He had no mechanical ability, but his wife, Edith, whom he met at Brandeis, recalls that when they went to the college library Walt would spend time scanning architecture magazines.

NEWYORKER: Critical Mass

Yet the Republican National Committee and Romney, a mechanical campaigner whose ability to inspire passion in the Republican base was widely questioned during the primaries, hold a huge cash advantage over Obama.

NEWYORKER: Super-Rich Irony

"In the field of robotics or mechanical engineering, the ability to create a moving part without any welding removes a lot of the barriers to prototyping, " Martins said.

ENGADGET: The future of higher education: reshaping universities through 3D printing

Xtrinsic touch-sensing software transforms any standard MCU into a touch sensor with the ability to manage multiple configurations of touch pads, sliders, rotary positions and mechanical keys, all while maintaining standard MCU functionality.

ENGADGET: Freescale's new industrial touchscreen tech even works in the rain