archaeological record we can find examples of prosthetics dating back to around 3000 BCE in Ancient Egypt, in the form of prosthetic toes that likely were mostly cosmetic. When it came to leg prosthetics, these would usually be fashioned out of wood, which makes the archaeological record here understandably somewhat spotty.
Artificial iron arm, once thought to have been owned by Gotz von Berlichingen (1480-1562). (Credit: Mr John Cummings, Wikimedia)
While Pliny the Elder made mention of prosthetics like an iron hand for a general, the first physical evidence of a prosthetic for a lost limb are found in the form of items such as the Roman Capua Leg, made out of metal, and a wooden leg found with a skeleton at the Iron Age-era Shengjindian cemetery that was dated to around 300 BCE. These prosthetics were all effectively static, providing the ability to stand, walk and grip items, but truly functional prosthetics didn’t begin to be developed until the 16th century.

These days we have access to significantly more advanced manufacturing methods and materials, 3D scanners, and the ability to measure the electric currents produced by muscles to drive motors in a prosthetic limb, called myoelectric control. This latter control method can be a big improvement over the older method whereby the healthy opposing limb partially controls the body-powered prosthetic via some kind of mechanical system.

All of this means that modern-day prosthetics are significantly more complex than a limb-shaped piece of wood or metal, giving some hint as to why 3D printing may not produce quite the expected savings. Even historically, the design of functional prosthetic limbs involved complex, fragile mechanisms, and regardless of whether a prosthetic leg was just static or not, it would have to include some kind of cushioning that matched the function of the foot and ankle to prevent the impact of each step to be transferred straight into the stump. After all, a biological limb is much more than just some bones that happen to have muscles stuck to them.

Making It Fit

Fitting and care instructions for cushioning and locking prothesis liners. (Credit: Össur)
Perhaps the most important part of a prosthetic is the interface with the body. This one element determines the comfort level, especially with leg prostheses, and thus for how long a user can wear it without discomfort or negative health impacts. The big change here has been largely in terms of available materials, with plastics and similar synthetics replacing the wood and leather of yesteryear.

Generally, the first part of fitting a prosthetic limb involves putting on the silicone liner, much like one would put on a sock before putting on a shoe. This liner provides cushioning and creates an interface with the prosthesis. For instance, here is an instruction manual for just such a liner by Össur.

These liners are sized and trimmed to fit the limb, like a custom comfortable sock. After putting on the liner and adding an optional distal end pad, the next step is to put on the socket to which the actual prosthetic limb is attached. The fit between the socket and liner can be done with a locking pin, as pictured on the right, or in the case of a cushion liner by having a tight seal between the liner and socket. Either way, the liner and socket should not be able to move independently from each other when pulled on — this movement is called “pistoning”.

For a below-knee leg prosthesis the remainder of the device below the socket include the pylon and foot, all of which are fairly standard. The parts that are most appealing for 3D printing are this liner and the socket, as they need to be the most customized for an individual patient.

Companies like the US-based Quorum Prosthetics do in fact 3D print these sockets, and they claim that it does reduce labor cost compared to traditional methods, but their use of an expensive commercial 3D printer solution means that the final cost per socket is about the same as using traditional methods, even if the fit may be somewhat better.
The luggable Limbkit system, including 3D printer and workshop. (Credit: Operation Namaste)
This highlights perhaps the most crucial point about using 3D printing for prosthetics: to make it truly cheaper you also have to lean into lower-tech solutions that are accessible to even hobbyists around the world. This is what for example Operation Namaste does, with 3D printed molds for medical grade silicone to create liners, and their self-contained Limbkit system for scanning and printing a socket on the spot in PETG. This socket can be then reinforced with fiberglass and completed with the pylon and foot, creating a custom prosthetic leg in a fraction of the time that it would typically take.

Founder of Operation Namaste, Jeff Erenstone, wrote a 2023 article on the hype and reality with 3D printed prosthetics, as well as how he got started with the topic. Of note is that the low-cost methods that his Operation Namaste brings to low-resource countries in particular are not quite on the same level as a prosthetic you’d get fitted elsewhere, but they bring a solution where previously none existed, at a price point that is bearable.

Merging this world with that of of Western medical systems and insurance companies is definitely a long while off. Additive manufacturing is still being tested and only gradually integrated into Western medical systems. At some level this is quite understandable, as it comes with many asterisks that do not exist in traditional manufacturing methods.

It probably doesn’t bear reminding that having an FDM printed prosthetic snap or fracture is a far cry from having a 3D printed widget do the same. You don’t want your bones to suddenly go and break on you, either, and faulty prosthetics are a welcome source of expensive lawsuits in the West for lawyers.

Making It Work

Beyond liners and sockets there is much more to prosthetic limbs, as alluded to earlier. Myoelectric control in particular is a fairly recent innovation that detects the electrical signals from the activation of skeletal muscles, which are then used to activate specific motor functions of a prosthetic limb, as well as a prosthetic hand.

The use of muscle and nerve activity is the subject of a lot of current research pertaining to prosthetics, not just for motion, but also for feedback. Ideally the same nerves that once controlled the lost limb, hand or finger can be reused again, along with the nerves that used to provide a sense of touch, of temperature and more. Whether this would involve surgical interfacing with said nerves, or some kind of brain-computer interface is still up in the air.

How this research will affect future prosthetics remains to be seen, but it’s quite possible that as artificial limbs become more advanced, so too will the application of additive manufacturing in this field, as the next phase following the introduction of plastics and other synthetic materials.

hackaday.com/2025/12/01/3d-pri…

Фридрих Мерц сегодня встретится с Дональдом Туском. Речь пойдёт и об Украине

Сегодня в Берлине правительства Германии и Польши проведут совместное заседание: канцлер Фридрих Мерц примет премьер-министра Польши Дональда Туска.

У каждого сотого россиянина — ВИЧ

Уже 1,25 млн человек имеют такой диагноз, это только те, у кого он официально подтверждён, сообщили в РАН.

Зустріч спецпосланця президента США Віткоффа з лідером РФ Путіним відбудеться завтра, заявили у Кремлі, передають ЗМІ.

Росія нібито зацікавлена в ​​«успіху переговорів з Україною», зазначив речник Кремля Пєсков.

Аэропорт Вильнюса не работал всю ночь из-за воздушных шаров - ограничения затронули около 50 рейсов и 7400 пассажиров

Воздушное пространство над аэропортом в столице Литвы было закрыто в течение 11 часов, сообщили местные СМИ. Аэропорт открыли лишь в 5 утра. В компании Oro navigacija, обеспечивающей безопасность воздушного движения, заявили, что шары из Беларуси преднамеренно выпускались в зоны, опасные для авиации.

США прагнуть миру, але Росія має відповісти за воєнні злочини, - єврокомісар Макграт

«Я не думаю, що історія буде милосердно судити будь-які спроби «витирати» російські злочини в Україні. Вони повинні нести відповідальність за ці злочини, і це буде підхід Європейського Союзу в усіх цих дискусіях», - наголосив він.

Та додав, що безкарність за ці злочини - «насіння для наступного раунду агресії та наступного вторгнення».