Sony? didn't they make http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Audio_Tape. I don't remember it being "open" (or successful) but don't kid yourself into believing sony wouldn't desire or try to lock users into a exclusive (or licensed) ecosystem.

I think the general public and most posters here don't fully grasp the problem (nor do I) My basic scientific curiosity tells me that there must be multiple parameters that contribute to the size of the ice cap. These might include things like seasonal temperature variation combined with precipitation patterns. I never hear any of these parameters discussed. So is there a reason, and does the size depend only on temperature?

What about the flip where they sign a contract and the market price falls. They are now holding a loss. Who is going to cover that? I assume that the future contracts upside/downside cancel out. If they don't take the profit from the good market swings they can't cover the loss from the bad market swings.

Just sayin...

There have been reports that there is little security on such meters. You can purchase a $50 usb receiver that lets you listen in on the information
http://www.gridinsight.com/products/amrusb-1/

A paranoid individual might believe that "bad guys" use such devices to monitor neighborhoods for activity and know when to schedule the robbery.

In this case the "they" is some 3rd party that gains information neither you nor the electric utility intended.

I looked on google maps http://goo.gl/maps/1eta based on comments about the actual city name. I wasn't able to see anything special. Does anyone else have a better fix on the location?

Well.. The fundamental theorem of Algebra can't be proved using algebra. (for other examples see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del's_completeness_theorem)

I personally don't accept that that is the reason for your observation though.

reminds me of a short story.

A professor in a pub tells a story about a student that doesn't pay attention to details in class. This student builds a sound canceling box... He puts it in a concert hall on a performance night. The crowd erupts into applause and there is nothing but silence. The professor explains that the student forgot that energy could not be created or destroyed. The sound had to go somewhere. So this little box was not just canceling the sound, it was "absorbing" it. The box explodes...

Fiction of course but I remember really liking the stories because they always had some different perspective. I read the book years ago and can't remember the title or author?

wrong!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/frompost/march98/privacy9.htm

Yes the concept dates back to the 80's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Processor-in-memory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Berkeley_IRAM_Project
http://iram.cs.berkeley.edu/