At my high school there is a lot of focus on college. It is expected that almost everyone in my class will attend some sort of four-year college, and there are visits every week from universities, trying to gain applicants. So much of what we juniors do is underlined by the fact that the work we do this year, the grades we get this year, the effort we put into this year, will be what universities look at when deciding our future.

A successful solar photovoltaic installation is one in which the customer is happy and has received what was expected. While a proper installation is of crucial importance, the most important first steps usually occur during the selling process where information is gathered, a proposal is generated and where the customer expectations are set.

Sandia National Laboratories scientists have developed tiny glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected and used. The tiny cells could turn a person into a walking solar battery charger if they were fastened to flexible substrates molded around unusual shapes, such as clothing.

Bob Lefsetz directed my attention to a New York Times op-ed piece by Damian Kulash, Jr., "WhoseTube?" I'm not familiar with Damian or his band, OK Go, but was interested to hear how EMI no longer allows the band's YouTube videos to be embedded, which had previously contributed greatly to their visibility and success.

One of the criticisms that has been made of Apple's new iPad is that its browser does not support the popular Adobe (originally Macromedia) Flash format for video and other rich content. Some developers dislike Flash because they find it clunky. Apple has made some statements about wanting to support open standards and HTML 5; given that Apple is the most closed technology company around — they even outdo Microsoft these days -- I think these statements should be taken with several large shovelfuls of salt.

Some of BMW's most unusual and least well-known concept vehicles have been created by Technik GmbH. Technik was launched by BMW 25 years ago as a research think tank. While only one Technik vehicle has ever made it all the way to production, many of the technologies developed there, including iDrive and active cruise control, are now common on BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce vehicles.

Richard Laymon's "The Diving Girl" tells the story of a writer and his recount of a mysterious experience with a nameless woman. Being a bit of a recluse, the writer learns of the woman and her nightly diving by accident.

The Team Vera Bradley Foundation women wrapped up a successful week of racing, taking home the top team prize at Redlands and moving Alexis Rhodes onto the podium. 2009 NRC champion, Alison Powers demonstrated her climbing prowess by taking the climber's jersey for the race.

Stage Three of the Redlands Bicycle Classic is notoriously tough, challenging even for the greatest athletes. A fast downtown start opens into a 6.2-mile loop on twisting hills with 500 feet of climb per lap for a total of 142 kilometers for the men and 99.5 kilometers for the women.

In January we heard Steve Jobs proclaim that the new iPad would be a magical device. It turns out he was right. I am actually blogging this post on my iPad using the updated Wordpress for iPad application. The most amazing thing about the iPad, in addition to its stunning image quality, is its weight. Wow. I would love to travel and work with a device this light.

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