Yes, it can be tacky. No, it is not expensive compared to high-end alternatives. On the other hand, it is not very practical for a number of reasons. Let's just say it should not be your first choice for a working surface.
As neat as this is, it is at best a high school science project. I am not impressed with algae in bottles. I want to see him "centrifuge" the algae and "crush" it to make oil. Not saying it can't be done, but I doubt he will make enough oil to run the motor that pumps his "CO2" into the bottles.
I have always had a completely different reaction to this story. The coach must be a complete jerk. That idiot kept a natural long shooter on the bench because he was autistic. The school should have lynched the coach. If I was that boy's father, I would consider suing the school for discrimination.
Excellent solutions to something that is usually not a problem. I manage e-mail systems for a living. The system is never fast enough nor can my clients have too much access to it. Out of the entire article, the only part that is relevant to me and my clients is the comment about filtering junk.
I was watching the Superbowl that year with five other young IBM engineers. I was stunned with the evocative power of that ad as well as Apple's arrogance. There was no question in my mind who they thought was the "Big Brother" of the computer business. My co-workers didn't understand a bit of it.
I simplified my business three years ago. I lost 30% of my gross, only 10% of my net and 60% of my workload. Great set of trade-offs.