[dignitary]

While feeling that I've been stuck in a 'Time Machine', I wonder if any of you webOS followers remember when Palm began to talk of "every item in each household could one day have the chance to share / speak with each other" and "beyond reliance of fixed computers, at desks...".

It's called the "Internet of Things" colloquially, and there are tens of dozens of companies producing products that do just that. Twine, Fitbit, SmartThings, etc... They're all doing precisely this and in the areas they're a best fit for doing so.

Sure, your toaster can't yet speak to your washer warning it that your shirt's going to get butter on it from the toast it's toasting, but we're getting there and it isn't going to be any one manufacturer that does it; it's going to be a common API that allows that sort of interoperability across many companies' devices that allow it.

[Vistaus]

Now that batteries are routinely measured in thousands of mAH it almost makes more sense to quote in AH. My Pre3 has a 1.4AH battery for what it's worth and lasts a full working day. A top up during the day allows it to last into the evening. The only reason the latest phones have 2-4AH is that the CPU, screen and radio eat so much more power.

Depends. The Motorola Razr HD Maxx doesn't have specs that blow you away yet it has a 3300 MAh battery. It's just a dual-core phone with normal radio. The only thing that's big is the screen with 4.7" but even the Note II lasts a solid day with a smaller battery. The reason Motorola has thrown in that huge battery is because they've wanted to give power users the benefit of a phone that doesn't need to be charged every night (or every 10 hours). And that they've made true because the Razr HD Maxx lasts 3 days with normal usage and can take 24 hours of streaming video before the battery is dried up.
So no, it's not only because of the specs.