I think "Something about a redstone torch dupe" not working means you CAN dupe redstone torches with these pistons. Might wanna work on that. Or not. I can't imagine who would need that many redstone torches.
Most useful piston use found so far: Burglar-proofing your home with the flick of a switch. Just place a sticky piston underneath the block behind each door and run redstone to them.