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Comment Re:I simply have to agree (Score 1) 474

That could be overcome if there were economical and scalable ways of storing energy so that it doesn't need to be consumed at the same time that it's produced.

I would love to have an affordable unit that I could install at my house (flywheel, capacitor, whatever) that charges when power is cheap, discharges when power is expensive (either into my home or back onto the grid for a credit on my meter), and provides additional power when needed so my lights don't flicker when the AC turns on and so my lights and appliances don't immediately lose power when the local grid experiences an outage.

Comment Re:Good Idea (Score 1) 172

I've got a programmable light that can run from 0.07L up to 100L. The level I use 90% of the time is about 3L. I almost never use it higher than 30L.

Try looking at something close with your "dumb" light at night without ruining your night vision. You can't even do it via ceiling bounce.

Comment Re:Good Idea (Score 1) 172

As for the programming, it seems to be a bit overkill. I just built a similar, dumber circuit out of a 555 timer because I had an old filament powered headlamp that I wanted to convert to LED and a bunch of bright LEDs. But if it floats your boat, go for it. Same with the over engineered aluminum case.

A non-programmable light has to cater it's mode selection to the most commonly desired configuration (and defining that configuration is non-trivial). A programmable light can be tailored by the user to meet their specific needs or desires.

I've got several programmable flashlights and I'm very pleased with them.

Comment Re:Emergency service (Score 1) 85

That's the only time that the rest of the world notices HAM radio, but it has lots of other uses and people use it all the time.

But think for a moment: if the only time you can use HAM is during an emergency, then no one will know how to use HAM, making it unavailable during an emergency.

Comment Re:Hmmm ... (Score 1) 755

A novice prefers the tools that he knows.

A tradesman prefers the tools he's most comfortable with.

A craftsman prefers the best tool for the job.

A vendor prefers an ideology.

You, sir, sound like a vendor or someone who has drank the vendor kool-aid.

OO is a good tool for a set of common problems. Trying to apply OO outside that set has resulted in more crap software than any programming fad/paradigm that I can think of.

Comment Re:This is a tragedy. (Score 1) 154

Most books that I buy are purchased after I've already finished reading the book.

I buy books that I've decided that I want to have handy as references or that I want to be able to loan out to friends and family.

So based on my own habits and the fact that most avid book buyers I know have similar habits, I would expect that having a book in a library would do much to increase the sales of that book.

Comment Re:There is already a biological solution for CO2 (Score 1) 386

Why isn't it a common practice to add charcoal to the soil?

I've read from several sources that it is both a great way to help create top soil and it improves existing top soil.

Plus, it's carbon that will never make it back into the atmosphere unless something causes it to burn.

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