Brain tweaks and upgrades

Although bizarre, it is actually possible to concentrate and develop new functionality in your brain.

A) Precise clock

You can develop a sharp sense of time by trying to guess the time and then check the real time. After a month's practice, you can be a walking time machine.

B) Speed reading

You can improve your reading speeds significantly. One simple way is to use RSVP (Rapid serial visual presentation) tools for a month. See http://dictator.kieranholland.com/dictator.html

C) Better ideas
Improve the power of association and brainstorming by writing down/mindmapping your ideas using different colors.

Smart electricity at home

I am desperately looking for a good solution for simple, cheap, centralized control system for all electric appliances and things that use electricity at home. I need it for lamps, computers, refrigerators, tv, electric floor or water heating, wall sockets - absolutely for everything that uses electricity.

These things simply must be accessible for control (on/off) and status tracking via TCPIP network!

Just imagine having a centralized system where you can look at detailed event logs for each such component (when it was turned on/off, how much electricity it used etc). You can use this data to do super precise cost control and accounting, for example, not to mention the possibilities to swich on/off these devices remotely.

I am aware of X10 devices, but I live in Europe... www.x10europe.com seems to be trading in these goods around here. But can X10 do logging, tracking of electricity used by device? Or is there a more modern technology somewhere?

(update 1)

Look at that, there is actually such a thing: http://www.plogg.co.uk/
It's using Zigbee or Bluetooth technology to communicate with PCs.

Now a dvd rip server, please

The Ripserver is here.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/05/the-ripserver-may-make-your-cd-collection-history/

Now all we need is a good DVD Ripserver.