From the army to the big city, 3D printing can be a real game changer

3D printing has great practical potential for the supply chain, as shown by the US army. Jerry Castanos saw its military application on his tour of duty in Afghanistan. That inspired him to open his own 3D printing business in New York City, 3D Heights, which offers 3D printers, related accessories, and lessons in using them. His goal is to be "the first" successful 3D printing retail store in the city. I spoke to about the confluence of his army experience with supply chain management and the uses for 3D printing.

Car with 3D printed metal body photographed by Ariella Brown at the Javits Center

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Army to Big City: 3D Printing Reshapes the Supply Chain

Living the libertarian dream on the sea?

The #libertarian  connection of seasteaders and #bitcoin
Bitcoin represents more than a digital currency. For many adopters, it is a means of breaking free of government and financial institutions’ control over money.

The Seasteading Institute’s philosophy dovetails with the views Thiel espoused in an April 2009 essay for the Cato Institute, “The Education of a Liberatarian.” In that piece, he declares that libertarians must get beyond restrictive government systems by finding a place of their own:

“The critical question then becomes one of means, of how to escape not via politics but beyond it. Because there are no truly free places left in our world, I suspect that the mode for escape must involve some sort of new and hitherto untried process that leads us to some undiscovered country; and for this reason I have focused my efforts on new technologies that may create a new space for freedom.”

 Read more in Why do 'Seasteaders' Love Bitcoin? 

When Big Data becomes Big Brother

You are being watched. Does that make you feel safe or make you feel exposed? The answer to that question determines whether people applaud or decry New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's latest initiative. Not everyone is ready to surrender their privacy to Big Data even for a system supposedly designed for their own good. 

Read more: When big data becomes big brother: New York City's system for crime prevention - FierceBigData http://www.fiercebigdata.com/story/when-big-data-becomes-big-brother-new-york-citys-system-crime-prevention/2012-08-30#ixzz25iNx32rh
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