User: mc_secular

Re:Texas electricity consumers can get this info f

On: Monitor Household Energy From Your Smartphone

I met the folks who manage Smart Meter Texas last month. They said it is underbuilt on purpose so that Retail Electricity Providers (there are 80+ in Texas) can craft custom apps on top of the portal data platform. Gives the REPs a new area to compete in besides price and 'green-ness'.

Re:Transparent Aluminum...

On: Bizarre Properties of Glass Allow Creation of "Metallic Glass"

Also, there has been recent progress towards creating aluminum salts that may yield another pathway to transparent aluminum (in addition to the Aluminum oxynitride and Al(2)O(3) pathways already mentioned.)

Re:Food prices

On: SwiftFuel Alternative To Alternative Fuels

Algae

Re:Bye bye books

On: 2nd Generation "$100 Laptop" Will Be an E-Book Reader

Actually, the corruption problems (kickbacks from vendors; revolving door hiring policies, etc) are way bigger and more real than creationism or spooky government control. I work in an urban school district, and while creationism might be the textbook problem in Kansas, we spend a ton of money on textbooks recommended by insiders who will later go on to work for the vendors. Needless to say, that $ could go towards other things. The XOXO would be awesome for our district.

Pentagon apparently still runs some old COBOL code

On: What Is the Oldest Code Written Still Running?

The Pentagon runs some old COBOL code to track accounts and money. Logically. Article here.