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The Vergecast

3D printing and trackballs: the future of gadgets?

The Vergecast

Vox Media Podcast Network

News, Tech News, Technology

4.44.1K Ratings

🗓️ 10 May 2022

⏱️ 38 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In episode two of our Vergecast "creators series," Alex Cranz talks with the creators of Ploopy, the open source trackball that has a dedicated fanbase on Reddit. Alex also talks with Chris Person, who recently wrote about Ploopy for The Verge, about how 3D printing and online communities are creating opportunities for gadget enthusiasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

I think that the holidays feel like frozen noses. I love walking with the dog for long periods of time.

0:10.0

Hopefully it's snowing and you've got to wrap up warm. So I think a frozen nose is a sweaty armpit

0:15.0

because your wrapped up so warm but then you're climbing hamps and heath and you get to the top

0:20.0

and you're like, and then you can see the breath but then your nose is still freezing to touch.

0:25.0

Join in every sip with red cups now back at Starbucks.

0:30.0

Hey everybody, it's Dan from The Rush Hast. On Tuesdays this month we're doing some extra episodes that are focused on creators, our favorite.

0:36.0

And in true Rush Hast fashion, it's the nerdiest creators we can find.

0:40.0

Last week Alex Cranz talked to people building mechanical keyboards. Alex is here. What's up Alex?

0:45.0

Hey, what's up?

0:46.0

What nerds did you find me for this week's episode?

0:48.0

So this week we're going full nerd. I mean we've already been going full nerd.

0:52.0

But we're going to be talking track balls, which I think is like niche of niche.

0:56.0

Like there are people who really care about gaming mice but there are even fewer of us who care about track balls.

1:00.0

And I went and found some guys and they created their own company to 3D print track balls.

1:06.0

It's called Plupi and they've got like a big, vibrant community on Reddit where people are like doing all these crazy mods and stuff.

1:13.0

And we're going to talk to them about Plupi.

1:15.0

Alex, why is it called Plupi?

1:16.0

I'm not going to spoil it. You're going to have to listen. It's great.

1:19.0

All right, let's do it. Take it away Alex.

1:25.0

You know how you maybe have a mouse or game controller and you absolutely love it?

1:30.0

You adore the thing but sometimes you look at it and you wonder, what if the mouse fit your hand better?

1:36.0

Or the triggers on the back of the controller were longer? There's just a little tweak you want to make.

...

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