You left off one... Tivo HD $399 + $399 lifetime subscription and no monthly service fees.

Can it integrate directly with DirecTV?

I have used it but I don't. I got tired of the slow screen changes. I would hit a remote button and nothing happend so I'd hit it again then It would move 2 spaces/screens + everything is organized horribly. You can't just click movies/action and see action movies you have to go to each network and the free movies section to search for what you want. Using the Tivo is far better in my opinion.

This may not seem innovative today thanks to the widespread use of Tivos and other DVRs but in 1999 when Tivo was first unveiled it was. It's easy to look at someone else's idea that has become commonplace and say "that idea is obvious" it is much harder to actually come up with the idea, patent it, and turn it into a viable product. If we don't allow the people who do innovate to defend those innovations with patents then what motivation do they have to put something new into the marketplace. Why should I put my time, energy, and money into inventing a new widget if I can only expect it to be stolen by Corporation X?

Many content providers do not want their content On Demand. A DVR can record and play back anything that is broadcast. I think if they could, AT&T, Verizon, etc. would put all their content On Demand as a way of competing with the DVR but they can't until they can convince the content providers to go along with it at a price they can pass along and expect consumers to pay.

Agreed. A patent troll buys up a bunch of patents then goes out and extorts money from companies that may be infringing on their newly acquired patents. Tivo is defending it's own innovations. It is using the patent service the way it was intended: to allow smaller innovative companies to exist without having their ideas and tech stolen by the big guys.

I can't comment on the other issues but the cablecard situation is pretty much a non-issue at this point. I picked up an HD Tivo to replace my Series 2 not too long ago and had the cablecard installed by Comcast. The guy who came out said he had never done it before but he got on the phone with a more experienced tech and it was installed in ~5 minutes. The channel changing is instant now as I no longer have to wait for the IR blaster to talk to the cable box.

The are at lease trying to get into those markets. The already offer Netflix streaming and you can purchase or rent content from Amazon. Hopefully they will continue to expand these options into content from sites like Hulu. I'd hate to lose my Tivo box because they went out of business.

Gamma rays pass right through too and look what they did to Bruce Banner.

Even without the demand for the types of batteries that all electric cars require battery tech is advancing rapidly. An expanding electric car market will only speed up this process.

Supercaps right now can both charge and discharge VERY fast. Pretty much as fast as you can feed them current or draw it. Their problem is capacity but there are a number of research projects under way that are working to expand that.

Electric cars will make most conventional service stations a thing of the past 90% (this is my gut talking, I'm too lazy to pull numbers) of fill-ups are for people commuting. The infrastructure is already in place for these people to charge at work and overnight (when the electric grid is underutilized) at home. It seems like 90% of the argument against electric has to to with long haul trips. While this is an issue that needs to be addressed, it really should not be the center of the discussion.

You forgot to mention that the primary source of hydrogen for fuel right now and in the foreseeable future is fossil fuels.

I think it's a bit like buying a (very expensive) lottery ticket. The odds are one in a gazillion that it will pay off but the payout (saved life?) is huge.

Great! Now I can start filtering tons of SPAM from Africa too!