Technology in the electricity marketplace

There's been a test run of user-driven electricity-on-demand technology done in Washington, and I've got to say, this type of infrastructure could revolutionize the world in terms of energy demands. The framework itself could apply to other things and reduce consumption and be more dynamic to regional/national/world economics and force people to pay attention to supply and demand on a daily scale.

It may be more of a hassle to individuals in the short run, but I think people would eventually appreciate the higher level of control being able to shop the energy industry like a market or a grocery and consciously pay regarding on your own budget. It's a counter-point to having to pay something because you have no idea how much it's going to cost in real-time and so you blindly use it until you get the check. Real-time marketing, or as the article terms it, service-oriented architecture (SOA), is going to hit the market like a sledgehammer, people will not be adapt properly unless the technological model is done correctly.

I'd like a book please!

There's an awesome video on CNN regarding new book printing technology. Being able to order books on demand will definitely make a difference in libraries and being able to stock more content and not being constrained to retain physical copies of old books that can be reprinted. This is the type of technology that will re-define the current generation's ability to adapt technology to be more useful rather than simply entertaining. Ipods/iphones are nice, sure, but how does that affect our society? Music is primarily a form of entertainment, but books can span even more across the ages.

Video-on-demand, sweet. Book-on-demand? KICKASS