There are so many details left of of the news stories about this report with regards to methodology I decided I would take a look at the report myself. Surely they controlled for things like, years of education, family income, geography... right? Well I went to the original study link but I am not willing to pay the $10 to read it. If anyone has a link to the pdf I would appreciate it. Until then I assume this is similar to the famous pirates vs. global average temperatures graph.

I believe that Kittenger broke the the sound barrier in the sense that he was falling faster than the speed of sound. The atmosphere at the altitude he jumped from is so thin that it allowed him to obtain supersonic speeds. He returned to subsonic levels once he reached lower altitude and normal atmospheric pressure.
I guess I could look this up to confirm but I think I will be lazy and just post right away.

Who actually places their notebook computers on their lap? Even at a univsersity where everyone has a notebook I rarely see anyone actually sitting in a proper upright position with a notebook on their laps. You know what else heats up your scrotum too much? Thermal underwear, sitting cross legged, heated car seats...

Apple creates a cool new device, it explodes in popularity and basically creates a market. Apple decides the best way forward is full control the hardware and all software that gets added to its fun device. Another company releases a competing software platform that runs on a variety of hardware platforms and does not require you to run all your software through an approval process. Hardware companies start making more and more systems with the "other guys" software as a platform and the cost of the other hardware drops. Everyone switches to the other guys and Apple implodes.

I am no fan of Apple but I can admit that they make some nice hardware. Why do they think it will play out any different this time?

I know it is a slashdot pass time to make fun of strange patents like this but it is worth noting that there are government incentives (beyond the patent itself) to do something like this. In Canada, at least, there are programs like SR & ED

Applying for these tax incentives can often lead to outrageous descriptions of basic things. Each employee is asked to say what they worked on this year and to fill in a lengthy form describing what is new about it. A programmer that designs an options menu might actually be working on "A graphical interface that allows a user to list, navigate and manipulate system configuration parameters." I think the idea is that if you make the description dense enough the bureaucrat reading it will just approve it without thinking about it too much.

I didn't see thid idea posted yet and I am a little surprised. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I3e_NkXNC0 Fill it with mirrors and make a death ray.

"The issue was that we had a 'signal bar' on the phone. We had forgotten that this was a magical device. The signal bar has now been replaced with a Mana bar. We expect the rest to work itself out."

Seems pretty straight forward to me. If you use their network, you play by their rules. Not discussing work outside of work is nothing new. You wouldn't go downtown and post internal information about your copmany on a bulletin board or telephone pole, why put it on Facebook or Twitter? Seems like this is mostly just common sense. They probably need just to have it in writing so when they fire you for being on Facebook all day they have something to cover their asses. C.Y.A. That has always been policy in any business.

You had better take a look at this http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/06/13/canadapostups.html. UPS didn't WANT to compete, they wanted to sue. Just like everyone else.