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Review: I tried the Centauri Carbon 3D Printer to see if its truly beginner friendly

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When I visited IFA 2025 in Berlin, I came across a company called Elegoo that makes 3D printers, which are also available on Amazon. As much of a nerd as I am, I never got into 3D printing. There are a number of reasons for that, but most predominantly, it seemed vaguely out of reach. There just seemed to be so much that went into it — CAD, filaments, slicing, balancing, and the like; I was frankly too intimidated to even try.

Enter Elegoo. This company makes the Centuri Carbon 3D printer, which it says can print right out of the box. It has a full auto calibration cycle that basically levels and calibrates itself, freeing the user from technical tasks that, to be frank, I don't have time to master.


Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3D Printer with filament spools

Credit: Elegoo


Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3D Printer

$339.99
at Amazon

$379.99
Save $40



So, is it that easy? That's what I wanted to find out, and I'm going to teach you some things I've learned about 3D printing along the way. Elegoo sent over a Centauri Carbon and a roll of grey filament for me to test and see if it could make me a 3D printing pro right out of the box, and the answer is yes and no.

I was pretty new here

Elegoo Centauri Carbon 3D Printer in crowded garage


Credit: Elegoo

I had dabbled with 3D printing over the years, through my local library, which will print models you send them for the cost of the filament, which is usually $10 or less, depending on the build. I have printed playing card holders, phone holders, and a few other things over the years. My teenage son had as well.

Because of this, I already had a few models I wanted to print, including a nifty multiple phone holder that is great for holding open book-style foldables when not in use. I opened the box, I set up the printer, and let it run through its calibration and self-leveling processes. I loaded the phone holder onto a USB stick and tried to print it. It didn't go well. I tried again — same results. So I took a step back and tried printing a pre-loaded file that came with the printer. This one was of the Eiffel tower, and lo and behold, it went off without a hitch. As I quickly realized, my file was to blame.

Next, I tried downloading other files that looked neat, and I found out there are a number of file types, including a popular .STL file, that 3D printers can't work with — until they go through a slicer program. Basically, a slicer program takes a 3D model and slices it up to what it'll look like layer by layer, which is how most 3D printers operate. Only after the slicing program has done its work can the 3D printer do anything with your file.

Off to the races!

skull on 3d printer screen


Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

I tried three slicers before I finally gave in and asked Elegoo which one to use. The answer was the completely unsurprising, and appropriately named Elegooslicer. Who knew? This app is pretty great, because it's one-stop shopping for all of your slicing and printing needs. With this app you can set up prints, import print files, position them on the tray, and start prints. You can even monitor the print as it happens by watching a camera that is built into the printer.

3D printer software with rendering of a skull

Left:
Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable
Right:
Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

This was the final hurdle I needed to clear. I've been printing almost constantly since I got set up with the right slicer. I've printed playing card holders, pen holders, phone props, and a few other things for Halloween. It's been a lot of fun, and I feel like I wouldn't have gotten this far without getting over that initial setup hurdle. I still had to learn a lot along the way, and reach out to Elegoo for some help as well, but still, I really feel like this is a good solution to those who are interested in trying out 3D printing, but feel similarly intimidated.

elegoo 3d printer making a skull


Credit: Adam Doud / mashable

Here's what you get

So, let's talk about the machine itself. The thing I like most about it is it's an entirely self-contained device. Everything happens within the confines of the enclosed printer. I've seen several models of printers that are basically just a table with an extruder over it, and those wouldn't do well in my house. I need everything to be inside an enclosure.

There's a door that opens on the front and a top that comes off. I'm not 100 percent sure why the top comes off, except I read in the instruction manual that if you leave the top on during prints, it may get too hot inside the machine. OK, that's fair enough.

elegoo 3d printer making a skull


Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

The machine has a fairly large footprint of 16" x 16" x 20". On the inside, you have a printable area of 256mm x 256mm x 256mm or roughly 10" x 10" by 10". This printer only handles a single filament at a time, so there's no automatic switching of colors — everything I've printed is grey so far. There's a USB-A port on the front of the machine and a touchscreen control panel that you can use to browse files and set up prints. I prefer to use the slicing software myself.

All of that comes at a fairly friendly sub-$400 price point on Amazon, or even less if you shop directly at Elegoo, where the printer starts at $299 when it's on sale.

pen holder created with 3d printer


Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

Is the Elegoo 3D printer worth it?

I've seen cheaper 3D printers on the market, but this feels like a nice, contained, all-in-one solution that can help give you that push to get started. For me, that's worth the extra money.

I'm sure there are more advanced models for hardcore 3D printing hobbyists. But when I consider that my entire journey from unboxing the printer to printing 24/7 happened over less than a week, I'm impressed both with Elegoo for making an idiot-friendly 3D printer that even I could understand, and with myself for finally embracing a new category of tech that I had previously thought beyond my abilities.

Top offers on Elegoo 3D printer


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NYT Strands hints, answers for April 24, 2026

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A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're rowdy.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Hullabaloo

The words are related to sound.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ruckus.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Lets Get Loud.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 24

  • Shout

  • Holler

  • Clamor

  • Lets Get Loud

  • Bellow

  • Whoop

  • Caterwaul

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

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Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 24, 2026

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Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a good drink.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Intoxicated.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is…

DRUNK

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

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FCC challenges gender identity themes on kids TV

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A young girl watches TV with remote in her hand.

The Federal Communications Commission is using the presence of "controversial gender identity issues" in children's television programming as a pretense for questioning how TV ratings are developed and enforced, according to a notice published Wednesday by the federal agency.

The notice generally assesses TV ratings, but specifically points out that these industry guidelines have rated shows featuring "transgender and gender non-binary programming" as appropriate for children. It argues that parents aren't provided this information, "thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families."

In the document, the FCC poses a series of open-ended questions about TV ratings development, including whether the board responsible for the guidelines is "sufficiently balanced" with viewpoints outside of the entertainment industry and if faith-based organizations should be represented in the body.

"What more could the board do to include family-oriented perspectives — which are not well represented in the media industry — in its ratings process?" the notice asks.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the public notice on X, explaining that "parents have raised concerns with the industry's approach." He added that these parents believe "New York & Hollywood programmers" promote objectionable content in kids programming without disclosing that to parents. Carr didn't mention gender identity in his X post.

TV parents guidelines can include both a rating as well as descriptors for content that includes crude language, sexual situations, and violence.

LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the public notice, arguing that it amounted to discrimination and censorship.

"Trump's FCC is trying to turn transgender people into a warning label," Tyler Hack, executive director of the transgender rights advocacy group Christopher Street Project, said in a statement. "It is dehumanizing, and it is part of a broader political strategy to stigmatize LGBTQ+ people in every corner of public life."

Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, described the notice as government overreach.

"Media companies must be allowed to create and broadcast stories that reflect one-quarter of their audience without interference from a government agency with its own anti-transgender political agenda," Ellis said in a statement.

This isn't the first time Carr has been accused of censorship. Carr has claimed broadcasters air "hoaxes" and "news distortions" that also happen to be unfavorable to President Trump. Carr has suggested the licenses of such broadcasters won't be renewed.

In March, dozens of free speech experts argued in an open letter to Carr that his threats against broadcasters are "unlawful jawboning" and his vague characterization of "fake news" violates the First Amendment. The authors called on Carr to "withdraw" his threats.

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