Which kernel version from kernel.org contains the patch? 3.2-rc1? Or none yet? Please don't answer unless you're quite sure.

Doesn't look like this will fix the much larger power issue with the Sandy Bridge processors, which is related to the graphics driver :-/ https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/818830

Yeah...Almost the only reason I keep a Windows XP VirtualBox on my Linux machines is for Photoshop.

I think the author's point is that data sent today could be sniffed, stored, and cracked in 20 years. Some of that data may still be sensitive in 20 years, so we need to switch now.

Can we keep the blatant opinions out of the articles, and save them for the comments?

Maybe those people shouldn't have publicly posted information that would tank their job applications if read by potential employers. I have never understood the mindset that what you post on Facebook is Facebook's (or Google's) fault.

Try out Xubuntu! I switched as soon as Unity came to Ubuntu, and I'm not looking back!

I'll respond to this with a quote from someone else: "If you have a link to something.jpg, would you rather it open in an image viewer in another application window? The ubiquity of PDFs makes them worthy of the same treatment as images."

I usually hate added features to my browser (I prefer a lightweight, fast browser), and Firefox especially has needed to go on a diet for the past year or two (and it has, successfully, since version 4), but I think that this is a pretty fundamental feature for a browser to have. After all, PDF's are everywhere on the 'net. Your browser should be able to show them to you. Gone are the days of saying "Oh, that link to an article I was barely interested in in the first place points to something in PDF format? Nevermind."

At least these are still MODERATELY cost-prohibitive for most random morons: http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/S3_Krypton_Series-113-63.html

Actually, I filed a bug report: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/834037 (and another directly with the Linux kernel devs) and started an ubuntuforums thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1822629 . I did as much as I was able to with my skill set to gather information about the bug, and it looks like MANY others are experiencing the same problem. I would guess that you are also experiencing it, but just have not noticed (do an experiment and find out, and please report back on the bug). Thanks for the comment though -_-

Now they just need to fix support for Intel Sandy Bridge processors...

Oh, and I forgot to add: It doesn't really matter that hard drives don't last forever. Just make sure you buy a new one every so often and move the WHOLE rdiff-backup (keeping all increments) to the new HDD. I imagine you won't spend more than $250 every 5 years to keep this whole system operating VERY safely.

Use rdiff-backup to create incremental backups. This allows you to go "back in time" to any older version of the backup in the future if you discover some of your files became corrupt on the laptop, and potentially got backed up multiple times as corrupt files. Store one backup on one external hard drive which you update frequently (you can decide how big...I imagine 2 TB would suffice until it's time to replace the HDD anyway) and the other on another external hard drive, which you keep in a different geographical location (maybe keep it at your parents' house and update it each time you visit them).