Recently I read a startling statement which pointed to the fact that apparently more people in the world today have cell phones than toilets. It seems that once again I am in the minority, since I do choose to have modern plumbing but not a personal communication device. Anyone who knows me at all is probably aware that I gave up the cell phone in 2005 and haven’t looked back.

VTT Technical Centre of Finland has figured out how to print pretty solar panels -- ones that are decorative and can use ambient light.

FOR MANY PEOPLE, the idea of a home renovation and saving on their tax bill doesn’t seem possible, but it is. By making your home energy efficient, not only are you saving on your utility bills, but also reducing your tax burden. How can this be, you ask? Four words: residential energy tax credits.

We’ve failed miserably in creating boundaries for mobile phones. Let’s make sure the Internet of Things stays in the background, where it belongs.

WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE. You’re having lunch with a friend and he’s suddenly gone bye-bye, texting some distant acquaintance with a tap-tap-tap on his ever-handy smartphone. Maybe (be honest) you’ve been the texter. Then there’s the apology, and the false promise of choice: “I’m sorry; do you mind if I take this?”