That was an awesome slideshow. Thank you for this awesome find.

It's amazing how far the technology has come with this. Contour crafting to print an entire building is a sweet concept.

The 3-D Printing Photo Booth Of The Future

I definitely got to get me one of 'me'.

Number 8:

At a New York hacker conference back in July, a German security consultant known only as “Ray” made something of a mockery of one of law enforcement's most important accoutrement: the handcuff. Using plastic handcuff keys that he printed from CAD files on a 3-D fabricator, he wowed the crowd be easily popping open sets of cuffs designed by multiple European security firms, highlighting the potential for foul play inherent in a technology that makes the sharing of physical objects so simple. Criminals have long made handcuff keys, but doing so required getting one's hands on an actual key and creating a duplicate in a metal shop. With 3-D printing, you just need a digital file--easily shared and duplicated. The capacity to subvert the law is but a mouse click away.

3d Scan a key and print it out. That could be an issue until locks are all digital.

Originally posted by unityemissions
Number 8:



3d Scan a key and print it out. That could be an issue until locks are all digital.

Man! Big issue! Until they are all digital, one might think about rigging up a barricade.

Hopefully they'll figure out how to 3d print 3d printers so we can all get one for cheap.

Wow... I need to get one of those 3D printers.

I wouldn't be surprised if within the next one hundred years (provided we haven't destroyed ourselves) we've developed this technology far enough to "print" life. Their excuse will probably be along the lines of "To fight the growing hunger of the population" when in reality it's used to produce soldiers and the like.

Will they be any good when we acend to the 5th dimention?

S and F

Do they have those at Kinkos? I wonder what a simple reproduction (one copy) of something costs?

That repo of the gun was misleading. The finished product was only the "receiver" part. It "broke after 6 shots". You still need the other parts like a (steel) barrel and ammo. These printers are a long way from reproducing stuff like gun powder or gasoline.

Nice toys to play with in Universities and space, maybe. My idea of reproduction is some old coot with a garage full of tools and a lifetime of experience as a machinist and welder.

Dying breed

If you want one. Invest money in the technology now. Eventually it's going to transform day to day life. It'll do away with global manufacturing borders and level the playing field. It will virtually eliminate the shipping industry. It's one big step closer to a molecular transport.

Thanks for posting this. This is the coolest technology. I certainly will follow the development closely.

Isn't it great how technology is killing off all the skilled manufacturing jobs of bygones eras.
I know full well as a Trade qualified Printing Machinist with a Printing Business I had run for 10 years found myself at a cross roads in 1998.
My choice find a bank or money lender willing to back me as due to the advent of computers and copiers I found my bread and butter of 10 years, spot colour work disapearing to be replaced with full colour work of which my machinery at the time couldn't do.
After many appointments with banks and the downturn in the economy I couldn't find a backer and thus sold my equipment and went and got a job as a Printer. After running my own business for 10 years working for a boss again was hard yards indeed.
These days most Printers sublet their work to trade only printers, only handling the Graphic Design side of things.
I also started doing this as well 4 years ago on a part time basis.
Looks like injection moulders and the like may start seeing a similar situation as myself.
I have nothing against technology, I just feel sad the people who have done the hard yards over many years. honing their craft only to see technology killing off their job prospects by inventing machines that takes little skill to operate.