Okay this is cool: Have you got your Reprap yet? Reprap stands for Replicating Rapid-prototyper and is a University of Bath project that builds 3D Printers that can self-replicate. This means it can make another one of itself. Yeah it took me a while to get my head around that concept too. This video has the wow factor:

The idea that you have an Open-Source 3D Printer is fantastic, the concept that my RepRap can make one for my neighbour is downright amazing. 3D Printing is perhaps the killer app for designers and architects. For example, with 3D Printing, Timberland Shoes reduced its shoe prototyping per sole from 7 days @ $1200 per prototype to 90 minutes and $35.

I think the big story with 3D Printing will be in home printing of parts and products from designs downloaded from the web. These parts will be created “just-in-time” and “just-in-place” – that is, remove all the storage and transportation of goods out of the equation. Chris DiBona, Open Source Programs Manager at Google says “Think of RepRap as China on your desktop.” This could be big…

What technie wouldn’t also be impressed with the open approach to building massive storage courtesy of BackBlaze, complete with instructions to build.  Imagine 67 Petabytes for under $8,000 USD. Unbelievable. Methinks it may have serious cooling issues, but still impressive…