Steamrunner

Probably safest to download the software direct from Lego themeselves: http://service.lego.com/en-us/HelpTopics/default.aspx?questionID=2655 This is also the best way if you're a Mac user; the disc that came with the NXT 2 doesn't install on Lion, but the version you can download from the Lego site does.

Well, it might not be so much about stuff which can't be copied, as stuff which can - perhaps the future lies in selling patterns so you can print your own sets? I suspect there'll be the same reluctance from manufacturers as record labels had when digital music came along, and publishers did/do to ebooks, but this is the 21st century... Yeah, I could download dodgyd000d1987's sketchup file of the latest Technic set, but I'd rather buy the official pattern from Lego, safe in the knowledge that it's checked and I can contact them if I have issues. Don't forget, there are already copies of the Lego technique (Hasbro being the latest) so it's not about that. Kodak rested on their laurels and thought digital photography would never take off; they still own the key patents for digital sensors and so on, but they didn't bother to capitalise on what they'd invented. To be fair, who would have expected that Canon (previously known for their printing equipment) would have become a leader in the digital photography marketplace? But they did, and Kodak missed out by not moving with the times. They tried to get in by slapping their name on overpriced memory cards and mediocre cameras, but by then any brand loyalty they could have relied on had been nicked by Canon, Nikon, Samsung, Sony and so on - better equipment at cheaper prices. This sin't goign to be a purely Lego problem, either - any manufacturer of toys, homewares, stationary etc is going to find that a growing number of people would rather print stuff at home than wait for a delivery... And once you can print with a wider range of material, the sky will be the limit. I suspect that before I die I may even have the chance to say "Tea, English Breakfast, hot"!

Actually, all but your last two points aren't entirely accurate. You do need a 3D printer, and the current resolution of home 3D printers is around .125mm - .3mm, which may not be accurate enough for bricks to clutch properly. But otherwise, it should be pretty easy to start printing your own bricks. You don't really need to know CAD/CAM - a simple 3D app like Google Sketchup can be used, or you can download other people's designs. 3D printers use ABS so there's not much to know - you're not going to be milling or melting it yourself. As for being creative or tweaking designs - well, one could argue that if you're into Lego you've got that sorted - this is also not required; there's already a thriving community of people out there sharing 3D models. I fully expect there to be a "black market" of 3D models in much the same way that movies and music are shared now - I'd guess that in a few years, as soon as Lego release a new part, someone will have knocked out a Sketchup model of it later that day. I'm not saying that's a good thing, just being realistic (same goes for anything that is purely plastic). Home 3D printers are already available, and there's another very user-friendly one due out any time now (Cubify). The main barrier is really going to be cost, for the time being - the printers aren't cheap right now, nor is the plastic (and colours are limited). These costs will fall, though, and I expect 3D printers to cost the same as a decent inkjet/laser in about five years.

There's plenty of reasons - Amazon will often severely drop prices on products to encourage you to buy from them, in the hope that while you're on the site you'll buy something else (this is what's often referred to as a "loss leader" - supermarkets do the same thing all the time). They also know that there are many sites out there where people talk about bargains, and thus word spreads and more people come onto the site. In general, though, retailers are free (usually) to charge what they want. If they buy a large amount of stock then they'll pay less per item, so that can be passed on as lower prices (and that's the usual reason). If a retailer still has stock sitting around longer than expected, they may choose to drop the price to turn that stale stock back into cash - usually this is done in the sales but really can be any time. Finally, physical stores are trying hard to compete with online stores, so when they see sites like Amazon dropping their prices, they often follow. Don't forget that some retailers (I'm looking at you, Hamleys and Toys R Us) even choose to charge higher prices because they know they can get away with it - Hamleys charge up to 50% extra for some sets!

I'm the same as L@go - the Emerald Night got my interest. Actually it was the wife buying me a Mindstorms set for Chrimbo, which then got me looking at other Technic sets (for additional parts), which then got me looking at normal sets (for non-Technic parts) which then made me notice the Emerald Night. I couldn't believe such a realistic set was possible, so I spent ages looking at pics and reviews before eventually buying one. Couldn't be happier with it; at the moment it's a shelf queen but I'll motorise it soon. I've also bought the Cargo train and will get the Maersk set, and possibly the 3677 - the engines will be for display, the cargo trucks for parts and potentially a loco MOC or two. I'm not a big fan of the current passenger train - my wife quite likes it, though, so I may end up with it yet.

I'm interested - I've still got a few sets to make, camera at the ready...

Looks like someone got a bit previous posting it on the Lego website - it's not showing up in the product listings any more, but the page is still there: http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=10219&cn=419&d=328 Still, at least we have a date and price now...

Certainly the main market for Doctor Who is the UK - after the reboot a few years ago, it has become one of the most popular shows on British TV; so much so that school playgrounds the length and breadth of the country resonate to the cries of "Exterminate!" "You will be deleted!", and probably "Come along Pond!". Not to mention that the Christmas Special is now as much a Christmas Day tradition as the Queen's Speech. But it is also - particularly the new version - gaining popularity in the US and Canada, to the extent that the new series of Torchwood (a more adult-oriented spin-off from Doctor Who) is being co-produced by a US network and filmed in LA, and two stories in the 2011 Doctor Who series are being filmed in the US. And there has been a small (but loyal) fanbase in the US, Canada and Australia ever since the original version. I know it is also aired in Europe but I'm not sure how popular it is; I have some Belgian friends who enjoy it. Anyway, yes, it's nowhere as near as popular as Star Wars - but I have three words for you: Prince, Of, and Persia. If there's concern about whether Doctor Who has enough worldwide popularity, I would have thought it'd be more attractive than a film based on a computer game. Which, I gather, didn't even do very well. Indeed, you only have to look at the Toys R Us displays (and the gaps in them) to see how popular DW merchandise is. Pretty much anything with a blue police box (or a Dalek) on it sells like hot cakes...