"Technically the glider becomes a known static shape. But for this active and useful little craft with its wiggly diagonal propagation and useful character, it is as good as death." Though it is fairly easy to miss, it is stated in the article. The author is using "death" to mean that the shapes stop changing, not that the dots disappear- which is not the same meaning you and I thought of at first.
Don't forget "Makers" by Cory Doctorow, which discusses some of the legal implications of personal 3D printing as both an attraction and as a way of cheaply producing a variety of things.
http://craphound.com/makers/download/
