Automation with Cortana

[Tuicemen]

Hope she doesn't have to experiance it first hand, either way it is cold!!!!

[HA Dave]

The metric system can be confusing. I generally just pretend to convert all my American standard weights and measures.... to "liters". 55 miles an (non-metric) hour is slightly over 4 liters.

Here in America we bicyclists ride a 100 mile ride we call a century. The rest of the world century rides... are 100 KM. In this case I side with the rest of the world.

[Tuicemen]

For users looking to setup Cortana for x10 control, currently it involves a bit of work and a free SmartThings developers account.
I created SmartCloud  for this but you could use X10 commander or any x10 program that will accept GET commands  (web requests). SmartCloud comes with two device handlers (one for dimmable lights, one for appliances) for Smart Things which you need to edit with your connection info and copied to the SmartThings device handler section.
I created a tutorial to help with setup which can be found in the SmartCloud thread.
http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=29997.msg171186#msg171186
If you don't wish to use SmartCloud the http:// line will need to be edited differently then I describe in the tutorial.

[roger1818]

The metric system can be confusing.

I know what you mean.  Multiplying by 10 is so incredibly difficult.  Multiplying by 12 or 16 or some other random number is so much easier. 

Oh and having 0 degrees the freezing point of water and 100 degrees the boiling point is so much more arbitrary than 32 and 212 respectively. 

Reminds me of a poem my mum tells Americans about Celcius:

30 is hot
20 is nice
10 is cool
0 is ice

[Knightrider]

In the medical field, it's all metric. My gripe is when I ask a parent how much their child weighs, and then have to convert. In the US,  our official system has been metric since 1865, but we're too stubborn to follow this edict.

[roger1818]

In the medical field, it's all metric. My gripe is when I ask a parent how much their child weighs, and then have to convert. In the US,  our official system has been metric since 1865, but we're too stubborn to follow this edict.

I find it funny that the Americans are the ones stuck using the old British system.  It is as if they are having troubles letting go of their colonial roots. 

That is where Canada is kind of funny.  We are mostly metric. Temperatures are always in Celsius (most under 50 have no understanding of Fahrenheit and have to convert) and distances (and speeds) are always in kilometres (though more commonly in hours and minutes).  However body height/weight are most commonly in imperial (except for immigrants).  Cooking and construction measurements are also in imperial though beverages are metric (I have no idea how big a 16oz drink is, but I know exactly what 500ml is), except hard alcohol is measured in oz.

[HA Dave]

I find it funny that the Americans are the ones stuck using the old British system.  It is as if they are having troubles letting go of their colonial roots. 

Thanks to America's excellent federal Department of Education (enacted in 1979).... only Americans over the age of 50 are even aware of our "colonial roots".  The One World - One Standard.... is regressive by nature. Our problem with weights and measures isn't that we have two systems.... it is that we ONLY have two.