I don't know about you, but the Texas' DMV has my right thumb print. Granted that one is 15 years old, but more biometrics are collected than you think; especially in the US. Maybe THAT is the problem, US spooks can't operate properly because the US collected key biometrics and now other countries have the data. Other countries don't have the problem, since they did not collect the data in the first place...

+1

Achievement unlocked: Completed the hamster wheel.

But the battery of questions I got where nearly as useless to real work, even though they where actual programming questions. When I interviewed with Google I had around 7 years of work experience designing and implementing software for industrial automation with some focus on compiler constitution. Almost all questions where CS 101 questions, like "How do you implement quicksort?". Although basic knowledge of fundamental algorithms is required for the the work, actual problems are almost always of architectural nature or "we need a solution yesterday".

The fact that some Google recruiter was showed interest in me was nice and the entire experience was enlightening, but I was not very impressed with the entire process. Their offices sure are nicer than the one I am currently sitting in...

Like in that German Wings flight?

I would simply take the same approach you should take with PC games. If it's single player, don't bother. You are wasting resources, resources you can use to make your game just a little more awesome. (more awesome == more sales) Wit multiplayer games, the key point is the server. The server should not trust clients and use heuristics to detect suspicious behavior. Then give administrators the means to moderate their users. (Or a vote system.) Bad behavior is a real issue with multiplayer games, but that is not limited to cheating.

But since we are talking about mobile games; are users cheating you on the premium currency? Treat is like any other piracy, ignore it and try to win users by making the cooler more awesome game. Maybe communicate that you are an independent developer and need the money to make games.

But that is exactly the issue at hand. Sure we can automate the plane, but it still needs to interface with air traffic control. The next thing you know a air traffic controller crashes a plane into a mountain for some psychotic reason.

Although I will concede that jurisdiction is a muddled concept with IT systems, but the following is true: They attack and/or penetrate IT systems that are located on US soil. Under international conventions, this is a crime. This is no different that when I throw a rock across the US/Canada border and damage your car, did the crime happen in the US or Canada? But even in China and North Korea there are laws against damaging IT systems and I am quite sure that they don't have exclusions for US IT systems. Now either they are private citizens and thus it is a criminal act and they are criminals or this is a government sanctioned act and they are soldiers and this is an act of war (i.e. not a crime).

In the case of the Ukraine, the US could probably care less. Neither the populace, note the leading casts cared about it. There is little to gain for the US, no use to squabble about one military port in the Black Sea. (Big deal to the Russians.) But the Europeans saw the situation differently and pressured the US to put their wight behind it. The primary reason for Russia's actions was Ukraine's move closer to the EU and NATO, which directly threatened their precious Black Sea port. (No use to "own" a port that will be overrun/destroyed within the first minutes of fighting.)

They do not have the right; but that does not prevent them of doing it. Actors of the state penetrating into a different country and taking hostage citizens of said county (probably any other) is an act of war. Yes, technically most espionage is an act of war.

Does the Whitehorse do April Fools? Mr. Putin, we are arming out nuclear missiles! Gotcha...

Remember, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. /s

Is is so hard for you to put the button outside of the 2-year-old's reach; you know the same way you put the actual detergent out of it's reach? Then again, when my child was 2, the detergent was under the sink ("within reach"), but proper parenting prevented any disasters, but YMMV.