"We would have not had personal computers as we know them today. We probably would be using 3270 terminals and paying time per hour to dial into a nearby mainframe."

Biggest myth ever spelled about Apple and Jobs. Again, as Gates, he was very successful creating commercial product, BUT ideas was out there already. Xerox labs has been working on prototypes and ideas, there were lot of commercants interested in such kind of thing. Accorn was on the rise in UK, with it's RISC based computing platform. It was everywhere.

So no, Jobs didn't bring us PC as we know them today. But he and Gates made sure that we remember them doing so. Again, this is what I am against. They have their place in history. But they didn't kickstarted this.

"We would still be using CDs instead of MP3 players. Before the iPod, MP3 players were regarded as geek chic if best."

Wow, this is actually Apple fanboism at it's best. iPod was nice step into mass market, but clearly there were better alternatives - they just didn't had that massive marketing machine behind Apple products. And this is in fact ignoring progress - if Apple wouldn't haven't done it, someone else would. Loss compression algorithms were already a reality for very long time at that moment.

"We would still be buying music, for $19.00 an album, for that one good song, from crowded CD stores, as opposed to just tapping/clicking twice on iTMS."

False, again. There were many shops already who has possibility to buy music online - Apple just used his muscle to get permissions from majority of main labels to sell them at one place. In fact, for very long time, ultra monopoly of online sales of iTMS slowed down improvements in this area. So no, haven't been there iTunes and iPod, there would be something in their places. Just cashing in on obvious.

"We would still be using Motorola RAZR clones and saying that a phone that calls and texts is good enough. Apple invented the smartphone as we know it."

Only American could said that, because well rest of the world were more lucky. Nokia had smartphones, even Linux had smartphones when Apple came and again cashed in.

"We would still be using Motorola RAZR clones and saying that a phone that calls and texts is good enough. Apple invented the smartphone as we know it."

Nevermind Nokia already had Internet tablet as experimental hardware, and they were working on useful commercial product when iPad came along.

What can I give to Jobs and Apple that they know how to cash in. They were very convinced in what they were doing. But that's all. In the end, I think world would be better without current Apple strategy.

First, this is first such geek driven museum I know. While museums are all about preserving knowledge, not everyone in geekdom is fan of history, especially history of science. Hopefully it will drive more new geeks to know and study about history - again, especially history of great discoveries. History and understanding people within it could make geeks not only gurus in technologies, but also humans too. Trust me, not all social sciences are worthless :)

Second, this is Tesla. No matter his personal demons (we all have them), he is underlooked in history of technology and science and needs popularity boost, especially after that "ubercapitalist" Edison pushed Tesla from spotlight - just because he got more money.

And we really need to celebrate more such people as Tesla, and less Jobs or Gates.

This fairy stale could be true some 8 or 4 years ago. Since Tea Party took dying Republican Party over like a parasite, *this* is what actually they believe.

So yeah, be worried, because he is not catering to crazy voters. No, because he really wants to represent the crazy ones as "true believer".

Well, this guy doesn't actually say that he don't like them, they consider them evil. That's quite a step from "don't like it, don't care".

Actually I think these debates should be recorded and showed later at scammers school, because it's high class lying.

I usually don't buy organic food because it's more nutritious or "better" in any sense. I do it because I want to support small farmers (they have small, but yet very important role of providing food in my country), and I want to support moderate farming - I don't deny modern improvements in it, I just want to be them applied with a care.

Said that, there are lot of big mass producers who has knowledgeable people and who balance profit with long term thinking. So not so big difference in my region.

Before you turn all this into "anti big government" Tea Party line jest, exactly why these rules we have here?

1) It's illegal to make and sell electronic hardware without approval from the FCC - first of all, it's illegal to *sell*, not to make. You can make your own computer at home if you want. Ok, you can't make your own mobile phone, to mess with wireless, you will need permits for that; That's again to protect air waves from polluting for others;
So, no artificial monopoly here, just to make sure things work for everyone;
2) About food - the same. If you want true example - in Europe there have been several times when something produced in China turned out poisonous. Only because of such health agencies disasters like tens of children in hospitals are averted;
3) I don't even get started about FDA and meds - seriously;
4) Wow, because well, if you drive alone in the desert - go ahead, but if you participate in traffic - it would be nice to know that your brakes works as they suppose to;

This, again, is virtual technology. It's been used for very long time and it's showing that it doesn't need any kind of technical regulation. Business model regulation - well, but world doesn't know such rules....except for IPR. So guy talking this big because he is used to - he thinks that everyone must accept it that IPR as industry is above everyone else.

So, nice try to spin this into big government criticism. Sorry, but we need government. Maybe you don't. Then maybe go to Somalia or somewhere else where true anarchy resides - and we will see how long you'll survive.

And for what reason why do you think you would need that?

Ohh, I see *á--eh* evil government. Carry on. Don't forget to take your meds :) Seriously, this is getting old. Geeks used to know better than this.

Technical dangers or the fact that evil people can use tech for evil ways?

First one yes, second one no, because then you don't differ from those in Tea Party. You are just afraid of progress (in neutral sense) as they are, you just have "better" arguments why not do it.

If we would have this talk about creation of Internet, you would be against it - because it's military, everyone uses it, everyone's life can be monitored (that's not entirely true), etc.

It's typical alarmist attitude. Drones has long way to become safe technically. Let's discuss about that.

And there are indications that they won't do that because of....?

I understand, you are being sarcastic because you just want to sound cool and get some cheap mod points, but honestly, why they couldn't do all these things?

Ahhh, someone from secret government agency can use them for their devil ways. Well, they can use *anything* for their evil secret ways already, some of them much more effective than flying drones.

All tech are tools - they can be used for good or for bad. I don't see how flying drones would hurt, if all flying safety protocols are in place and working. If there are technical issues - let's talk about them. Please leave 'omg there's drone out there to bomb me in my homeland' discussion out of this, because, well, it won't work.

WikiLeaks isn't in any list of terrorists. They haven't even been labeled as 'enemy of the state' in any official documents. However, they treat Assange as as threat in legal jurisdiction sense - to avoid more leaks. I don't think they see Assange more than he is - annoying. However, Assange didn't cleaned up secret information in several documents, most of his raw data can be dangerous for US interests - and they can get into wrong hands. So obviously, they see it as a threat.

My problem with WikiLeaks is that they are lost cause. I was all about discovering truth about corporations, corruption, etc. Instead I got several unfortunate friendly fire cover ups of sad Iraq war, and tons of insightful, yet already known material about the world from diplomatic cabels. Of course US protects interests of companies resided there - well, duh, every country does that - and everybody 'trades' with parts of trade agreements. It just happened to see those who we, geeks, don't like. Of course US diplomats tells frank truth about dictators, but they won't say anything in public - that's how it works. It's really amazing how many of you are blissfully ignorant how actual complex human world is.

US has no problem with WikiLeaks here, but with Jullian, who knowingly worked to release secret materials. However, It is interesting because if he was seriously considered a threat, he would be already in US, because of time in freedom he was in UK. However, there's still no extradition requests. They sure think he is annoying, and probably wonder what military secrets (including spec ops and agents) he still has. They're nervious, and it tells with this language about enemies and terrorists (in some sense, Jullian terorises US goverment, and think it's fun. I don't think it was very smart idea if you were about to release such serious leak).

This charge is actually more or less to prevent anyone with access to secret government/military networks in US to cooperate with WikiLeaks. For Good or for bad, but that's how any military would react. They don't have a 'annoying activist' paragraph. From their POV, all this information can be used against military in active operations, so you are a threat.

And freedom of speech - Jullian has it, tons - from outside, from inside, Jullian that, Jullian there, he even has live video stream with UN. Show me another journalists or unfortunates who had problems with arrests and "enemy of the state" tags, for example, in Russia. You can't, because most of them are just dead - mostly without court. No US government has closed any newspaper because they printed leaked material - in detail. Was Swedish situation just a coincidence or they really trying to extract him to US? Personally I don't think so. Any backslash it's not just worth it.

I'm getting tired of all this WikiLeaks BS. It supposed to be recover corruption, company dirty secrets, etc. Instead I get "US is teh max evil". Sorry, world isn't black and white, and sure change within it doesn't work like you have imagined it do. I just hoped that geeks are better. I guess we humans after all.

Sorry, but that's just Western POV - most of countries don't have big traditions on bacon. Chicken, fish, vegetables, fruits, seafood, bread - you name it. I have cut my bacon intake almost to minimum and have never felt better. Saying this, having bacon now and there is nice, but I won't revolt if it's suddenly will cost twice. It can push prices of other products eventually though.

With all anti GM craze going around, I wonder what naturalist school of food would offer us practically, taking feeding people on this planet into account.

EU anticompetition laws are quite complex and powerful, and they work (as Microsoft about that), but I have little doubts that I can fully see Google's fault here. It's one thing to promote yourself ahead of your clients - it's not forbidden. There is one slippery slope though and it will be interesting to see result of this investigation, which I trust more than "IT analysists".

How about - Obama isn't perfect, but is lesser evil? By the way, torture is forbbiden for quite a time ago. Only thing you can blame Obama for is not enough zeal of fighting past crimes of Bush administration.

Ouch, sorry about crumbling down your black/white world. See ya later.