Just tried out mvelopes.com. It was an interesting, flash-based user interface, but disappointing on many levels.

Major meta-service issue is that they require a credit card number to sign up and a call to cancel the account. Major application issue is that they do not allow for the categorization of past expenses from credit cards, etc. All newly added accounts are represented as balances and only new expenses are imported individually. Not sure why this is, seems like it would be fairly straightforward to implement past info importing if they have present info importing.

Their interface is good, but not revolutionary. Seems like this application could be done with a much simpler user interface and a much more friendly user experience.

One good point about the company is that their phone support was friendly and helpful. The cancellation call was relatively straightforward, but still painful since I shouldn’t be expected to commit and cancel to a service that I haven’t yet tried.

After centuries of comparatively little advancement in the building industry, it appears that there are some transformative technologies just around the bend. A house building robot called the Robo-builder will be entering the scene sometime in the next few years. With the building industry being a core piece of the US economy, the impact of such an advancement could be huge.

Need a prototype of a new invention? Wondering how you are going to get a part to that old lock custom made? Fab@Home to the rescue! This project is dedicated to making home ‘fabbers’ – machines that can make almost anything right on your desktop.

I’m doing some research on international domain registrations and found this comprehesive list of international domain registration costs and rules. Lots of top level domains out there and some interesting restrictions. Very useful.

I was recently referred to a new site that claims to help you maintain and expand your brain power. BrainReady produces a podcast that contains diet recommendations and brain exercises one can do while exercising, eating, sitting in traffic, etc. Not sure about the diet recommendations, but the exercises seem like ones that everyone should do to maintain their basic mental capabilities.