There are few technologies winding their ways through the spare bedrooms of the world as cool as 3D printers. These contraptions are just what they sound like. Using a cheap filler substance, they can transform a blueprint into a real physical object. Hobbyists are using these 3D printers right now, and experimenting with the possibilities. One of those printer people thinks we can and should turn 3D printers into teleportation machines. Anil Dash has the story.
In essence, 3D printers are the grandfather of the holodeck, and one step away from providing the better part of a post-scarcity society. Creating what you need, where you need, when you need is kind of an important thing.