This was on arstechnica last week. A number of people grabbed onto the "nearly identical" phrasing then too. Except the wording of the contract was something close to: royalties for any "derivative works". Whether the games were identical is irrelevant, and disingenuous of the judge to use the "virtually identical" phrasing as a basis for throwing out the juries verdict.

How is it random. I always get beta.slashdot, unless I log-in. Then since I have preferences set to no-javascript - I get regular slashdot.

If slashdot forces that on its users, I'm pretty sure it will cause a significant exodus.

I couldn't even find the login on my laptop, turns out the whole top menu, except for the slashdot logo, disappears if your browser isn't almost full-screen.

GURPS only problem that I know of, is the whole system pretty much falls apart when/if your Character gets 16+ in a prime stat. That, and perhaps there is enough evidence that a few more primary attributes would help the system.

So likely not that difficult to fix the main problems GURPS has - leave the reliance on 3d6 rolls to another feat/resistance roll type system, and consider how a couple (2/3/4?) more Primary Attributes could be worked into the existing skill system.

"Touch" would be pretty easy to emulate with a mouse - it would actually be better than actual touch.

If Right-Click turns the mouse pointer to a "Hand" grabber: now moving the mouse left/right is the same as "touching the screen and dragging in a given direction".

There is absolutely nothing that "touch" brings to the table that can't already be done with the tools we have: mouse, keyboard, and touch-pads/touch-pad mice. It's also only about 3 clicks to change the "Start-Screen" to an Apps-Screen... except its an either/or proposition. All-in-all it makes very little sense that we cannot set hotkeys or toolbar-buttons to actions like bringing up "normal-start-screen" or "apps-only" or "a folder with modern-layout/view."

After all this time how is it that Microsoft doesn't "get" that customization of the interface is what makes MS different from everyone else.

Instead we wind up with Windows 8, and Aero -- which many consider as the logical upgrade from the Win2K/98 look, as opposed to the Fisher-Price look of XP -- ripped out by its roots, instead of an option to the flat bland crap appearance of Win8.

Not only does Win8 go off on it's on tangent in a number of respects, but it does away with concrete tangible concepts that Microsoft has iterated over since Windows 3.

I'm sure everyone recalls the basic theming ability to choose 2 colors for the title bar, and have it blend. Win 8 takes that concept and shits on it. Text is flat, Title-bar background are bland, flat, shapeless non-dimensional pastel colours. I think if the dev's had of tripped out on acid we would of wound up with something better than the utter-disregard for users in Windows 8.

Although I did buy a used Samsung S2, so I can play around with Android programming and have a real phone to test it on... but, it doesn't actually have a SIM card in it (although I can internet browse via my wireless router). I could pop the SIM from my Nokia in it (tried it, works fine), but I don't really *want* a "smart" phone ( funny, most of the people I know with "smart" phones spend most of their day stupidly staring into the phone, texting, etc, rather than actually experiencing the real world around them ).

*chuckle* That seems to be the general consensus.

I got a refurb samsung as a music player to replace an aging Sansa. Unfortunately, I probably still have to get a Sansa.

• If you accidentally leave wi-fi on --- even if the device is in limbo - on/screen off - hasn't been used in hours... the battery dies in 12 hours or less.

Whereas an actual MP3 player will last months on a single charge if its only used sparingly. (Or 30-50 hrs continuous play.)

Robert J. Sawyer had a series 10+ years back now:
The trilogy's volumes are titled Hominids (published 2002), Humans (2003), and Hybrids (2003).

Very interesting take on what the modern world would likely consider "socialist". Some of the "tasks" people (neanderthals) had was to be an exhibitionist. They would wander around interesting places and be akin to a talk-show host as such - given that their "job" was basically exhibitionist, their live-monitor-feed was always on 100%.

That's how it was in Canada at least back before broadband was the necessary choice. Even in the "little" towns there were dozens of Dial-Up providers. All of those were bought-out or went tits-up as we headed into the early/mid 2000's. I imagine it was similiar in the States in the 90's, whereas in the mid/late 80's you pretty much needed to have a university account to access outside of the BBS-scene.

Genius!

Not correct, we have an iMac that's about 6 years old, and a MacPro Core2Duo (x64) from early 2007.
Neither can upgrade past Lion. And if we upgrade those machines past Snow Leopard, all the Adobe software needs to be repurchased - architechture change - will not run on Lion or beyond.

Now compare that to my PC-Desktop/Workstation, since 2005 (it's original build) I've changed the CPU and Motherboard once (plus replacements of the mobo upgrade due to failures), added Ram twice: switched to 8GB (2x4GB) for ~$80, then added 16GB on a crazy tiger-direct sale last year ~$90 (delivery took 4 weeks).

Original cost of the first 2005 build, including monitor, ~$800. Plus upgrades (including newer HD's) $500.

My PC started with Win2K in 2005, Win7 in 2011-2012, and Win8 for $30 last year.

Year-in-year-out the non-Mac PC can be kept up to date for linux or Windows with minimal upgrades that really don't cost that much. Whereas Mac propositions are almost always replacing the machine completely at a nearly unreasonable cost.

I was trying to do a "Hangout" with my mother, as it allows screen-sharing and the ability to take control of the other user's machine -- which has allowed me to move forward with our weekly computer training sessions.

Likewise google didn't like my name -- real name only... I was able to finally push my registration of Google+ through with the "name" Crash N. Burn :-)

Then there's those of us that have had a Belkin router for years with no issue. After Cisco acquired Linksys what was there available for the home market - that didn't suck... D-Link?
Maybe, but you couldn't with confidence buy a D-Link router and know that it would be relatively trouble-free.

Netgear for instance, might be a decent model or might be complete trash. I've had fairly good runs with a few different TP-Link models and Belkin - compared to all of the non-WR54G Linksys models and D-Links that have just crapped out entirely shortly after the warranty expired. Or when we had 2 routers D-link/Linksys that had to alternately be used as they would both overheat and stop routing.