Yup. Here's a solar powered 3D printer that fuses sand into glass

In a world increasingly concerned with questions of energy production and raw material shortages, this project explores the potential of desert manufacturing, where energy and material occur in abundance.
In this experiment sunlight and sand are used as raw energy and material to produce glass objects using a 3D printing process, that combines natural energy and material with high-tech production technology.

Solar-sintering aims to raise questions about the future of manufacturing and trigger dreams of the full utilisation of the production potential of the world’s most efficient energy resource - the sun. Whilst not providing definitive answers this experiment aims to provide a point of departure for fresh thinking.

www.markuskayser.com

3D Printed Flute

Behold the awesome.  Be sure to stick around through the whole video and check out the concepts for new instruments that can only be created using 3D printing technology.

3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution

Here's a good (if brief) article about 3-D printing courtesy of the New York Times.  Enjoy!

3-D Printing Spurs a Manufacturing Revolution

By ASHLEE VANCE

Published: September 13, 2010

New technology is giving rise to never-before-possible businesses that are selling products like iPhone cases, doorknobs, perfume bottles and architectural models.

Thanks, Courtney!

Print your own Space Invaders on your 3D printer

Thingiverse user sideburn posted "Invaders!" recently and they're way cool.  If you have or have access to a 3D printer such as the MakerBot, RepRap, Dimension, Z-Corp, etc. then you can print out your very own Space Invaders ships*!

Thingiverse is a community site that encourages the free sharing of designs that can be made at home with (mostly) sophisticated tools or even small-batch manufactured depending on the license.  It's open-source for tangible stuff.

*not actual size

I... This is Just Awesome

Behold.

We've talked about 3D printing before but this new machine is a first.  The new machine, conceived by Enrico Dini, lays down sand along with an inorganic binder to literally build things out of rock.

The first idea that came to MY mind (and apparently the creator's own) was to use this to pre-fabricate buildings for lunar and Mars colonization.  From what I understand those places have lots of sand.  Hot!