The giant manufactures are not going to go out of business because of 3D printing. 3D printing might, though, give certain types of businesses a little competition.
I took a look at Etsy and I do not see any plastic soap dishes yet. There are a few 3D printed things made from plastic, metals, and ceramics (blatant self promotion). Businesses like Shapeways and Ponoko are making high end 3D printing more accessible. Companies like Pololu and Sparkfun are making easer to build the tools. Businesses like and Nervous Systems are taking advantage of the sort of low hanging fruit type opportunities.
The 3D printing hype is a little optimistic in ways but there is more to the notion of small scale production than 3D printing. CNC machines are very main stream in industry and the cost is well within the reach of Middle America. The cost of automation is coming down and is much more accessible than it used to be.
I would also like to see a move away from big box stores. It would be nice for a change to be able to walk into a store (camera shop, hardware store, and other more or less specialty stores) and talk to some one that knows what they are talking about.
I do not know much about the new health care laws. Certainly, I have no idea what the costs are going to be. So, my question is how does this story,
Obamacare glitches give paper applications new life fit into the picture. It sounds a little like the health care program is not going to cost so much as the infrastructure and bureaucracy to support it.
From the link above:
"The Obama administration has been prepared for a crush of paper. Over the summer, it awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Serco, which says it expects to process 6.2 million paper applications in the health law’s first open enrollment period running through the end of March."
The fight in congress is over. If a few votes are needed to pass some bill some one in the executive branch talks to some one in the NSA that talks to a buddy at Booz Allen. The buddy at Booz Allen takes a few minutes to look at the list that he has compiled for this very purposes picks out a few names (5 or 6 of the 435 represenatives that can be bought, sold, or blackmailed) and give them to the guy at the NSA (adding you "owe me a beer for this").
The guy at Booz Allen looks forward to the beer (maybe he will buy a round, he has a good paying job) and gets back to work feeding information to others at Booz Allen and the rest of the Carlyle Group.
Many of the same thing that happen when non flying cars collide with buildings and other infrastructure. It will likely be more dangerous to the occupants of the vehicle as a fall from some height is often more dangerous.
I think the developing a niche (offering something besides the most recent main stream movies) and maybe offer coffee and a place to sit and watch a movie.
A plane crash can turn a pretty large number of passengers into non human like substance. If it could be done reasonably safely. Maybe they could start out sending mail (freight).
So, I have been thinking about this and the problem, in part seems to be money in politics. People and groups with money hold sway with politicians because they can pay (in terms of campaign donations and lobbying).
Maybe, if some group wants some sort of change (voting reform for example) they should just raise the money and pay the politicians to make the changes. It could be something like Kickstarter could be a vehicle for raising the money. If it is a popular idea lots of people donate and pay for the changes.
Some one can post there great idea for some legislation. A bunch of people donate. The person with the idea can for a Super PAC of hirer lobbyists and try to get the changes made. At the very least they would have some influence in the direction legislation goes.
It would not be that different than what is going on now.
So who are the major players in this. Which companies are going to be OEM suppliers. I would like to make some investments before anything gets passed.
I will concur. In my experience with this sort of thing the most difficult part is dealing with coordinate systems and datum. There are a lot of really obscure local datums that have been used threw the years. Also, even for pretty recent maps the accuracy of the map depends on the survey.
From From a NOAA page about chart accuracy and precision.
"Positioning of Survey Data
The methods used to acquire the underlying survey data will also affect accuracy. NOAA has specified stringent accuracy standards for collection of data by its survey vessels. Currently, surveys are being conducted to DGPS accuracy. However, for surveys performed prior to the mid 1990’s, the accuracy requirement was only 1.5mm at the scale of the survey as few surveys of years past were able to match DGPS accuracies. For example, on a 1:20,000-scale harbor approach survey, an accuracy of 1.5mm equates to 30 meters. NOAA makes every effort to produce the most accurate chart possible given the available data. The prudent mariner should pass shoals or isolated dangers with utmost caution, no matter what navigation method is used."
That is not to say you cannont get good results just that you have to be careful.
Of course it is great to have heroes to point out to kids (or adults) but I believe that the greatest inspiration comes from sources closer to home.
If you are always pointing to outside sources for inspiration it is easy to forget the world around us. It begins to be easy to forget that the physics, biology, economics, and all the other great things that popular scientists are talking about is all around and is directly affecting our lives. We forget to study the world by looking around ourselves and asking the simple question.
I was stopped at airport security and made to stand in a little glass box while they looked at my bag under the x-ray. After a half hour of questioning and digging through my stuff they pulled out three beanbags I used for juggling and was told this was the problem. They could not go on the plane with me and I left them behind.
Slashdot Mirror
Craft beers have not killed off major breweries but they have an impact on the economy. Craft Beer The Craft Beer Boom Added $34 Billion To The Economy Last Year
The 3D printing hype is a little optimistic in ways but there is more to the notion of small scale production than 3D printing. CNC machines are very main stream in industry and the cost is well within the reach of Middle America. The cost of automation is coming down and is much more accessible than it used to be.
I would also like to see a move away from big box stores. It would be nice for a change to be able to walk into a store (camera shop, hardware store, and other more or less specialty stores) and talk to some one that knows what they are talking about.
I have done time travel experiments in coffee shops. Unfortunately, I have only managed to travel forward in time and now I am stuck here.
Should be even better than the original.
From the link above:
"The Obama administration has been prepared for a crush of paper. Over the summer, it awarded a $1.2 billion contract to Serco, which says it expects to process 6.2 million paper applications in the health law’s first open enrollment period running through the end of March."
No no ... it is "Watch this..."
The guy at Booz Allen looks forward to the beer (maybe he will buy a round, he has a good paying job) and gets back to work feeding information to others at Booz Allen and the rest of the Carlyle Group.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booz_Allen_Hamilton#Political_contributions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booz_Allen_Hamilton#Business
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booz_Allen_Hamilton#Government
I think maybe some one from DHS wanted to generate some bad publicity for bitcoins. Now they can buy some and make a little money.
Many of the same thing that happen when non flying cars collide with buildings and other infrastructure. It will likely be more dangerous to the occupants of the vehicle as a fall from some height is often more dangerous.
Thank you for that description. I will have to remember it when I build my own 3D stereolithography printer.
So, show the movie not from the big six, develope a nitch.
I think the developing a niche (offering something besides the most recent main stream movies) and maybe offer coffee and a place to sit and watch a movie.
A plane crash can turn a pretty large number of passengers into non human like substance. If it could be done reasonably safely. Maybe they could start out sending mail (freight).
Maybe, if some group wants some sort of change (voting reform for example) they should just raise the money and pay the politicians to make the changes. It could be something like Kickstarter could be a vehicle for raising the money. If it is a popular idea lots of people donate and pay for the changes.
Some one can post there great idea for some legislation. A bunch of people donate. The person with the idea can for a Super PAC of hirer lobbyists and try to get the changes made. At the very least they would have some influence in the direction legislation goes.
It would not be that different than what is going on now.
But even for those few of us who claim to be complete skeptics, belief quietly sneaks in.
Nope. Not a bit of it. In my experience, only believers believe that everyone else must secretly be a believer. The rest of us live a fact-based life.
I think you are being funny and doing a good job of it.
So who are the major players in this. Which companies are going to be OEM suppliers. I would like to make some investments before anything gets passed.
Now I just need to find a robot to read all these sports blogs to free up time for things I want to do.
From From a NOAA page about chart accuracy and precision.
"Positioning of Survey Data The methods used to acquire the underlying survey data will also affect accuracy. NOAA has specified stringent accuracy standards for collection of data by its survey vessels. Currently, surveys are being conducted to DGPS accuracy. However, for surveys performed prior to the mid 1990’s, the accuracy requirement was only 1.5mm at the scale of the survey as few surveys of years past were able to match DGPS accuracies. For example, on a 1:20,000-scale harbor approach survey, an accuracy of 1.5mm equates to 30 meters. NOAA makes every effort to produce the most accurate chart possible given the available data. The prudent mariner should pass shoals or isolated dangers with utmost caution, no matter what navigation method is used." That is not to say you cannont get good results just that you have to be careful.
"In an attempt to put an end to dangerous police high speed chases," might also read: In an attempt to make lots of money...
"Both Cryptomartus hindi and Eophrynus prestivicii were around the size of a 50 pence piece" How big is a 50 pence piece?
Of course it is great to have heroes to point out to kids (or adults) but I believe that the greatest inspiration comes from sources closer to home. If you are always pointing to outside sources for inspiration it is easy to forget the world around us. It begins to be easy to forget that the physics, biology, economics, and all the other great things that popular scientists are talking about is all around and is directly affecting our lives. We forget to study the world by looking around ourselves and asking the simple question.
I was stopped at airport security and made to stand in a little glass box while they looked at my bag under the x-ray. After a half hour of questioning and digging through my stuff they pulled out three beanbags I used for juggling and was told this was the problem. They could not go on the plane with me and I left them behind.
Then you do not have to worry so much about getting caught.
I hope they can get them back in.
"There is nothing wrong with Ohio,
except the snow and the rain."