Maker & DIY News Digest - May 9, 2026
Published
Maker Faire Trieste OPEN TODAY: 440 makers, 8 countries, The Ant CNC 2.0 PCB router world debut live at Piazza Unità d'Italia — noon to 8pm. eufyMake E1 Day 5: RevK review adds 10th total review, sole desktop UV flatbed, 22 days to May 31 perk close. Creality Filastudio: 5 days to May 14 close, Q2 2026 shipping confirmed.
Maker Faire Trieste 2026 Is OPEN TODAY — 13th Edition Live at Piazza Unità d'Italia, The Ant CNC 2.0 PCB Router Debuting Now, Post-Event Coverage Expected by May 12–14
Maker Faire Trieste 2026 opened this morning, Saturday May 9, at Piazza Unità d'Italia in Trieste, Italy. Public access: 12pm to 8pm today and Sunday May 10. 13th edition at record scale: 440 makers from 8 countries — Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, Serbia, Czech Republic, Sweden, and a delegation from Maker Faire Shenzhen. Free entrance. Hardware event to watch: The Ant CNC 2.0 is debuting its upgraded capabilities live. The Ant is an open-source desktop CNC machine purpose-built for PCB routing with ±0.025mm tolerance. The 2.0 upgrades have not been pre-announced; the Trieste debut is the reveal. Live coverage: @MFtrieste on social media. Makezine coverage expected May 12–14.
Trieste has a documented track record of surfacing hardware concepts that reach US audiences through Kickstarter within 3–12 months of a European debut. The Ant CNC 2.0's debut is the most commercially relevant event at the fair for US makers because PCB routing is a genuinely unmet need in the desktop maker hardware market. If The Ant 2.0 demonstrates reliable ±0.025mm performance on copper PCB substrates, it represents a category-defining tool for the electronics maker segment. The Maker Party tonight (post-8pm Saturday) often generates casual demo video content that surfaces on social before the formal press coverage.
💡What this means for you
Maker Faire Trieste 2026: Open May 9 (12pm–8pm) and May 10. Venue: Piazza Unità d'Italia, Trieste, Italy. Exhibitors: 440 makers from 8 countries. Entrance: free. The Ant CNC 2.0: live debut, open-source PCB routing machine, original spec ±0.025mm tolerance, 2.0 improvements unannounced. Post-event coverage: Makezine/Make: expected May 12–14.
Market Position: The Ant CNC 2.0 occupies a niche with no current US market leader: a purpose-built open-source desktop PCB routing machine with maker-accessible precision. The US path to purchase — likely Kickstarter within 3–12 months — means today's debut is the first intelligence point.
- What are The Ant CNC 2.0 specific improvements revealed at today's Trieste debut?
- Does The Ant team announce a Kickstarter or US distribution plan at Trieste?
- Does Makezine send a reporter to Trieste for the 2.0 debut?
⏸️ Wait if: You need PCB routing capability now — no US purchase path exists for The Ant 2.0 as of May 9; watch Makezine for post-event coverage starting May 12
✅ Buy if: N/A — no purchase path yet; follow @MFtrieste, @Make, and @Makezine; track for the Kickstarter announcement expected within 3–12 months
eufyMake E1 Day 5: RevK Independent Review Published — Tenth Total Review, Technical-Maker Community Audience Now Reached, 22 Days to May 31 Perk Close
The eufyMake E1 UV Printer enters Day 5 with a new independent review from RevK's Ramblings ('Review: eufyMake UV Printer E1' at revk.uk). The RevK review makes the E1 the most-reviewed desktop UV printer in 2026, with 10 reviews across six distinct audience communities: Tom's Hardware, Hackster.io, SlashGear, Creative Bloq, Notebookcheck (major retail); Fauxhammer (tabletop gaming), CGMagazine (gaming-adjacent), GPI Supplies (print industry), LVLONE (maker workshop), RevK (technical-maker/IoT); and KandGMakeIt 12-month longitudinal. RevK's technical-maker audience is a meaningful addition: IoT builders and electronics prototypers who work with circuit board enclosures, component labels, and custom electronics housing are exactly within the E1's UV flatbed capability. E1 confirmed position: sole verified desktop UV flatbed for hard non-porous surfaces with no announced competitor in 2026. Perk: $2,299 through May 31, 22 days remaining.
The RevK review hitting on the same day as Maker Faire Trieste is thematically aligned: both speak to technical makers who approach hardware from a problem-solving angle. For makers coming to this review from an electronics or PCB maker context (perhaps after reading about The Ant CNC 2.0 today), the RevK review is the most relevant E1 assessment for that community's perspective.
💡What this means for you
eufyMake E1 Day 5: 5 major retail reviews, 5 secondary reviews (including RevK), 1 longitudinal — 10 total. M2 CMYK mechanism confirmed absorbent-only (May 8) — E1 holds exclusive hard-surface desktop UV position. E1 specs: CMYKW + Glossy + Texture channels, 1440 DPI, 300+ materials, A4 bed. Pricing: $2,299 perk (through May 31); $2,499 standard.
Market Position: Ten reviews across six audience communities at Day 5 establishes the E1 as the most review-validated desktop UV printer in 2026. The RevK addition opens the technical-maker discovery path.
- Does the RevK review drive E1 discovery in the IoT and electronics maker community?
- Do any Maker Faire Trieste exhibitors generate European maker community interest in the E1?
- Does eufyMake's same-week shipping commitment remain through May 31?
⏸️ Wait if: You primarily work with absorbent natural materials and want to compare the M2 US price — wait until May 26; E1 perk window closes May 31, 5 days after M2 price reveal
✅ Buy if: Your workshop uses hard non-porous surfaces (glass, ceramic, acrylic, metal, coated electronics) — E1 perk at $2,299 through May 31 is the confirmed path; 22 days remaining
Creality Filastudio Indiegogo: 5 Days to May 14 Final Close — $4.9M+ Funded, Q2 June Shipping, $1,199 Combo Last Window for Maker Workshop Recycling
The Creality Filastudio M1+R1 Indiegogo campaign enters its final 5 days, closing May 14, 2026. Campaign status: $4.9M+ from 3,900+ backers, Q2 2026 (June) shipping confirmed, RAPID+TCT 2026 professional showcase completed. Super Early Bird through close: M1 $799, R1 $499, M1+R1 Combo $1,199 vs $1,699 post-campaign. For active makers who generate 3D printing waste: at $28/kg retail PLA and ~$5/kg recycled cost, net savings are ~$23/kg. At 3 kg/month: ~17-month breakeven on the $1,199 Combo. Bambu X2D/AMS waste reference: 0.5–1 kg/week from multi-material printing = 2–4 kg/month recyclable.
The final 5 days of the Filastudio campaign overlap with Maker Faire Trieste — and the Trieste audience tends to be active makers who generate more waste, have shorter breakeven timelines, and stronger economic cases for the Filastudio. For makers who have been tracking since launch: 5 days is the last window. The $500 post-campaign premium represents approximately 21 additional months of equivalent savings at $23/kg and 3 kg/month.
💡What this means for you
Filastudio at 5 days: closes May 14. Backers: 3,900+. Raised: $4.9M+. Shipping: Q2 2026 (June), confirmed. Super Early Bird: M1 $799, R1 $499, Combo $1,199 (post-campaign $1,699). M1: 1 kg/h, ±0.05mm, 8 material families. Recycling economics: ~$5/kg recycled vs. ~$28/kg retail PLA; ~$23/kg net savings. X2D waste: 2–4 kg/month → ~17-month breakeven.
Market Position: The Filastudio M1+R1 Combo remains the only confirmed-shipping desktop filament recycler in 2026 at this throughput and material compatibility. The post-campaign MSRP of $1,699 is the pricing floor after May 14.
- Does Creality post a final-week campaign update with production photographs?
- Does the campaign surpass $5M in the final 5 days?
- Does the 3,900+ backer community establish a dedicated support forum before June shipping?
⏸️ Wait if: You generate fewer than 2 kg/month of recyclable filament — wait for post-June backer reviews before paying $1,699 post-campaign
✅ Buy if: You generate 3+ kg/month of recyclable filament waste and pay $28+/kg for PLA — 5 days remain at $1,199; Q2 2026 shipping confirmed
Frequently Asked Questions
What is happening at Maker Faire Trieste today and what should US makers watch for?▼
Maker Faire Trieste 2026 is open today (May 9) from noon to 8pm Italian time at Piazza Unità d'Italia, Trieste. The key project to watch: The Ant CNC 2.0 PCB router is making its world debut. The Ant is an open-source desktop machine purpose-built for PCB routing at ±0.025mm tolerance. For US makers: follow @MFtrieste on social media for live updates. Post-event coverage from Makezine is expected May 12–14.
Who is the RevK review audience and why does it matter for the eufyMake E1?▼
RevK's Ramblings (revk.uk) reaches technical-maker, IoT builder, and electronics prototyping audiences — makers who work with circuit boards, custom electronics enclosures, and non-standard hardware surfaces. These are hard non-porous surfaces within the E1's UV flatbed capability. The review opens E1 discovery to a community not reached by the five major retail reviews.
Is 5 days enough time to evaluate and back the Creality Filastudio?▼
The evaluation is a simple math check: estimate your monthly recyclable filament waste, multiply by $23/kg net savings, compare to the $1,199 investment. If breakeven is under 24 months, campaign pricing beats the $1,699 post-campaign MSRP. The campaign has $4.9M+ funding and Q2 2026 shipping confirmed — product-delivery risk is resolved.
What open-source PCB routing tools exist while waiting for The Ant CNC 2.0?▼
Current options: (1) adapted standard CNC routers with V-bits and precision collets (0.05–0.1mm trace widths with careful calibration); (2) Bantam Tools Desktop PCB Milling Machine (US-made, ~$3,600, ±0.025mm spec); (3) professional PCB fab services ($2–$5/board in quantity, 3–5 days turnaround). The Ant CNC 2.0 targets a price point below Bantam Tools at comparable precision — pending today's Trieste reveal.