Beyond Blogging Content?

An article in yesterday’s New York Times talks about 3D printers [free subscription req’d] and how the prices have dropped from US$100,000 down to about $5,000 in recent years. They may drop further, and that means that a larger segment of consumers may have access to a device that actually generates a 3D object from a digtal plan by baking it. One example printer is offerered by Desktop Factory.

Back in 2000, I contracted for a Toronto company that made the portable ATM card readers that you see at pretty much any store. (The ones you swipe your ATM card through to make a purchase.) Whenever they designed a new model, they prototyped in their 3D printer. The whole area was encased in glass (plastic) to prevent dust contamination. Protypes were carved out of some material that escapes me.

If prices do drop down to the level that consumers can have wide access, or the office supply store at the mall does, it could mean a new industry. A new type of “content provider” could design objects and collectibles, then sell the plans on their websites. So you could blog about figures, figurines, objects, etc., and offer plans. Consider what this could do for inventors, as well.