If you love LEGOs, you might have imagined building a real house from them. And with the surging popularity of 3D printers, such a dream seems well within reach. Nick Johnson, a spokesman for real estate blog Movoto, decided to find out what it would take to build a 3D-printed house.

"Given that we're due to get our own 3D printer here in the Movoto office soon, I pretty much couldn't be more excited by the possibilities the technology introduces," Johnson wrote in a company blog post. "So, with that, I thought I'd look into exactly how realistic it would be to print the components needed to build a house using one of these devices."

As it turns out, if you were to use today's 3D printing technology, you would be long dead by the time your pieces were printed. In fact, it would take 220 years, four months and 11 days for a single machine to print the 27,735 bricks required to construct a 2,500-square-foot (232 square meters), two-story house. And if you think the endeavor sounds time-costly, you should read the price tag: $332,820 in plastic alone.

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There's a reason we flip through Skymall every time we board a flight, dog-earing catalogue pages with giant floating trampolines and vibrating bath mats — we love novelty, and now we expect it from our gadgets, too.

We carry around a ton of digital capability in our smartphones, so now we demand the same intelligence from our homes. These 10 gadgets will optimize, simplify and beautify your home — that is, if you can afford the price tags. Yeesh. Read more…

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Can an actual pair of socks knock your proverbial socks off when it comes to making you a better runner? Quite possibly, if you check out the latest creation from a Redmond, Wash., startup.

Wearable tech firm Heapsylon developed Sensoria Fitness Socks packed with smart capabilities. These fitness tracker socks have special textile sensors in them that communicate with a Bluetooth-powered anklet you also wear, all feeding data to your smartphone. The Sensoria app displays an activity tracker and lets you know how hard you're exercising. Read more…

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Lost luggage is one of the biggest buzzkills when traveling abroad. But did you know there's an app to help track it down?

Come trade other tech travel tips with us at @MashLifestyle as we join the Go Girl Travel Network this Monday, June 17 at 2 p.m. ET. Under the hashtag #girlstravel, we'll discuss restaurant discovery apps, high-tech hotels and strategies to unplug completely.

Even though the chat will cover female-centric travel, we invite all to contribute their own stories and advice.

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Passwords: They’re everywhere, and most of us manage a half-dozen or so, at least. They’re also the weakest link in the authentication chain because humans aren’t great at creating passwords remembering them.

A Motorola executive (and former Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency head) Regina Dugan proposed a solution at the D11 conference: pills and tattoos. Read more…

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Spring cleaning season may have come and gone, but like when you give a mouse a cookie, your simple home reorganization can easily grow into full renovation, for a person with a big imagination. If you're thinking of painting the walls, moving the furniture into a new formation or adding an accent lamp to enhance the mood, you might want to experiment via app before doing the heavy lifting. After all, the designs in your head don't always look good in real life, and taking a saw to a table that's an inch too long isn't for everyone.

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A new pregnancy app from a PayPal cofounder aims to use big data and machine learning to help couples get pregnant.

Max Levchin demoed Glow this week onstage at the annual All Things Digital conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

Glow, which tracks and forecasts fertility, according to Levchin, hasn't launched publicly yet.

"It's a big data or machine-learning-driven approach, where we look at our accuracy as the consumers ... users of the app enter their information, we adjust our weights on the formula," Levchin told AllThingsD's Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg. Read more…

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Tests of iris-scanning technology were derailed in a central Florida school district recently after parents expressed outrage that they weren't told about the program before their kids' eyes were scanned.

However, iris scanning could provide essential information to parents of bus-riding kids who don't arrive home at the expected time. The mobile devices could also identify the kids as they rush up the steps to board the buses.

Unlike older iris scanners, which required people to stand motionless in front of a screen for several seconds before their identity could be verified, the new devices can identify up to 50 people per minute who pass the scanner, according to Stanley Convergent Security Systems, which provided the scanners to Polk County, Fla., schools.

Students were enrolled in the program by having a photo taken of their iris, which remains unchanged after the first year of life. Iris scans are 200 times more accurate than fingerprints at identifying individuals, Stanley said on its website.

As children board a bus, the scanner takes a photograph of each student's eye. In a fraction of a second, the new photo is matched with an existing one in the school's database, along with the student's name and identification number. Each match is time-stamped and marked with the location, so school officials and parents can immediately see who has gotten on and off a bus.

The system was installed on school buses at Davenport School of the Arts, Daniel Jenkins Academy and Bethune Academy in Polk County, but has been suspended as officials work to address the concerns of parents worried about student privacy. The school sent out letters of apology for its oversight, but remains hopeful the system can be restarted in the future.

"Within seconds, we could tell parents, 'Yes, they got on bus No. 0750. They got on the bus at the high school at 2:05; they arrived at their bus stop at 2:45," Rob Davis, director of support services for Polk County schools, told a local Fox television station.

The school bus iris-scanning system can also be programmed to send text alerts to parents as children board and disembark their buses. In the meantime, parents can use their children's phones to monitor their kids' whereabouts in a similar way; most cellphone carriers provide a family tracking service, and apps can be installed for the same purpose.

However, these phone-dependent methods are only as reliable as the kids' ability to hold onto their phones.

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Memorial Day weekend has arrived in a hurry, spreading some unseasonably cold weather across the country. If you've been busy prepping for your weekend getaway plans and haven't had time to check out the news — don't worry, we've got you covered.

It has been another busy week for us at Mashable, and we rounded up the top 15 digital media resources in social media and tech for you here, including news on Microsoft's new Xbox One. So go ahead and get yourself caught up, and enjoy your holiday weekend!

14 Twitter Tips and Tricks for Power Users

Check out these tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your Twitter experience.

How to Sync Your Facebook Contacts to iPhone

Did you know you can sync your Facebook friends to your iPhone contacts? Here's a quick how-to.

8 Tips for Successful Business Development

Check out these tips on successful business development for startups, including how to avoid many of the typical frustrations with business development.

5 Tools to Help Plan Your Next Meeting

Planning a meeting can be a hassle. Check out these tools to help ease your scheduling complication woes.

5 DIY Office Toys for Your Next Coffee Break

Bored at work? You're not alone. Spice up your day with our five DIY contraptions you can build using basic office supplies.

20 Hot London Startups You Need to Watch

Check out these innovative companies that call London home.

The 25 Best Free iPad Apps

This list of free iPad apps will save you from endless browsing in the App Store, and they'll all prove worthy of your homescreen.

Facebook for Android: 10 Tips for Power Users

The Facebook Android app's most recent iterations are packed with features, from personal settings to page management to power sharing.

The New Flickr: What it Means for Flickr Pro Users

Flickr made some big changes to its service; what do they mean for Flickr Pro users?

5 Mobile Marketing Tools to Reach Customers on the Go

If you're looking to supercharge your mobile marketing strategy, check out these 5 vendors that can help.

The 15 Best Free iPad Games

It can be hard to find great free iPad games, but Mashable compiled a list of the 15 best.

Does Your '360 Campaign' Need to Be a Perfect Circle?

When integrated marketing doesn't cut it anymore, we do 360 campaigns — after all, what better way to cover your bases than a complete circle?

When to Back Off the Social Media Baby Train

Whether you’re the parent oversharer or the casual News Feed browser, these tips will make your social media experiences more pleasurable.

10 Best iPhone Chargers

Whether you're looking for a compact option, a stylish device, or even a car charger, we have found a charger to suit your needs.

Can This 'Bike Sherpa' Get More PTAT on Facebook?

Robert Reimann watched the second plane hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 and then observed as his office nearby was destroyed as the towers fell. Then he did something few Americans considered at the time: He took a bike tour across Iran.

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There are some products that I  wish I could bathe myself in, and one of them is La Mer. When I use my favorite Crème de La Mer, however, I am careful about putting just the right amount on my skin, because I dread going to the store counter for a new bottle.

But now that I think of it, who can put a price on such an effective product really, especially when it gives optimum results? To have Crème de La Mer on my counter is a must. One does not have to use it everyday (I only do when my skin feels tight and needs that boost), but I firmly believe everyone should have it.

The man behind this amazing product is Dr. Max Huber, an aerospace physicist who suffered an accident in the ’60s that left his skin burnt. He harvested sea kelp and combined it with vitamins, minerals and essential oils pulsed with light and sound waves to create the perfect healing elixir. The result is Crème de La Mer.

As a beauty brand whose heritage relies almost solely on the sea, it is no surprise that Crème de La Mer is supporting World Oceans Day 2013 by developing a limited-edition 100-ml jar. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Blue Marine Foundation.

World Oceans Day is a day to recognize the importance of the sea as one of the world’s most vital ecosystems, with efforts to preserve its delicate wildlife. It takes place on June 8th this year.

NEWPEPTIN Eye Expert EyeLash Enhancer

For Crème de la Mer, this is a tribute not only to their heritage but to Huber, who recognized the value of the living ocean. I am due a tub soon, and I am more than happy to wait for June to get my own to help support this cause.

No surgery required

I recently received four exciting products from new brand NewPeptin Cosmeceuticals: Eye Expert EyeLash Enhancer, Eye Expert EyeLid Lifting, Double Chin & Neck Cream, and Lip Expert Lip Volume Treatment. As someone who hates needles, I love how these products address problems brought about by aging without requiring surgical procedure. Online reviews are good, and it seems like most customers were very happy, especially with the Eyelash Enhancer.

Benefit fan

I was born with short and thin eyelashes.  There was a time when I tried getting extensions, but they never truly satisfied me. They sting my eyes, I can’t move around when I sleep, I wake up with the falsies pointing in different directions, and I even end up pulling them out one by one because some have already fallen off. It’s just a disaster! I am always in the hunt for good mascara. My personal favorite is Emporio Armani, but, sadly, it is not available here.

Benefit’s BADgal waterproof mascara

Luckily, my friend gave me Benefit’s BADgal waterproof mascara, and I am hooked! Not only does it make my lashes look thicker but it also gives the illusion of length. I am a big fan of this brand. Even when they didn’t have a store here yet (they’re in Greenbelt 5 now), I used to order Benetint rose-tinted lip and cheek stain.

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When you think about enjoying the great outdoors, embracing the natural world and soaking up all of the sun's vitamin D, technology doesn't really enter the picture, does it? But using tech and being outside don't have to be mutually exclusive.

There are plenty of mobile apps to help you connect with nature, rather than keeping you glued to your virtual life. Read more…

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Going to the movies is an expensive pastime, especially if you're a frequent visitor. MoviePass, a service that launched late last year, is trying to ease the financial burden for film buffs by charging them a single monthly fee — typically around $30 — to watch up to one 2D movie in theater per day.

Still in beta, the service has had a wait list ranging from a few days to a few weeks since its launch last year. On Monday, MoviePass temporarily cleared the list, opening it up to those who signed up (it declined to share its current user numbers). What's more, to celebrate "summer blockbuster season," MoviePass is letting everyone who signs up between now and Friday to bypass the wait list entirely.

Here's how the service works: Users pay a monthly fee between $29.99 and $34.99, depending on where they live, and are issued a debit card with the MoviePass logo on it. At the theater, they check in to a movie using a special MoviePass app, and their card is temporarily activated for the purchase price of the film. It only remains active for 30 minutes, and checking in requires users to be physically near the theater, so they can’t try to buy dinner with their card at a restaurant across town.

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The Marshall Fridge is shaped like one of the company’s ubiquitous amps, complete with the Marshall logo and brass-finished faceplate. For $399.99, the mini-fridge comes with 4 cubic feet of storage space and a mini-freezer with 0.4 cubic feet capacity.

There is a full-sized adjustable glass shelf and a half-sized glass shelf with spill protectors, a Marshall-branded tempered glass shelf, a spacious lower area for large items, a door rack that holds two-liter bottles and convenient can storage. Read more…

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You’ve heard of 3D-printed clothes and 3D-printed buildings, but 3D-printed food? We are truly entering sci-fi territory. The Sugar Lab takes simple white sugar as its base material to print delicate 3D structures that can be eaten on their own, or used as a decorative topper for cakes and cupcakes.

The company, founded by married couple Kyle and Liz, started out when they wanted to make their friend a birthday cake but didn’t have an oven. They began to experiment with printing with sugar, until they finally discovered the secret formula to making complex geometric shapes from the sweet stuff.

Suffice it to say, it was too late for their friend’s birthday but they found others interested in buying 3D sugar structures, and thus The Sugar Lab was born. According to their website: Read more…

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Brittany Wenger isn't your average high-school senior: She taught the computer how to diagnose leukemia.

The 18-year-old student from Sarasota, Fla. built a custom, cloud-based "artificial neural network" to find patterns in genetic expression profiles to diagnose patients with an aggressive form of cancer called mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL). Simply put, this means Wenger taught the computer how to diagnose leukemia by creating a diagnostic tool for doctors to use.

Since artificial neural networks are programs that model the brain's neurons and their interconnections, Wenger told Mashable that they "can actually learn to detect things that transcend human knowledge."

Mixed-lineage leukemia generally has poor prognosis, and the five-year survival rate is only 40%. Since Wenger said "different types of cancer have different molecular fingerprints," she discovered four particular gene expressions in the body that can be targeted to create MLL-specific drugs. Not only did she create a powerful diagnostic tool for this cancer, but her findings might also help develop new treatments.

Wenger, who is graduating soon from The Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, previously used artificial-intelligence technology to diagnose breast cancer. With a non-invasive procedure, her technology was able to help determine whether a breast mass was malignant or benign. Wenger's new findings with leukemia prove that her Cloud4Cancer service (check it out, here) can be altered to improve diagnostics for multiple cancer classifications. Read more…

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Logitech has added two new Harmony Universal remotes to its lineup: the Logitech Harmony Ultimate and the Logitech Harmony Smart Control.

Both will use Logitech's new Harmony Hub, which makes it easier to access your devices — even behind closed cabinet doors. The hub receives commands via Wi-Fi and RF, and uses Bluetooth to send those commands to your game consoles such as Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's Playstation 3. It also works with infrared devices, so you no longer need line of sight to control them.

We know what you're thinking: Didn't Logitech say they were selling off the Harmony line? The answer is yes. Back in January, the company announced disappointing earnings, and said it was selling off the Harmony remote business, as sales were down 24%.

A Logitech spokesperson told Mashable that "while searching for a buyer, Logitech will continue to run the Harmony line in a business-as-usual fashion." Read more…

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Peer-to-peer car-sharing service RelayRides is going social, enabling users to rent a car through Facebook by harnessing their social network.

In a process the company is calling “Renting Social,” members of RelayRides can now post a Facebook status message that requests to rent a car, broadcasting their need to friends. The idea is simple: One of your buddies may have an extra car, or happen to be out of town when you need some wheels, and could be willing to loan it to you for a little cash. Read more…

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Often in the summer when the temperatures soar, humidity hits 100%, and all attempts at conserving energy go out the window, we experience what's called a brownout. That's when the stresses and demand on the system result in a drop in voltage, to prevent a true blackout.

What if instead of simply watching the overload on the system during those peak demand days, the utility was able to tinker slightly with the thermostats of people who perhaps aren't at home and don't need the cooler temps? They could send that energy to businesses and stores and then transfer it back when people return home from work.

That's the idea behind Nest Thermostat's partnership with progressive energy providers across the U.S.: to provide an incentive for people to use the smart thermostat so that temps can be slightly adjusted, allowing for the savings of both energy and money.

Working with select energy providers across the country, Nest will be offered at a discounted rate via instant rebates when customers sign up for the new Rush Hour Rewards and Seasonal Savings plans. The Nest currently retails for $250.

The Nest Thermostat, designed by former Apple exec Tony Fadell, learns your habits and preferences and adjusts accordingly using its Auto-Schedule and Auto-Away features. With Rush Hour, the Nest thermostat can help users tweak energy settings to avoid over-taxing the system during those peak energy days.

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Can a person’s handwriting reveal their personality and aptitude for a job? That’s what many handwriting experts, called graphologists, claim — and millions of people may be denied jobs because of this controversial practice.

Graphology is not the same thing as forensic handwriting analysis, which can be used in investigations to authenticate historical documents, for example, or determine whether a signature has been forged.

Instead, graphologists claim that they can determine many aspects of a person’s personality and mental status from their handwriting. Words showing a forward slant reveals an outgoing personality, for example, while a backward slant indicates a shy, reserved person. Some even claim to diagnose medical conditions: people who write their descending letters (such as j, g, or y) with a break in them are said to have back problems.

Canadian psychologist Barry Beyerstein, author of The Write Stuff: Evaluations of Graphology, the Study of Handwriting Analysis, explains that “oddly, many who would sneer at astrology or palm reading still assume that, inasmuch as writing is a form of expressive behavior, our style of penmanship might reveal something about our psychological makeup…. because writing, aptitudes, and personality are all controlled by the brain, the suggestion that they could somehow be related does not seem inherently absurd.”

Indeed, exactly this correlation is claimed. As The Complete Book of Fortune explains, “Each variation of movement is unconsciously directed by the brain, and it is because of this that the graphologist can judge the mental state of the writer. From certain signs one can judge willpower and intellect; the extent of the writer’s emotions; his or her morals; and … profession.” Thus, graphologists believe, a page or two of handwriting can distinguish between an accountant and a chef, a go-getter and a layabout, or a thief and an honest man.

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This Mother's Day, we're going to call it: Ours is a great age in which to be a mom. Yes, being a parent in the digital era means laying down rules about Snapchat and making sure your kids' online privacy is protected. But with all new technology comes a parenting tool that can improve the lives of moms and their families.

We invited three digital experts who are modern-day moms for a conversation about what technologies, apps and devices are must-haves for parents.

Join us for a Google+ Hangout on Friday at 3:15 p.m. ET. We'll talk about work/life balance and other ways that technology factors into modern parenting. Leave your questions in the comments section below and don't forget to tune in to the Mother's Day Hangout on Mashable or our Google+ page! Read more…

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