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Open Source Laser Business Opens In New York
Posted by
kdawson
on Tue Dec 12, 2006 08:55 PM
from the burn-baby-burn dept.
from the burn-baby-burn dept.
ptorrone writes "If you can't stand the idea of a cookie-cutter laptop and you live in New York City, you have a new option: laser-etching. Phil Torrone, an editor at Make magazine, and Limor Fried, a former fellow at the tech-focused art studio Eyebeam R&D, are working together on Adafruit Laser Services, a new, by-appointment-only business in Manhattan that etches custom artwork onto customers' laptops, iPods, cell phones, and other gadgets." The entire business will be open source. From the Adafruit Laser Services site: "We are publishing how to use the high powered laser system, set up, techniques, business practices and templates. You could start your own laser business, we'll even help you."
Related Stories
Offsite: Eyebeam R&D
Offsite: Limor Fried
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Are the lasers frickin'? (Score:5, Funny)
That should be.
Re:Are the lasers frickin'? (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Are the lasers frickin'? (Score:4, Funny)
shark = new Shark();
laser = new Laser();
laser.setType( TypeFactory.createType( "Fricken" ) );
shark.mount( laser );
I think that will do...
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
How open source is the business? (Score:5, Funny)
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wait for it. (Score:5, Funny)
you know it's going to happen.
Well, the site's farked, but check out flickr (Score:2)
wow [flickr.com], laser-etched nori!
Oh! Oh! Can I Be First? (Score:5, Funny)
Open Source? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Open Source? (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Open Source? (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Language does that (Score:2)
Not, you nailed it... (Score:2)
No, you hit the nail on the head with your first sentence. It's not Open Source. It's way cool, very neat, but it's not Open Source. Typical Slashdot rocket trajectory, high on fumes.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Open Source? (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow, we need to stamp THAT out quick. Look what happened to "hacker".
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
It's a pretty intriguing question actually. Maybe not open source, but businesses can certainly be a lot more open. At Slim Devices we pushed that envelope quite a bit by inviting customers to participate meaningfully in developing the products. <plug>There is an interesting article [fastcompany.com] just posted at Fast Company which asks Is this the company of the future?.</plug>
I believe it _is_ a model that will work well for many other companies, a
Re:Open Source? (Score:5, Insightful)
Compare Microsoft's software with Wal-Mart's business model: we see the output of it, but we don't quite know what techniques they used to get there (like upper-level management techniques, how they decide where to locate their stores, etc.) Try to track down the manufacturers for Wal-Mart products. Try to get a tour of the factory to see the working conditions. Hell, try to take a look at Enron's accounting practises (oops. Too late for that one).
There are many companies in many sectors who go to great lengths to protect their "source": what it is they're doing that will eventually be their output. An "open" company (okay, I admit that the "source" part is unnecessary, but it does add context to what is meant by "open") will let you see the practises of the company, so that company can show it has nothing to hide.
With business as with software, openness builds trust.
- RG>
Parent
Did someone say (Score:2)
Is this new? (Score:3, Insightful)
My god... (Score:2)
trust me, equipping a landromat takes resources.. immense resources....