Comment LRAD (Score 1) 630
This crap is called a Long Range Acoustic Device.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Range_Acoustic_Device
May lead to hearing loss!
Comment Re:Still not going to be Mainstream... (Score 1) 199
You should buy a netbook for $250 or so. It does all of this crap plus more. As an added bonus, a netbook displays porn!
Comment Re:What I want (Score 2, Interesting) 273
I'm waiting for something with a reasonably decent screen, a decent flash drive, a few buttons. No subscription services, no wireless, no connectivity at all, no note taking or annotation features, no voice or recording... Just a thumbdrive hooked to a screen. That hardware should be WELL under $100. The extra features turn me off more than incentivize me. Currently, I'm using my DS, and it's adequate. It can scroll text, html, and pdf. Good return on a $7 cartridge, since I already had a DS.
Instead of buying this crap, you could just buy a netbook for $299.
Consumers May Find Smart Appliances a Dumb Idea 347
theodp writes "As GE readies appliances that communicate with smart meters in the hope of taking advantage of cheaper electricity rates, CNet asks a big question: Are consumers ready for the smart grid? Right now, most utilities only offer a flat rate, not time-of-use pricing, so the example of a drier that reacts to a 'price signal' about peak rates by keeping one's clothes wet until a more affordable time is pretty much a fantasy. And longer-term, a big question is whether consumers will want to deal with the hassle of optimizing household appliance energy usage themselves, or be willing to relinquish monitoring and control to utility companies — with a concomitant loss of privacy. After all, losing one's copy of 1984 is one thing — losing one's lights and refrigerator is another thing altogether."
Comment Skinny people are bad too... (Score 1) 1083
Skinny people waste tons of electricity by running on treadmills. Also, think of all that energy that is wasted producing their bottled water.
