Democratizing ‘factors of production’ is the next industrial revolution

Chris Anderson has this very cool article in Wired Magazine.  It’s all about how small, independently owned businesses are pulling resources from open-source media and crowd-sourcing to build, design, and bring to market innovative products that fulfill consumer wants not met by big, slow-adapting corporations.  The article highlights a number of businesses which blogger Jason Kottke terms “small batch” because (like good bourbon) they focus on craftsmanship, producing quality over quantity.

One company, MakerBot, produces 3-D printers for sale at less than $1,000. Another, Anderson’s own DIY Drones, helps flight enthusiasts share ideas and collaborate to build their own personal unmanned aerial vehicles. But to me, the two most awesome small batch businesses profiled by Anderson were:

• Local Motors, whose mission is to “lead the next generation of automotive manufacturing, design, and technology in order to revolutionize the industry with game-changing efficient vehicles and an unprecedented standard of customer service.”

Local Motor's "Rally Fighter" designed by Sangho Kim

• BrickArms, a manufacturer of custom built hardcore LEGO weapons!

Mullah Omar in the cloak of the Prophet Mohammad?

Iconic Photos posted this photo, reportedly of Mullah Omar wrapping himself in the Prophet Mohammed’s cloak. In total there are only a couple pictures of the Taliban leader available to the public, so it is hard to decipher if this one is legitimate. But if true, this photo depicts one of the most interesting acts conducted by Omar: the ceremony in which he proclaimed himself Amir-ul Momineen (“Leader of the Faithful”) by donning a nearly 1400 year old sacred cloak.