I use the Ubiquiti mFi mPower to control a lamp remotely. That's a very basic setup for this system, but it has been very reliable compared to other solutions I've used. There's an iPhone and Android app, and you run the server on a local machine, so there's no third party to go through. They also offer various sensors, such as a temperature sensor. I'm not sure if it's cheap enough, but otherwise I think it might meet your needs. www.ubnt.com

Wikipedia has a nice, but tiny list of major recent flares, that will give you an idea. It looks like on a decade scale, X2 is pretty minor. Apparently they estimate the largest observed flare to be an X45.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare

Section 4.5 is what your looking for.

Actually, the Cree LR-6 and CR-6 fixtures would work fantastically well in your home. The CR-6 is available at many Home Depot locations. Costs about $50 but they really will last the 50,000 hours that they advertise. If you move to a new house, take your CR-6s with you. Great color temperature, dimmable nearly to zero on a standard triac dimmer, and only about 10 watts for the equivalent of 75 watts of incandescent lighting. Nice fixtures.

I would have no problem with this if it weren't for the fact that it costs me $30+ a month more to opt out.

I think the last thing anybody wants is one or more government's interfering with the Internet.

Perhaps the best solution would just be to define "Internet Access" as a utility that provides unrestricted use of an Internet connection. Just like the power
company can't introduce fancy tech to prevent me from powering a TV if it does something the electric company doesn't like, if I'm paying for a service, I
should be able to use it as I see fit. I personally think that companies shouldn't be able to advertise a service as "Internet" if they are blocking certain sites,
certain ports, or other services I may wish to access.

It is just ridiculous that to be able to connect to something on Port 25, I have to pay twice as much for a "business" account. What is happening here is that
corporations are trying to "Re-AOL" the Internet so that it conforms to their business models.

This is a great idea but a bad implementation. If Intel wanted to build consumer goodwill while still maintaining price flexibility, they should have offered a $50 rebate to anyone willing to 'downgrade' their CPU after they bought it. This is very similar to an experiment I've heard run with soda machines: it's a great idea to be able to dynamically adjust the price of the soda based on the weather, and it's very easy to do: install a temperature sensor, write a little code, and you're ready to go. The trick is how you promote the idea. If you add a "surcharge" when it's hot outside, people get angry and think you're taking advantage of them. However, if you offer a "discount" when it's cold outside, people think they're getting a deal. You can use the same prices and just advertise it differently.

It is almost like they are bringing back "AOL Keywords" in a much more "under-the-radar" way. How long before ebay just says "type e into Google!" once they have the contract nailed down. Perhaps there will also be a subliminal effect- maybe not in with freaky effectiveness, but definitely enough so everybody who searches for something beginning with "e" will have Ebay, Expedia, etc. at the top of their mind when transitioning to the next thing to search for.

You have an elevator in your house?

I believe the GPS III constellation will be the modernization effort you're looking for.

I'm sorry, but if you have a kid that for some awful reason, you've given an iPhone, and they are looking up dirty (F$#K!) in a dictionary app, and they are not of the age when they are hearing it on a daily basis from their peers anyway (11) then:

1. You have already failed as a parent. Please have your children report to the nearest hospital in Nebraska. Do not bring them there, they can safely traverse the distance- you cannot. A major meth incident is about to go down, and an infant can probably dodge strangers better than bullets. At least you can be confident that in 20 years, they'll have the knowledge and resources to ensure you don't get eaten by rabid animals. And frankly, you'll probably need the help.

or....

2. You are an uber-geek, your kids are probably uber-geeks. There's nothing you can do about it. Send them on the pilgrimage to Nebraska, and they'll end up starting a colony on Mars. Probably best to just let it go. They can handle a few dirty words- and still school the heck out of their peers. Congratulations- you'll never have to take the blame for a serial killer, and you'll be happy to take the credit when they nab the Nobel Prize.

So come on people, let's let evolution take its course. One dictionary at a time!