If the speaker was connected to a local loop, then it would hear both sides. (While I agree it should not have been connected to a local loop, I would not be surprised if (occassionally) it was.)

Phones designed for use with traditional land lines have echo-suppression circuits. As do the equipment at the switching office. This was done to avoid the cost of a third wire and because using either earth or electrical ground was too noisy.

An old design: http://www.epanorama.net/circu...

A somewhat modern design: http://www.epanorama.net/circu...

Also, very early telephone designs did not have echo suppression. I have one that one of my grandmothers bought at an auction (a certificate of legal sale was included with the phone). In theory, it is compatible with the current land line system, though I have never tried it. It is very similar to this: http://oldphoneman.com/images/...

TFA claims US$20000. It also stated that http://www.50dollarsat.info/ was launched on a Russian Dnepr-1. Presumably as one of several secondary payloads

Actually, I got that when I bought my current car, new, from the dealer. I got the version with the 4 cyl engine and the "comfort option package". When I asked to upgrade the CD-only radio to one with both CD and tape, I was told that that was only available for versions with the 6 cyl engine. I then said "Well, you have replacement units for service, why not just "service" my radio by replacing it with the better unit?" They said the OEM does not allow them to do that.

Admittedly, it would have cost more than buying an FM adapter (which I did) to use with a portable tape player, but would have been a lot less hassle.

Many of the people I know who work for other companies are exempt from overtime pay, but do get docked pay for less than 40 hours per week (or 80 hours per 2 weeks). Vacation time is only used for pre-arranged (and approved) time off. Sick hours are only used when they call in sick - before their normal start time.

For me, the time short goes against my "sick hours" before it goes against my vacation hours.

Unfortunately, a large and growing number of people have gone to the opposite extreme - unthinking rejection. And not just of science, but intelligence in general. How long before the "Examination Day" scenario is upon us? (http://education.ky.gov/school/documents/examination%20day%20by%20henry%20seslar.docx)

Doesn't have to be "true AI" to be very disruptive - or to create problems for us carbon based intelligences.

My employer's office has far too few conference rooms for face-to-face meetings. Instead, the company has an internal VOIP/XMPP server. (Though for a meeting with 4 or less people, we often just use our cubicles.) We have VOIP phones on our desks, though easier to use PC VOIP app.

The PCs my employer issues to its workers have "smart card" readers built in, but they (a) they require cards with contacts (which our standard badges don't have and (b) (according to the security dept) cards that are compatible with both the PCs and the door lock system are very expensive. As such, the company only issue those cards to the finance and HR depts (and the execs and their assistants).

Of course, to prevent anyone in possession of one of these cards from being able to log in, passwords would still be needed. (Not that our security dept seems to care that anyone with a badge can get in the office (granted, a worker who looses their card will report the loss, but it might be hours (or days) before the loss is noticed))

The preamble outlines the purposes for which the constitution was established.

Seems to me that, in recent history, the government has been failing to meet those purposes.

For any given value of "it", "it" is not important until the lack of "it" because a problem. Therefore, the money won't be allocated proactively.

Every MBA and lawyer I know is very overworked and expected to do the impossible daily. While the lawyers might be a lesser risk of being outsourced, most of the MBAs tell me they are quite afraid of being outsourced.

My daughter did quite well at keeping a balance on her own. My girlfriend and I certainly had a lot of input to our daughter's schedule, but she was the one driving it, not us. She actively pursued out door and social activities, as well as solo activities. Though she tried various junk foods, her preferred snacks were/are "finger friendly" fruits and vegetables (and, sometimes, premium chocolate). She watched very little TV, though did use a computer a lot (mostly for homework, some programming and a little gaming).

I think the kids who watch a screen all day are the ones whose parents are too afraid to let them do anything else.

Do you mean like sit (mostly) still for 75+ minutes doing problems in "work books"? The public elementary school my nephew attended required that most days for its first through fifth grade students (ages 6 through 10/11). (The school day was typically lecture/demo/group discussions from 8 am to 11:30 am, with a restroom break around 9:45. Then lunch, Then a review from 12:30 pm to 1:20 pm, followed by a restroom break. Finally, quiet study from 1:30 pm to 3 pm.)

(Additional restroom breaks were allowed, but strongly discouraged.)

In the US, the TSA is working to bring this to train and bus stations.

Actually, the major providers also own some of the content producers. Comcast owns NBC/Universal, Time-Warner owns Warner Brothers, etc. As such, the providers want to prioritize their subsidiaries' content.