MPEG-LA itself admits this. The licensors' lawyers know that paying protection to MPEG-LA doesn't indemnify them.

The licensees have no choice. They're like a shopkeeper in a town full of corrupt cops. Paying bribes to one cop doesn't mean they don't have to pay another bribe to a different cop next week, but you'd better believe they're going to pay the bribe each time anyway.

Apple/Safari will support Theora if the Xiph quicktime component is installed, too. So Apple already offers the same level of "support" for Theora that Microsoft is promising.

Requiring users to download and install some codec is probably a non-starter in both cases, though.

This. Also, the fact that Bhopal and Exxon Valdez were one-shot accidents that were over by the time the camera crews got there (or didn't, in Bhopal's case.) The BP spew has live streaming video of the situation getting worse by the minute.

Actually, that's not a problem. You just need a Guild Navigator to navigate your heighliner safely.

The demos themselves are restricted, but the sample code is not.

At the bottom of every page, there is a link to
http://developer.apple.com/safaridemos/

On this page, there are duplicates that are not UA restricted, which you can test with whatever browser you like, and download the implementation code.

User agent detection is appropriate on the consumer (www.apple) page, since that's an executive summary. Most people on that page are not going to understand why it isn't working, since they don't even know what browser they're using, unless Apple actually bars the door.

So, you're saying we're going to brick the planet?

Umm...the point of the survey was empathy vs narcissism. You don't get much more narcissistic than emos.

Weather simulation, perhaps? Weather has a huge impact on crop yields.

Or perhaps bioinformatics for genetic tinkering.

Exxon's fuckup was in a remote area (Alaska) and Exxon's fuckup only lasted a few days (no live video.)

The boy is 14. Let him goof off for a summer; it may well be the last summer he has to do nothing at all until he retires fifty years from now.

Not really. You've heard the popular media, and to a lesser degree, government policies, say umpteen different things. Scientists have been fairly consistent in what they said, with a few refinements and tweaks over the years.

That's one of the biggest issues holding back the public acceptance of science. Most people only get the Cliff's Notes version. It's hard to challenge your belief systems when you never get the full story.

Refuse is absolutely the right word. Win 2K? Seriously? An eleven-year-old OS? You're not being sensible, you're being ornery.

But hey, if that's what floats your boat, go ahead. I mean, there are still people running vintage Amigas and crap ("Way ahead of its time!", yeah, we can hear you.) But realize that you are a dwindling minority. You guys are outnumbered by Android and iPhone users these days. It's time to embrace your minority status.

Avoid brain/spinal tissue, and you should be okay. On the other hand, if you do eat brain/spinal tissue (and ground beef may well contain some) then no amount of cooking will help you, unless you incinerate your food.

A rare steak is safer from CJD than a well-broiled hamburger.

You haven't lived, man. You haven't lived.

Why not just build javascript + html5 + css3 web apps? You get full platform independence and no app store hassles.

The iPhone supports HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. As for "local stuff," HTML 5 already has features that allows persistent local database storage. If your app need location awareness, the iPhone supports the W3C Geolocation API.

You may not remember, but originally, Apple's official stance was that the only third-party iPhone apps would be web apps. Lots of people bitched and moaned about how Apple was not allowing developers onto its device, so Apple eventually caved and released its SDK. But there's no reason you can't still build web apps for the iPhone.