Exactly. I've just taken a new job working from home (along with a pay cut) because I wasn't allowed to telecommute in my old one. A third of my take-home pay used to go on just getting to and from work. The money working from home saves me more than makes up for the pay cut and I'll still be better off at the end of the month.

The downside is that, despite being a programmer, I'm quite a social creature and will need to find a new hobby where I can be with people to fill the social void left by not working in an office. Plus I'll have to have to try and define clear work/personal boundaries so probably have a dedicated office solely for work.

It's a huge lifestyle change but hopefully it'll pay off. I just love where I live, don't want to commute any more and have a permanent (with sick and holiday pay) job working from home. I'll do whatever I can to make sure it works!

There's (a bit) more information on the technique here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12612209

I'd suggest Processing. It's great for putting apps together quickly, has all the basic 2D tools you'll need, plus support for fancy-pants 3D stuff if you want it later. Great community and docs, too. Works on Windows, Linux and Mac.

http://www.processing.org/

Being type 1 (insulin dependant) diabetic, the idea of having a new pancreas 'printed' is pretty appealing. I asked a doctor why they can't be transplanted like other organs and he said that it's because they're too fragile and would likely be damaged during the transplant process. It'd be great if printing a new one would work.

One can dream...

The UK isn't a country. It's a sovereign state or (if you really want to bring the word 'country' into it) an island country. Yes... I looked at Wikipedia to find the proper names. Learned a thing or two while I was there!

G.

A fast lens is handy but won't always produce good shots. Because the depth of field is so incredibly narrow if the auto-focus is even slightly off you can completely miss a shot. Then there's the fact that most (budget to mid-range) lenses aren't tremendously sharp when used wide open - especially at the corners.

Low noise at high ISO is far more helpful. You're still at the mercy of the camera's auto-focus but you'd be able to stop the lens down, increase the ISO without risk of noise, and have a greater margin for error.

I have a 35mm f/2 on my Canon XSi and it's gloriously sharp between f/4 and f/8, all the way to the corners. If the auto-focus is a little off, I've got a greater depth of field and can get usable images. Unless I'm in good light, auto-focus at f/2 is a lottery.

Give me low noise images at ISO 3200 and above on a camera which doesn't cost £2k and I'll be a happy camper.