• IBM’s Watson supercomputer is being readied to compete on Jeopardy!, prompting debate over whether large-scale statistical natural-language QA represents a genuine step toward AGI or merely another narrow-AI milestone.  

• OmniVision’s OVM7690 “CameraCube” (a 2.5 mm, 640×480 camera+lens+encoder module at US $12–25) was highlighted as a candidate for embedding in 3-D printers and other compact devices.  

• RepRap evolution was discussed in depth: converting STLs to SVG via Blender ray-tracing, hand-cutting PVC frames, redesigning Mendel parts for full printability, adding an inkjet head for color, and tracking regional breeding programs via Google Groups.  

• DIYbio and transhumanism were framed as complementary research areas, with links to the DIYbio FAQ, Harvard’s emerging transhumanist education initiative, a “gene design in <10 min” workflow, Foundation Medicine’s tumor-genomic profiling service, and heated-AFM lithography on graphene oxide.  

• Participants compared small CNC mills (X1/X2/X3, RF-45) and debated the cost-effectiveness of open-source or Harbor Freight options versus commercial units like Sherline.  

• Patent-system skepticism flared after Amazon’s 2008 “social networking” patent (based on a 1998 implementation), raising questions about the first-to-invent grace period and the value of patents in fast-moving fields.  

• Open-source CAD ecosystems were surveyed, with HeeksCAD and Open CASCADE recommended as user-friendly alternatives to the “unusable” BRL-CAD.  

• GPU-accelerated computer vision advanced via GpuCV, an OpenCV-compatible library that offloads image processing to CUDA/OpenCL under the permissive CeCILL-B license.  

• Autonomous micro-drones and DoD hummingbird-sized UAVs with explosive payloads sparked speculation on weaponized “killer bee” swarms guided by face-recognition software.  

• OSINT techniques for tracking transhumanist researchers were half-seriously proposed, with sample logs and broader open-source intelligence resources shared.