For example with a iphone or ipod the functionality can be included in the itunes software. Owner goes in program and selects block device. That device can no longer connect to the apple store. It's that simple if the device is returned or found the owner can select unblock device. Simple. Requires one database on apple's end, a couple hundred lines of code, and a check be made each time that device is connected. It is simple, foolproof, low maintance on Apple's part, and kills any incentive someone has to rob or kill you for that device.

The food manufacturers of course, as you will not buy more food from them. Just as if you have copied a song.

False. More than 60 percent of personal bankruptcies are attributable to medical PROBLEMS. If the person can't pay the bill, the hospital sends it to collections, then writes off the bill. Medical bills don't cause bankruptcies, being sick and unable to pay your bills causes bankruptcies.

That depends. You can run multiple instances of Linux on it, for example, and have it isolate them. A privilege escalation vulnerability in Linux will only compromise that instance of Linux and (at least in theory) there should be no vulnerabilities in the microkernel that would allow the attacker to escape that instance. You could, for example, run an instance of Linux for normal use, an instance of Linux for internet banking, and an instance of Linux for normal web browsing and have them completely isolated. And you can run non-Linux code in another server on the microkernel, of course.

My guess is that because they don't have to worry about the safety of the occupants and they know the exact weight they would cut the margins finer on the power.

I'm sure you could build a uav with manouverability better than a fighter jet but for the majority of work UAVs do you want a plane that is optimised for other things (low speed flying, range, time in the air etc).

IIRC airliners are designed to have enough power that they can limp home with a whole engine down (though thier range is considerably reduced).

Speaking of software patents, didn't Microsoft just _get_ one for saving a word processing document as an XML file?

So how are they violating a patent on something they own a patent for?

Or is this just another example of how the USPTO is horrendously screwed up?

I'd rather see submarine patents be got rid of

Submarine patents are no longer a serious issue. Patents now expire 20 years from the date of filing, so keeping a patent application stuck in the patent office forever is a good way to end up with an expired patent, which is not particularly useful. Furthermore patent applications are now published after 18 months, so the world is put on notice fairly early on in the patent application process.

There may be a few submarines left from the pre-June 8, 1995 days, but as an ongoing problem they are nonexistent.

My own uncle lived over there, working for a Swiss broadcast company. The English literally kicked him out. "Go home yank," is how he ends his story.

Put the same energy into lots of small relativistic impactors. Craft the trajectory so that the acceleration phase is masked by nearby stars. Distribute the impactors so that all orbital installations and both sides of all inhabited bodies are blanketed with enough energy to raise the temperature to 500 degrees celsius for all biomes. Time them, so that they all arrive at the same time. The victims will have only minutes of advance warning, if any at all. (Idea from _The Killing Star_)

That says: you don't want to spend $15 - $20 for a complete CD / $9.99 per digital album download. You prefer to purchase individual tracks.

Personally, I've never really felt that way. If an artist can't manage an album that I would enjoy, I can't really see paying for any music from them, even if it is $1 for one song. What does it mean to like an artist, if you think they can only manage a couple of listenable songs every few years?

Maybe it's because I'm so used to listening to complete albums that I just haven't caught up with the way the kids today "consume" their music (get off my lawn, etc; but dammit - I'm not even 30 yet!)

One thing I definitely disagree with, though, is the whole "nobody makes good music anymore" assessment. Even with my (apparently archaic) purchasing strategy, I can still easily find one or two dozen releases per year that I am excited enough about to at least download for "evaluation" (I end up buying probably half of those).

(Having said all that, I really don't care about the various packaging accoutrements: 14 mp3s/oggs (and maybe a jpeg of the cover art) is just fine by me)

Actually being an idiot means you are often frustrated by the world, while pretending to be one means you not only can enjoy messing with people, but when you get tired of them they are easy prey, since they assume you are an idiot.

I was just thinking that occasionally Linux runs Windows applications better than Windows. So, could I use Wine on Windows 7 and forget all about that VM hassle and sluggishness?

Why waste battery power with lots of extra junk that is hardly ever used?