There ws a study a few years back. The top programmers were 4x as productive as the average one, and there were things the top programmers could do the average ones couldn't, no matter how much time they were given.

How much more so for intricate details of physics and other research of the physical that takes years rather than minutes of turnaround time.

There's a feeling among the historically illiterate that technological advancement happens "more or less aitomatically". Yet a quick glance around the world shows government policy affects this immensely, and often negatively by getting in the way.

Launch all lobbyiests! Construction jobs must be protected. Engage safety argument memes!

Oh oh.

Oh oh:

In total, 80 percent less labor is needed, meaning more affordable construction, and less risk of injury to contractors.

They are way ahead of you on the masses manipulation meme serverville.

Sounds like a lot of buried rage there. Careful or it will flare up.

Good. There needs to be more of this. Otherwise just spit ot the meme "they need exclusivity to make it work", get the True Believers to bite, exchange "communication" in private...4. ????...5. Profit!

Old as the hills and the core purpose of seeking power.

I'm going to ask a question and risk downmod: I wonder how many saying, "Right on!" over that are bent out of shape over laws forbidding another competitor who doesn't have to play by the rules: local government, a "company" with the power to tax, and make you pay for the service whether you want it or not.

Let's see, shall we?

And it's just "currently". Breaking into unjailbroken phones or taking advantage of bugs is the main game already.

Interesting this -- they alter an audio such that it's Apple-encrypted path to the Siri server can be analyzed to extrace the hidden data without decrypting the stream.

I often wondered about a similar thing, if a server could pulse data it sends encrypted, which would allow tracking through any layers of encryption. Say goodbye to tor & friends. You'd uave to add random delay to data at each node.

War has long been shown to be the periods in history with the fastest technological development. Goveernment borrows to ensure its own survival in ways it doesn't need to in peace.

However, the current era had economists wondering, with per-capita spending on par with WWII, yet in relative peace, why aren't we in a similar period? Or, if a real war started, where is the money to borrow to come from?

Those periods are not sustainable becaise they are borrowing-based. The capitalism you disdain is unparalleled at generating the economic oomph to have them from time to time, and continue development at a pace almost as fast, sustained.

As opposed to a Title II complete government takeover, where this exact same inndustry you shit brix over now deals with Contgress directly, as their customer (to whom they whine and wine and donate), now cutting you out completely, until it tuens into the water department.

No, I am glad Congress is asserting itself so, sor one brief moment, they consider ancient legislation before it is applied to a massive new arena by certain power-hungry factions, unelected.

No, we will mock them for not keeping their site in the manner they promise and advertise: news for nerds -- stuff that matters.

So, with mockery in mind, I will say I, too, am upset Microsoft is abandoning regular support for Windows 7 before the next major OS release.

Oops, wrong thread.

No, wait. Right thread.

That's what I always point out in these threads -- it is trivial for a political operative, a G. Gordon Liddy type, to listen in on conversations of political opponents of his boss, to say nothing of using metadata to track who they call -- knowing donors or supporters is valuable info and the government can target them.

It has nothing to do with the other 999 agents. You cannot build a panopticon.

We need to carry forward out protections into our virual life, instead of letting the government get away with loopholes that it's electronics where "you have no expectation of privacy", they baldly assert as they slide their hands into our pants.

Well, guess what? You're wrong, and not in the spirit of why these constitutional protections were created.

So Stewie was being superversive at Woodstock!

Stewie: (singing and strumming a guitar) "Establishment. Establishment. You always know what's best!"

Crowd boos.

Stewie: "LEARN THE RULES!"

The article title is wrong. It should be "Sales of computers with Windows 8 are slowly recovering after it has been partially rolled back wih 8.1."

I'm still waiting for 9, or 10, or Decimalawwsome-O, or whatever the hell they're calling it.

Cities used to do this all the time. I suppose it's progress that you laugh at the idea.

Handing out economic favors is the whole reason for political power seeking. "This heah town ain't big enuff for two companies, see?" is old-school meme justification for government(-granted) monopolies.

If the federal government is going to insinuate itself, then forbid localities that do this from restricting competition, including tax surcharges on cable providers to help pay for public ones.

China is less an example of Big Government projects and more of them not self-hobbling with environmental and other laws.

There's a shipping harbor in South Carolina that has been trying to be deepened by 5 feet to accomodate Superpanamax ships (larger cargo carriers designed for the upcoming Panama Canal expansion.)

This fight has been going on for longer than the original Panama Canal took to build.

It's sad most of this in the US comes down to political battles between environmentalists and unionized construction worker jobs.

Smells like Doritos and shame.

Adding noise is good, but It adds to the pollution slowing down that band.