A world of endless possibilities, in 3D

I finished reading +Chris Anderson fantastic new book "Makers: The New Industrial Revolution" 3 weeks ago and my head is still buzzing.

I had heard about 3D printing but did not realized how it could actually be applied to so many different fields. What I was missing was someone to open my eyes and take me on this fantastic tour. And there is so much to see, discover and think about!
This technology will reduce waste (one would be able to print the broken part of a toy or a small machine that would otherwise send the whole thing to the bin), create jobs (thinking of all the opportunities for creating jobs catering to small niches, "the long tail", which big players cannot economically reach) and nurture, and be nurtured by, the open-source school of thought, making collaboration all the more important.
If only I had one when I was a kid and was so annoyed of having lost a small element from a toy (especially from my Star Wars figurines). Just imagine: downloading schematics, printing them out and voila! No more tears.

One could think, like I did, that it would be limited to hobbies and small time tinkerers but when I read this article "3D-printed dresses make it onto Paris Fashion Week catwalk", I realized it was becoming mainstream at a very fast pace.
A few more years and one will be able to print almost everything, as long as it is available on Creative Commons license (another big subject...). For me it means that one could live from its craft, and compete on a virtually unlimited playing field. It so invigorating. And I even have a few ideas for myself, if I ever wanted to become my own boss, or complement my retirement, in many years.

Have a look at the book and the available resources (the magazine Make, from O'Reilly media, has just spun off due to its succes), it will open your eyes and may be give you ideas as well. A brand new world!