Laser Digest - February 15, 2026

The Alien Cell X1 is the first diode laser to ship with a Linux application processor rather than a standard microcontroller. This means it can run complex algorithms locally — AI-powered camera calibration, real-time air quality monitoring, and sophisticated motion planning — without cloud dependency. At $1,800, it's priced between the xTool P2 ($1,699) and Glowforge Pro ($6,995), but delivers features closer to the Glowforge: enclosed design, camera alignment, and air management. The 20,000 mm/s² acceleration makes it one of the fastest diode lasers on the market, and the quick-swap module system means you're not locked into one power level.

This is a niche but lucrative application of CO2 laser technology. Traditional gun stock checkering is a skilled craft that takes hours per stock — laser marking does it in minutes with perfect consistency. For the broader maker community, this highlights a pattern: laser engraving is increasingly replacing hand-craft techniques in specialty manufacturing. If you're a woodworker doing custom checkering, grip texturing, or fine detail work, industrial laser marking is coming for your niche — but also creating opportunities for operators who can offer laser-precise results at scale.

LightBurn transformed laser engraving by making professional-grade software accessible to hobbyists. If Millmage can do the same for CNC, it will directly challenge Carbide Create, Easel, and even Fusion 360's CAM workspace for desktop CNC users. The key question is pricing — LightBurn's $60 license was a game-changer versus the subscription models of competitors. If Millmage follows a similar model, it could shift the entire desktop CNC software market. For makers who already use LightBurn for laser work, Millmage would complete a unified workflow across both tools.