Well, I'd be with you if the government was poking around on the users' computers, but they weren't. The users were hosting the files on a public peer-to-peer network where you essentially advertise to the world you've downloaded the file and are making it available to the world. Since both those acts are illegal, you don't really have an expectation of privacy once you've told *everyone* you've done it. While the broadcasting of the file's availability doesn't prove you have criminal intent, it's certainly probable cause for further investigation.

These guys got off on a narrow technicality. Of course technicalities do matter; a government that isn't restrained by laws is inherently despotic. The agents simply misunderstood the law; they weren't violating anyone's privacy.

There's a certain wonder to that too.

I had the same reaction when I saw the ST:TNG props in person. You wouldn't buy a toy that looked that cheesy. The wonder of it is that the prop makers knew this piece of crap would look great onscreen. That's professional skill at work. Amateurs lavish loving care on stuff and overbuild them. Pros make them good enough, and put the extra effort into stuff that matters more.

These kinds of responses are conditioned on certain assumptions that may not hold for all users.

For example, let's assume that you have no need whatsoever to prevent other users from using your gun. Then any complication you add to the firearm will necessarily make it less suitable, no matter how reliable that addition is. An example of someone on this end of the spectrum might be a big game hunter who carries a backup handgun.

On the other hand suppose you have need of a firearm, but there is so much concern that someone else might use it without authorization that you reasonably decide to do without. In that opposite situation you might well tolerate quite a high failure rate in such a device because it makes it possible to carry a gun. An example of someone on this end of the spectrum might be a prison guard -- prison guards do not carry handguns because of precisely this concern.

This isn't rocket science. It's all subject to a straightforward probabilistic analysis *of a particular scenario*. People who say that guns *always* must have a such a device are only considering one set of scenarios. People who say that guns must *never* have such a device are only considering a different set of scenarios. It's entirely possible that for such a device there are some where it is useful and others where it is not.

It was a typo/brain fart. I though it was the American Amateur Radio, I remebered it was the ARRL right after I hit the post button.

Except that if you hurt yourself you are not breaking the law.
There are lots of safety rules. You have to obey the regulations.

I am not just talking about Amature radio but FCC licensing. That includes TV, Radio, Public service bands, HAM, and even wifi. The power regulations and frequency regulations are mostly in place to keep you from stomping on everyone else. AARL has a special relationship with the FCC that allows them to do testing and have a large voice in setting the rules for HAMs. But HAMs are a small section of licensed users.
Frankly AARL works on the notion that someone that makes the effort to study and pass the tests will not do anything hyper stupid like highjacking a TV stations band. Frankly much like the EAA the AARL seems to do a good job with keeping the dangerous idiots out.
But what I said stands. The licensing is about interference. If you hurt yourself you will not get a visit from FCC but if you interfere with someone else you could get a visit from the FCC

The key would be how many places had mag strip first. Brazil is moving faster now than 10 years ago.

or smoothwall or moonwall.

That is what the person I was replying to claimed. You can replace baseload with Wind with natural gas peaking plants but I think Nuclear is a better long term source.

Microsoft has a shot if they do not destroy Nokia. I flat out think that Nokia makes the best looking phone. LG, Samsung, and Apple all use great displays, Android has the best feature set, Nokia the best camera,Motorola has the Motovoice feature that I really want, and Apple has great stability and battery life.
Windows Phone 8.1 actually looks pretty good now.
For me the perfect phone would be a Nokia with the screen from the G3 running Android with Motovoice.
Others would have a different prefect phone.

25 million people in Australia.
313 million people in the US.
It takes a while longer to roll out big changes like that. I have had a chip and pin card for over a year but not every location can take it.

Funny but I have actually written an IOS app and it is in the app store. I have a mac and I love it. This rev of the iphone has bigger screens... Like Android phones. NFC like Android phones. As to the rest of the statement... You do know that the Apple app store was the original home of the fart app...

IOS is fine for people that like it. I find it too restrictive and dull for my tastes but it is good OS and the phones are good hardware. They are just not worth the worship that heaped on them.

Why is Google better than Apple?
Simple, Compare an IOS phone with all the Google apps removed to an Android phone without any Apple apps.

NFC is cool and boy did people think it was neat when I paid for something at the 7-11 with my Galaxy Nexus a few years ago. You are right that it might finally take off in the US now that Apple is doing it. They are even following the standards so they can use the existing NFC machines at Walgreens, 7-11, and McDonald's. It is really not innovative but an example of the clout that Apple has with the carriers.

Yes but you will break no law if you burn yourself. The regulations are all about interference.

So when is the new Nexus coming out?

Over all I found the 6 to be a lack luster announcement. Nothing really new was announced.

So you want to hire and train people to run unused natural gas terminals? And how else does a tanker of natural gas get delivered but to a port?
https://www.google.com/search?...