Google Voice.

For all of the waste our government has, it would be very nice to see a path for "free" patents in return for an open-source license, or even an immediate payout for a "novel" open-source license. Got a great idea? Patent it for free, get a small check, and someone (or everyone) can start producing it! No lawsuits, proper attribution - really honest companies might even pay royalties voluntarily (The US is too greedy for that, I'm afraid)

I invent things, and have seriously considered patenting some things. At first, this sounds like it would be bad. But completing prototypes can be HARD, not to mention expensive. Our patent system could be better, but it's not too *terribly* difficult to get a provisional patent. Additionally, patent investigators tend to be very patient with "non-lawyers" trying to push through something they are passionate about. It's not nearly as good as it could/should be, nor did it address software patents. But it's a (baby) step forward.....just barely.

I'm not sure how much mail you get, but I tend to get one letter with my actual name on it, and two handfuls of advertisements. I understand those ads are part of the revenue stream, but it's trash. 100% of it. I usually throw it away immediately after making sure actual mail isn't mixed-in. If we deliver only 3 days a week, ad volume should go down proportionally (why deliver an multiple ads to be received at the same time?). What's worse, you can't opt-out of mail marked" postal customer". If they went away, I imagine a mail-carrier's load (and work day) would become MUCH lighter.

It's fairly plainly written in the bible that mankind "male and female both" were created on the sixth day. The Earth was already populated when Adam came along. Adam and Eve's significance wasn't about populating the Earth, but about the lineage of the nation of Israel, and Jesus himself. If you're going to practice a religion - read it for yourself, learn it for yourself - and try your hardest to verify what some random "authority figure" tells you. As a Christian, I find it hard to deal with being surrounded by so many people who say they believe in the bible, yet refuse to believe what it says. Everyone has their own interpretation - yet few came about it on their own by simply reading to comprehend.

...once you make a product, it's more like a "legalized racketeering". e.g. MS is busy hitting-up android phone makers with licensing deals/royalties for every device made. But if the license windows phone, they will give you a break... That's *so* much better ^_^ The new patent war will let big companies trade blows, and keep new competitors from emerging by making sure that you can't cross the street without "infringing" upon something (or at least being accused of it). If you can't afford to fight the accusation in court, you're already out of business.

You have to have consent, but I don't think devices require any kind of indicator - or nanny cams would be illegal. Though, in modern cases, consent might already be covered in the EULA.

I'm sure Apple is drawing up a patent on allowing the camera and mic to be turned on remotely, without permission. Probably in response to certain keywords.

Just because you don't agree with each other doesn't mean either one of you is wrong. IBitOBear seems to appreciate both sides, and you don't.

Back in the late 1700s, the British would have agreed with you.

Personally, I believe that the only way to fight large corporations is through what you brand as "thuggery". The Amercian legal system doesn't serve or protect citizens. It pays lawyers, and protects those who can hire more lawyers. If Sony files suit against me or you, that's it. Even if I were a multi-millionaire, I couldn't fight a legal battle against them. And the corporations know it.

People aren't all going to simply rise up and do anything except watch American Idol - Wikileaks, Anonymous, lulzsec, and whomever decides to join the fight next week aren't going to be ideal/perfect - by definition. They indicate that society has lost the ability to defend itself legally/fairly. It's only natural that a mechanism is developed to make these corporations show some restraint. Of couse they are criminals, but not because you and I say so. But because those in-charge say so, and without consulting "us". Wikileaks isn't going to be a campaign issue, Weiner's lewd pictures, abortion rights, and whatever else the media puts on the news cycle is. "Because that's what we're supposed to be worrying about."

So, yes, it is a revolt. But not a lot of people are in it. And it's not over any one cause in particular. The Revolutionary War started in the same way, before erupting into all out conflict. (Tussles over taxation, free trade, etc) I don't expect "war". But I do expect a growing disrespect for current hierarchy and rules. Probably over many years. I don't agree with the internet being the "bad part of town". It's more like the wild, and mostly undeveloped, west. Easy to get mugged, but possible to get rich. Just be careful.

Agreed, I just switched to Virgin myself ($150 outright for an LG Optimus V, less than $28 a month for unlimited text/data/300min...WITH TAXES! No contract) I flat out had their VM turned off so that my VM through google voice would be sane. But, for the price, I'm quite happy. But "seamless" number support would not mean much unless GV had a desktop client, and ALL android phones get wifi calling capability.

"The Bush administration is objecting to the creation of a .xxx domain, saying it has concerns about a virtual red-light district reserved exclusively for Internet pornography." http://news.cnet.com/2100-1028_3-5833764.html

One of many, I'm sure. The conservative arguments about porn have historically been contrary to common sense. When it comes to sex, giving kids access to condoms and vaccines against STDs is immoral, but teaching abstinence and watching the teen pregnancy rate soar is just fine. With porn, it's easier to deny that it exists (or place the burden of filtering upon ISPs, or grant the govt the power to snoop through your internet records to search for pedo material) than it is to simply allow them all to (voluntairly!) migrate to an easily filtered domain.

What's sad, virtually everyone else - ESPECIALLY THE INDUSTRY - wants this. Few people are *trying* to show that stuff to children. Only the producers of (highly ineffective) blocking software stands to lose here.