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The Wall Street Journal says that tinkering is making a comeback. Think about it: tools are cheaper than ever (Open Source); marketing is cheaper than ever (Twitter, Facebook, and blogs); people are cheaper than ever (recession); infrastructure is cheaper than ever (Rackspace, etc). It’s a good time to be a tinkerer and entrepreneur.

The financial crisis played a role in taking a nascent trend and giving it increased urgency, says Michael Cima, an MIT engineering professor. “I’ve been here 23 years and I definitely see this trend back to hands-on,” he says. “A lot of people are pretty disappointed with an image of a career in finance and they’re looking for a career that’s real.”

More coverage of gadgets and inventions.