GT520 should run VDPAU acceleration pretty well

Yep, this is exactly what my MythTV HTPC does, only using an older PCI card.

It takes practically zero CPU power to shovel bits

Case in point, my aforementioned HTPC is a Celeron (yes, a humble Celery) and plays all ATSC content (720p, 1080i) just fine.

VDPAU rocks. PCI does the job.

So if you're going to replace the eneloops in your remote once every... can I say, 6 months? And they are good for what, 4-5 years?

Eneloops are designed for 1,000 recharge cycles. Using a good charger that doesn't overcharge them, consumers have reported them lasting well over 500 cycles.

At that rate, your Eneloops would outlast you.

I recently bought a cordless phone and it came with batteries with date code somewhere in 2007. They don't hold any useful charge.

Cheap cordless phones keep their battery on a constant trickle charge. This destroys the cells over time. Dunno if manufacturers do that to save $.02 on charger circuitry, or if it's a conspiracy to sell you a phone every few years. Or both. (Either way, it's not the battery's fault.)

I wouldn't use eneloops in remotes, battery-operated clocks, and probably not on flashlights either

Read up on candlepowerforums.com. Eneloops are THE most popular AAA/AA format cells for the flashaholics there. It's hard to argue with the folks that spend $100-$1,000 on their flashlights.

Slashdot: we're less dumb than everywhere else!

Nothing to be ashamed of. "In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king."

Kind of like the plot to Idiocracy.

Also there is this TED video where a guy tries to build a toaster from raw materials...

I don't think people appreciate the "tech tree" (to use Starcraft parlance) you have to walk down to get to the simplest of modern household items. The toaster is a good example, but now imagine starting from zero -- you can't even start with iron ore, because you don't have any tools to mine it with! So start with banging rocks to get something sharp you can use to cut down a tree, so you can make a handle to make a stone axe. Hopefully this is enough to get some iron ore, but now you also need to make something to smelt your ore in, such as a bloomery. And for that, you need charcoal. And for that...

Basically, the TED guy making his toaster cheated by used modern tools to get his raw materials. And even with cheating, his toaster never toasted any bread.

The tech tree for a dollar store pocket calculator is staggering, let alone a Space Shuttle. I don't think many people are conscious of this when they toss that toaster in the garbage and spend $10 on a new one.

Those look like POTS phones, I don't see how that system can interface with a cell phone?

Get a phone base station that'll pair with your cell, (about $60)

Please post a link where I can buy this $60 device.

the chamber size allowed them to fire both American and Soviet ammo.

What caliber of American ammo can be safely fired in a 7.62x39 AK? Seriously, I've never heard of such a thing.

Now, NATO 9x19 Para ammo can be fired in a Soviet 9x18 Makarov pistol (though this is definitely unsafe). But the Russians didn't design this as a feature -- rather, they designed their 9x18 ammo so that it couldn't fire in a NATO pistol to avoid having their own ammunition being used against them should any of it fall into enemy hands.

So far nobody has figured out what to do with the "spent" fuel

Wrong. There are plenty of fuel reprocessing methods and breeder reactor designs that make spent fuel a non-issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_reprocessing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeder_reactor

The "proliferation" concerns for any country that already has nuclear weapons is bunk. So what if we make a bit of plutonium reprocessing fuel? We already have enough to destroy the world many times over, and you're worried about us getting a few pounds more? Der...

Babylon 5 is by far one of the best science fiction TV series ever written.

People keep saying this but I've watched the first season and a few episodes of the second season, and it frankly... sucks. Terribly poor acting, weak storylines, and heavy-handed "plot complications" (the show tries to make itself more dramatic that it is). I keep watching only because the SO does... maybe it gets better, but the first season at least is a pass.

People complain about Star Trek DS9, well, B5 is worse.

How did this happen?

Gravity. Come on, it's not rocket science.

I would rather die quietly in my sleep at an old age

I always say I want to die in bed, but what I really mean is, I'd like to be trampled by a herd of wild elephants while having sex.

(RIP Roger Zelazny)

Tesla wanted AC because it ... was more efficient for long distance transmission.

With the technology of the time, sure. Modern semiconductors have made high voltage DC-DC conversion pretty darn efficient though:

"For long-distance transmission, HVDC systems may be less expensive and suffer lower electrical losses" -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hvdc

better for running motors

Also, brushless DC motors have also made AC pointless (to an extent).

I think you have it backwards: the "selection" is EVERYTHING

Well, almost everything. Netflix does cool things like refunding part of my monthly fee when they have problems mailing out discs on time. They also send me an 'extra' disc from my queue when the disc I want is coming from a more distant distribution center.

Little things like that have made me rather loyal to Netflix, so even if Amazon or somebody else beats them on price and/or selection, I'm very likely to stick with Netflix anyway.

But you're right, selection is VERY important!

Radar assisted cruise control helps avoid driver frustration because their speed doesn't match the speed of the car ahead of them.
If this frustrates you, don't use cruise control. Also, seek counseling.

Blind spot systems that watch the corners of your vehicle you can't see out the windows and in the mirrors.
If you can't turn your head to check your blind spots, get off the road.

Backup cameras to avoid running over your children in the driveway.
Really? You don't check behind your car before getting in and backing out? Glad I'm not your kid. Myself, I just back in to the driveway.

Collision avoidance warning indicators flash a simple red light bar and sound a tone to startle the driver in the event of an impending collision.
If you're not paying enough attention to see an impeding collision, you shouldn't be driving.

Head up displays help to keep eyes on the road.
Not really. Adjusting focus to the HUD is about as disruptive as a standard instrument scan.

Traction control helps avoids spinouts.
No, using a lighter touch on the accelerator avoids spinouts.

Stability control helps avoid rollovers.
No, going slower and using appropriate steering input avoids rollovers.

Antilock brakes help stop shorter and quicker.
Actually, antilock brakes stop slower. But they do let you steer while standing on the brakes.

Pre-charged brakes help stop suddenly if the driver isn't assertive enough when attempting to avoid a collision.
Drivers who aren't assertive enough on the brakes shouldn't be behind the wheel.

Voice control to operate the technology without removing your hands from the wheel or eyes from the road.
Eliminate all that techno-crap and just drive, and you won't need voice control.

All that junk lulls the driver into a false sense of security, and disconnects them from the task at hand: driving. Why not spend all that money and research time learning how to train better drivers and enforce existing traffic laws? Nah, that would never work. After all, pilots have dozens of hours of training, certifications, and stacks of regulations, yet flying is still more dangerous than driving. Right?

Even shit s beautiful if the light hits it right.

Especially when polished.