Hey, what do you have against scantily clad women? They are part of what makes life fun!

Doesn't pakistan fit that description?

My university's computer science dept.along with film and media arts dept. has an interdisciplinary degree that teaches game development to arts students. You should check it out and see what they teach in entry-level course for arts students in this discipline. You can reach them here: http://www.eae.utah.edu/

'Arabic' students? you must have meant Indian students! there aren't that many 'Arabic' students compared to Indians and Chinese in engineering.

Actually, you can do this with T-mobile smartphones too. I bought a HTC HD2 off the craigslist, loaded Android into it. Its a T-mobile branded and locked phone but I was still able to add the $10/mo unlimited web for phones (not the $25/mo smartphones plan). Another neat trick was being able to setup fring and getting google voice to work with it (via sipgate and sipsorcery). I get free incoming and outgoing calls using this method. I just hand out my google voice number. I have been an AT&T customer for more than 6 years but I couldn't take it anymore!

Well, technically, I did buy a windows phone (HTC HD2, runs Windows Mobile 6.5). But I loaded Android 2.2 as soon as I got bought the phone. Now, I use windows only during bootup (which is maybe once a week). I couldn't stand the winmo interface for more than a few mins. Laggy and slow. Not sure if win mo 7 will fix anything at all.

While that sounds wonderful, we will see if that saying holds true when you are surrounded by pakistan and China. Imagine if Mexico was pakistan and Canada was China. We will see how well you will stop the terrorists from infiltrating from the south.

By the same logic, US is a terrorist-sponsor nation. US has pacts and is allied with pakistan. It continues to provide it arms and military aid despite knowing well that pakistan is the epicenter of terrorism and has pretty much sponsored every terror act around the world including 9/11. US also provides weapons to Saudi Arab

Yep. A country with islamic terrorist neighbor on the north-west and a commie neighbor to north-east (which was already nuclear-armed before Indira Gandhi made India go nuclear) is not allowed to keep nuclear weapons to protect itself. Only western countries, particularly US, is allowed to protect its citizens. India faces active terrorist threats pretty much everyday (from internal maoist-naxal problem to insurgencies in north-east, sponsored by China, to terrorism in Kashmir sponsored by your ally - pakistan). As an Indian, I am happy my govt. went nuclear. Its the only thing that stops China from invading and annexing Arunachal Pradesh.

And India doesnt not have massive population that these companies wont see as a market? Either you live in a cave or you are amish to now know how big google and skype's markets are in India.

Wow! This comment got modded 'insightful'? Really? Indian govt trying to do what US govt already does invites such hateful comments. Why am I not surprised. As usual Americans dont want to acknowledge the reality. Their govt already intercepts every possible communication. But when a foreign govt does it, suddenly there is a backlash. Atleast India is going public. BTW, China already does this. So, fuck US and China as well.

There is huge difference in the way Indians perceive terrorism when compared to Americans. Americans easily dismiss govt. efforts such as these in the name of privacy invasion. But, when you are closer to getting your ass bombed by a neighborhood terrorist, then privacy is the last thing on your mind. You will be actually grateful that your govt is pulling all stops to giving terrorist easy options to communicate and escape their radar. Terrorism in India is daily reality. Its more direct. US has not faced a terror attack on its soil since 2001. India, OTOH, faces a huge terror attack every year (remember 26/11 Mumbai), in addition to attacks in Kashmir every other day. So, when Indians look at this issue, its much less about invasion of privacy and much more about security and closing gaps for insurgents (Maoists) and terrorists from across the border. Most of the intelligence attack trawthed by Indian Intelligence agencies are through wiretaps and intercepts of mobile calls between terrorists and their handlers across the border in Kashmir. So, from the point of Indian Intelligence agencies, its very important to intercept RIM calls as well. When you are faced with fear that the daily metro train you take to office might be blown off or that restaurant you visit for dinner might be attacked by gunmen, privacy invasion is the last thing on your mind. I am an Indian and have gone through such moments in my life. And I very well understand what my govt. is trying to do here!

You are sharing enough arms technology to despot and shady countries like Pakistan. NK acquired nukes thanks to Pakistan. US turned a blind eye to this proliferation because it needed Pakistan to continue their games in Afghanistan and central Asia. Every country looks out for its own interest. India and China are no different. If you dont like their laws, don't do business there. I would dare US govt. to try the sanctions on India and China that you are proposing. Lets see how US companies will react!

There are "Bill of Rights" in India. They are called "Fundamental Rights". Indian society in general is free and govt doesnt really invade privacy atleast not on the level that US govt does. Our enforcement systems might be lax but that doesnt mean there is a systemic effort to invade privacy. RIM was happy to comply with similar restrictions in US, China and Saudi Arabia. But when it comes to India, they had to show arrogance? India is a huge market. If RIM wants to survive in India, they better comply with Indian govt orders. Indian mobile users have tons of choices and India market is one of the most competitive markets in the world. India does not need RIM. OTOH, RIM does!