Purely speculation here but part Steam seems to be promoting Ubuntu for their Linux-based Steam client. Games often require patching to get acceptable or optimal performance. This announcement for Rolling Releases might be directed at keeping Valve / Steam happy.

Anything that improves Linux distros is good news. However, if Steam suddenly gets 100 million Linux gamers, the sudden popularity of Ubuntu (assuming at some point Steam might only work with Ubuntu) might not work in favor of other distros. I'm concerned that it might push too much development resources to get X & Y working which is popular for the gaming community but not for all other Linux / ''Nix users (personal, business, enterprise...).

Brilliant post. This is honestly straight-up cut the bullshit George Carlin post.

It used to be though to get the reasonably specced PC you had to spend $800 - 1000. When the PS3 / X360 and before their release that was true. $300 (or whatever it was) for a sound card just to place Wing Commander 2 with voice pack ..... ah the memories

I'm a PS3 owner because of the Blu-Ray player, and I'm a fan of a few Sony exclusive game franchises.

I think most people buy platform X or Y not on technical merits but on system-exclusive games. If the next-gen don't have any system exclusives that are worth buying the console for, then PS4 and 720 have something to worry about.

There would be no market. I'm not sure if you're implying this.

According to Hollywood accounting rules, no movies ever make a profit .... so no movies for movie execs to carry around!

How much automation is possible with the iPhone or iPod type device? How much does the automation equipment cost? How much of it can be re-used with little re-tooling when a new model is introduced?

I think Slashdot has to get it right. We use LOC (Library of Congress) as the analogy for this story because it deals with transfer speed. For anything else, we use a car analogy and it always isn't the same car.

I propose a change. We need to standardize. Therefore, we should use the number of mini-vans (each filled with books) that can be parked in the LOC. I only suggest we use a mini-van since it has more storage space. This is challenging in itself to standardize since mini-vans must be parked so we will lose out on floor-to-ceiling space vs traditional bookcase technologies currently used.

Date is wrong or this story is a month late. TFA says "Starting next Thurs, Sept 27, 2012". Also August 27, 2012 was a Monday.

A main concern with the iPhone to me is the durability. I've seen countless friends and strangers on the street with shattered or badly cracked screens. You don't need to drop from a significant height (2-3 feet I think), probably just needs to hit at the right angle. The only remedy appears to be to get a bumper case for the phone. If you know how to fix the iPhone yourself you can get parts on eBay etc for less than $50 (not that big a deal I supposed). I know of people who've been quoted over $200 to get it fixed in a shop.

In contrast, my cellphone takes a bit of abuse (its a BB Curve). I've probably dropped my BB several dozen times and carry in my pocket next to keys. I only installed a screen protector. Many other competing smartphones to iPhone all seem to fare well on durability.

With every iPhone model (and smartphones in general all of which can cost $300 - $600+) being thinner and lighter, I'm concerned smartphones as a whole are not going to last very long.

I'm concerned that if Apple 'wins' too many of these patent lawsuits, we will all end up with expensive phones and few (if any) even reasonably cheap phones will be available. The costs of patents is pushing up the costs to the consumer too much in this case.

We need to make sure cell phones remain inexpensive for all consumers to afford.

A phone is an essential communications device. Land lines have begun to fade away. You can still buy land-line phones for under $20. An average smart phone is several hundred dollars to purchase outright (or will be factored into the monthly payment on contract). When a smartphone breaks, or gets stolen, the cost of replacement is now the average person's disposable income for a month or many months!

Cell phones aren't made to last. We need to keep the prices down or a lot of people will be left out. I'm hoping one dominant player doesn't take over the market for this very reason.

I bought D3 about 1 week after launch. Was very disappointed. Asked for a refund - four times. Blizzard refunded me.

Nokia Lumina includes Windows Phone. It is implied to be version 1.0 since MS marketing did not mention which version is installed on the phone. If its not obvious, MS Marketing will tell you.

From the headline, each version jump of Windows Phone seems to be worth $49 to the consumer.

MS should release Windows Phone 9.183673469387755. You know they are going to.

9.183673469387755 x $49 = $450.

Assuming a fixed cost of marketing of $450 per phone per consumer for future releases, at MS Phone OS v 9.183673469387755, the phone advertises itself for free.

I leave it to the reader to determine what will happen after.

EA seems to really like DLCs. I propose a solution to pay $60 and DLCs to enhance a barely-functional game.

Separate DLC packages at $1 minimum for:
1) knife
2) handguns
3) rifle
4) a playable character
5) explosives
6) Ammunition
7) being able to run
8) crouching option
9) first-aid packs
10) ability to chat with others

These 10 packs would bring the cost back to $70. If you're the peaceful type and want to play the game without killing anyone, you only pay $1 to purchase a playable character.

The new swimsuits Speedo came out with caused quite a problem because it did give National / international caliber swimmers faster swims. I think even, what now 10 years after they came out, there's still controversy.

Access to equipment and technology has been debated for many years now in sports. My only quip about it, is it doesn't always work out. The exeception, I always think about is the Atlanta games. So many people were dropping out from heat exhaustion ... the Atlanta climate is special.

If the Olympics are supports to be "faster, higher, stronger" (sounds more like an ad for drugs :) !!!! ) then the games should be in a neutral location for climate, altitude (alpine skiing obviously has to be done at altitude) and political reasons. Everyone should have access to same equipment and be under the same scope of drug testing.

That said, assuming this shoe does provide a 3.5% difference (I've read other posts and this figure seems dubious), this is enough of a margin in Sprinting to give someone a shot at breaking a record. Not only that, but it would also be within the margin gained by using performance enhancing substances.

If anything, equipment is just one piece of the puzzle. There have been for many years, certain sports/events and nations suspect in cheating (doping, rigging judges) and so on in these world-class sports that I've personally tuned out.

Personally, I'd have loved to have been an Olympic Athlete. For some reasons though it sucks to be the athletes.

I'm surprised there are still drugs left in the world.

According to Dr. Dennis Leary, Keith Richards already did all the drugs.

"The real question of course is how Obama would handle Galactus."

Answer, depends on one key factor.

Is Galactus contributing to an Obama-friendly Super PAC?

Yes - Obama: "Devouring the Earth is perfectly acceptable, Galactus".
No - All out war.