Unique Project Brings Transparent Design to AirPods Pro Charging Case
Hardware prototyping consultant Ken Pillonel has created a transparent AirPods Pro charging case with a repairable design using 3D printing technology and transparent SLA resin, as part of his ongoing efforts to highlight repairability and sustainability issues in modern consumer electronics.
The project began with Pillonel downloading 3D files and employing transparent SLA resin to create the AirPods Pro case. Using a Formlabs Form 3+ printer, Pillonel printed the parts, cleaned them with IPA, and carefully dried them using compressed air. He then cured the parts and undertook a labor-intensive phase of sanding carried out in sequence using 400, 600, 800, and 1000 grit sandpaper, with the parts regularly dipped in tap water to aid in cleanliness and progress assessment.
The process continued with a cleansing in new IPA and drying with hot air to prevent mineral residue deposits from water. To finalize the aesthetic, Pillonel applied a clear spray varnish to the parts. The spray transformed the parts from opaque to entirely clear, achieving the desired transparent look.
The transparent design also taps into a nostalgic aesthetic, reminiscent of transparent gadgets from the past. Beyond the visual appeal, the project represents Pillonel's continued effort to highlight repairability issues in contemporary consumer electronics and encourage a move towards more sustainable design practices. By using screws and nuts instead of adhesive and a USB-C port, Pillonel's AirPods Pro case can easily be taken apart and repaired.
Apple recently introduced a transparent variant of the Beats Studio Buds +, while Nothing's transparent Buds (1) and (2) have sought to compete with AirPods, indicating something of a revival of interest in transparent electronics.
Popular Stories
Apple today released several open source large language models (LLMs) that are designed to run on-device rather than through cloud servers. Called OpenELM (Open-source Efficient Language Models), the LLMs are available on the Hugging Face Hub, a community for sharing AI code. As outlined in a white paper [PDF], there are eight total OpenELM models, four of which were pre-trained using the...
Apple is set to unveil iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, so the software update is a little over six weeks away from being announced. Below, we recap rumored features and changes planned for the iPhone with iOS 18. iOS 18 will reportedly be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, with new ChatGPT-inspired generative AI features, a more customizable Home Screen, and much more....
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
Best Buy is discounting a collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, this time focusing on the 14-inch version of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership, although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a...
Top Rated Comments
>yellows in a year due to TPU