http://www.theonion.com/articl...
"What part of this don't you understand? If two blades is good, and three blades is better, obviously five blades would make us the best fucking razor that ever existed. Comprende? We didn't claw our way to the top of the razor game by clinging to the two-blade industry standard. We got here by taking chances. Well, five blades is the biggest chance of all."
improving technology and the use of data across agencies
That is the exact opposite of what we need right now.
The NSA and the security industrial complex don't need stinking laws and the approval of the public to aggregate and track you. They're already doing it. I doubt this role will help them (or hinder them). What integrated data could provide is more effective programs and less paperwork, and possibly more data.gov APIs.
Worrying about the CTO "improving things the wrong way" is the same as worrying about sharing your bank password with your spouse while storing your password file in cleartext on a malware infested desktop.
and as first-strike weapons they would be very hard if not impossible to stop
No harder than ICBMs.
First-strike weaponry generally enables the crazy/unstable countries
Who aren't known for their adherence to treaty. We are extremely fortunate that development of nuclear weapons in the first place is hard enough that our current crop of crazy/unstable countries hasn't been able to develop them. I think it would be a terrible assumption to assume that anyone who does manage to do that, isn't going to try to develop delivery methods with continued disregard for international treaty as well.
The goal of removing nuclear weapons isn't the current lot of crazies that don't have power, but that crazies could get ahold of a currently "sane" country quite easily - including the USA. When power to destroy the world several thousands of times over exists, there will be those that want to use it - to everyone else's detriment.
While we shouldn't remove all the weaponry, removing most of it while keeping what's needed (maybe a bit more than needed) would be a good way to prevent
Then there's the issue of proliferation - the "Back to the Future" argument against stockpiling such atrocities-waiting-to-happen - by limiting nuclear stockpiles, you prevent "broken arrows" and the accompanying terrorist wet dreams.
Clearly it's a typo - the feature is that you automatically pay more for mobile data. I only wish I was kidding - remember, this is the same "CEO" that openly thought his users were "dumb fucks".
I started a shared data pool plan for my family and my brother's usage was estimated at about 2GB per month. A couple weeks into the billing cycle I checked usage and my brother had used MORE data than the other FIVE of us combined, and was on track to use over 5GB!
I was a bit disappointed originally that I wouldn't get shared data when I switch my extended family over from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint (seriously, all 3 other networks!), but I soon realized this was a huge boon - because T-Mobile doesn't charge overage for data - only steps down when you reach the limit (i.e., data limit is for "fast data" - i.e., LTE or 4G, but the 2G is unlimited). So my post-grad cousin who has erratic data usage doesn't impact my bill or my speeds. My bills never change month to month - been that way for over a year now, and it's an awesome feeling (remember having to try to parse a cell-phone bill wondering why we paid $130 this month and $80 last month for the same line).
Oh, and I'm spending the same on phone bills - except now I have 5 lines where I used to have 3, and all with better data and reception than before.
Lesson: don't trust shared data - it's makes each line on your plan a liability for increased data costs on your entire plan, all possibly due to a rogue app.
If they can get the real range up to 150 or 200 miles it will be vastly easier to own a car like the Leaf as your only car.
This. I commute several days a week nearly 40mi each way. While that is technically within the capabilities of the Leaf, and I do have a charging station at work... the problem comes with the fact that a) if the range drops off from the reasonable estimate (i.e., I drive much faster than 55mph or the car loses range with age) or b) if I don't get a charging spot at my work parking lot, then I'm at risk of being stranded on the highway.
Right now I drive a 10 year old Prius, which does OK for mileage (50mpg average). A Leaf or a Volt seem like lateral upgrades, while a Tesla is exactly what I'm slavering over. I just can't
The argument is at heart "Don't develop these weapons because they will be good at killing people and I personally am not smart enough to come up with a civilan use that doesn't kill people".
It is the kind of idiocy that makes the military industrial complex laugh and call you names.
I think the big issue with these weapons is that they *will* become nuclear payload delivery systems, and as first-strike weapons they would be very hard if not impossible to stop (not that good defense industry $$ won't be spent trying). First-strike weaponry generally enables the crazy/unstable countries and their leaders to exert their will over the rest of the world, while not exactly providing much in terms of benefits to larger, more well nuclear established countries.
Banning this kind of testing isn't new - we did have a nuclear test ban for several decades [1]
Hell, that's less than 160 MegaParsecs. Not that much bigger than the already-cramped Virgo Supercluster at 33MPa. Still the name is quite nice.
You're in favor of the federal government enacting legislation that would determine how a company runs? We need less government oversight, not more... especially for something as ridiculous as this. If you can't be without your phone overnight, you have some issues. If it's that important.. YOU keep a spare on hand using YOUR money.
It's as simple as getting a $20 Jenny basic phone from Amazon, and possibly a $5 SIM adapter so your micro/nano sim can fit. I think it's a great insurance policy, and you can take the basic phone with you overseas to use with random sims (of course, with T-Mobile, you can still use your phone data-free,sms-free, and calls without usurious charges overseas too, but having a backup there is useful too).
I know for example that Apple uses broadcom chipsets and supports WPS (through Airport Utility) - are they vulnerable?
A known list of vulnerable routers would be very interesting.
I would imagine it is laying groundwork for tax inversion.
I already replied in this argument, but this is probably the most insightful comment I've seen on this story. Setting up a very good reason why they should relocate their HQ for tax purposes (i.e., privacy of their files) seems a good PR move to offset any public outcry.
The US legal system starts and ENDS at the US borders.
Microsoft is headquartered and incorporated in the US and thus subject to US law. QED.
Is it me, or does it almost seem easier to just buy a damn tablet for the car and leave it there?
The problem is, as is usually ignored by most
Sure, I could replace my Prius console with a far more functional tablet, but unless it's designed to be used by a highly distracted user (i.e., Driver), it's neither safe nor fun to do so.
Regarding mounts - this has been absolutely awesome - and even works with my iPad mini:
http://www.mountek.com/press/2...
I took it on my europe trip - worked on every car I was in, and it's super-light, portable, and I stuck the metal plate to the *inside* of my case so not only is it not marring my phone, it's not even visible.
There are other brands that target the same space apparently, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Why should THE MAN want to brick your phone, when instead they can just track you - that's what they want - then they can brick *you* as needed.
No one reads documentation.
When the UX fails, the role of documentation is to be there to prevent the user from quitting in frustration (and turning to a competing product).
I do think a rich user community forum and/or wiki can supplant most of the need for documentation (e.g. most open-source projects), however, all features of a product should have some basic documentation (e.g.: command-line usage --help).
Extensive documentation adds a lot of "drag" to a product - this is both good and bad, but where doc can't be updated, the user should *at least* know how stale it is.
Real Programmers don't eat quiche. They eat Twinkies and Szechwan food.
