I think "technology" has become synonymous with mobile technology and their screens. Too much attention is being drawn to phones, while changing our ability to communicate with each other, our ability to physically manipulate the world has not moved forward.<p>On top of that, 3D printers and laser cutting machines are still pretty expensive. It will take about a decade before they are within reach to everybody.
Laser cutters are probably where it is at. They are lower maintenance, faster and can make sturdier objects. But not like this: "A camera inside the laser cutting chamber and image processing in the cloud will take the place of a part called a motion planner." Great, now we have a printer that needs a high speed internet connection to proprietary servers just to operate, after uploading everything you print to the cloud. As if the shenanigans that the inkjet people pull are not bad enough, think of how anti-consumer and anti-maker this is going to be.
For everybody who was into legos as a child there is the ultimate open source laser cutter: <a href="http://www.lasersaur.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.lasersaur.com</a><p>Build it like this:
<a href="http://www.lasersaur.com/manual/build/" rel="nofollow">http://www.lasersaur.com/manual/build/</a><p>Control it with your browser:
<a href="http://www.lasersaur.com/manual/software" rel="nofollow">http://www.lasersaur.com/manual/software</a><p>Disclaimer: I have a Lasersaur an I am a dev person for it.
I would love to be able to pair their 3d printer with this ipad laser cutter design app: <a href="http://www.zotebookapp.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.zotebookapp.com/</a>
What exactly makes it a "3D" laser cutter?<p>Also I have to call out Mr. Wingfield for calling a milling machine a "reverse 3D printer". Really!?