Ponoko is a pretty unique concept - an online shop for individualised goods, where you search a market place or upload designs to have something manufactured just for you.

It's pretty cool for geeks - you can create line art of where you want the laser to cut or etch, and they will cut your design from flat sheets of wood, acrylic or other materials. I have made a one-of-a-kind picture frame for my daughter, and toyed around with a bunch of interesting ideas that I haven't yet followed through with.

If you want a more free-style approach, you can even get them to cut based on your hand drawn sketch - all automatically (Photomake).

Anyway... the interesting news today is that they have broadened their set of materials to include bamboo, felt and plain old cardboard, which should lead to some more variety in the products people can make.

Kirk