http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_encumbrance_of_large_automotive_NiMH_batteries

Sorry for a wiki link, too lazy to look up more sources. Basically we'd have better battery technology if Oil & Car companies didn't deliberately stifle technology

Free AV software included with operating system scores significantly lower than competitor products that cost money. Shocking!
What's next, Ms paint found to be inferior to Photoshop in comprehensive image-editing software test?

"I used to be with it, but then they changed what "It" was. Now what I'm with isn't "it", and what's "it" seems weird and scary to me, and it'll happen to you, too"

Replace "It" with "Slashdot", and replace "Weird and scary" with "Stupid and gone down the toilet". Voila!!

At least buy local to be green. The majority of comments here seem to be stressing the importance of buying local so your local community thrives and discussing the economics of the situation. There's little on the externality of pollution costs via transportation. Granted you can't buy a lot of things that are locally made, thanks to Walmart, cheap overseas labor etc.. But if your groceries come from a local farm instead of being shipped 3000km, that's a net gain and the greener option. Buy your stuff from a farmer's market (all local) instead of having your goods shipped from another country.

Yes, the world would still be a better place. First off, we're not totally restricting imports - the idea is to buy things locally that you can't purchase elsewhere. Unfortunately that's not an option for most electronics, toys and other things generally made in China. But shopping at a farmer's market is a net + for everyone (as opposed to buying your groceries from somewhere where it's all imported).

Of course the biggest net gain is the reduced transportation. Even if you don't particularly care for the welfare of your community, buying something that was manufactured less than 50km away is better than getting your goods imported from China right? Think of all the wasted transportation costs from all those goods made over 3000km away. The only reason this still happens is that the goods are made in a place where laborers are paid more like 10 cents an hour instead of 10 dollars an hour, so it's still profitable to have it made in asia and exported here.

2002 called. They politely (must have been Canadian) asked to stop making currency exchange jokes, as the USD is actually worth less now

I wouldn't agree with that statement. Suppose there's a wall post by the defendant, or a note or a message to a friend that says something on the lines of "Boy my employer is a hottie, I'd just like to take him for a ride if you know what I mean!" - how would that having nothing to do with the case? A statement like that would pretty much throw this case out - if it's reasonable (or provable) that she was the one that made these statements (meaning someone else didn't make the statements via a hacked account) then I don't see why facebook statements can't be used or relevant.

One of the tidbits of information the plaintiff claims is relevant is this :

Now we're getting into a bit of a grey area here, but such a photograph would be relevant. Now it's obviously not acceptable to call your employee a cunt to their face, I would expect harassment charges to stand here. But if the defendant hears the employer using that term to describe someone else, or happens to overhear that term being used and the defendant isn't the person being referred to - then such a picture of the t-shirt would be quite relevant. If the defendant claims that "such use offended her" by simply overhearing the word, but if a photograph shows her in a shirt with CUNT on it - then it's pretty clear she doesn't have a valid claim to simply be offended by hearing the word

You make a good point on being "forced to give the password to others" - but this is the plantiff, not the defendant. If it was the defendant, then I'd be more outraged. But if the defendant says "the plaintiff first sent me sexually suggestive messages on facebook!", it seems perfectly reasonable for the judge to request proof from the plaintiff

Saliva testing only shows up marijuana usage in the last four to five hours? What kind of weed keeps you wired (at least enough to still affect motor skills at that point) after 4 hours and where can I get some?

This isn't "exposing identities" - the vast majority of these posts are facebook and twitter accounts using their real names! These are proud racists - obviously having no issues with how other people view their thoughts. This isn't some IP-investigative / anonymous coward mission where cryptic handles are associated with real people. Their friends and family already know this stuff - there's simply more people being aware of this right now

No no, you've got it all wrong. Bitcoins will become popular as soon as hipsters become aware of it's existence. Right now, most hipsters aren't aware of bitcoins - the news feeds on their latest iGadget doesn't usually run stories on bitcoins. And they don't read "mainstream" techie sites like /. - they prefer to get their news from their local independent free magazines, and from carrier pigeons (which don't run stories on bitcoins).

But eventually one will hear about it, and when they do - they'll start foaming at the mouth and jump on that currency in a heartbeat! "Oh you still use dollar bills to buy things brah? That's so 2011. I only deal with BitCoins now. Yeah you've probably never heard of it - it's a pretty obscure currency - it's like, an only online currency dude. There's only a few places that actually accept them as a valid currency." And as he's telling his hipster friends at the local dive bar, sipping his locally brewed IPA (that his friends had to buy him, because the bar doesn't accept BitCoins yet) - his buddies will jump on the BitCoin bandwagon (but hopefully before it gets too mainstream) and hipsters will cash in on bitcoins like wildfire.

Now of course, retailers will realize this soon enough and realize they're sitting on a gold mine! All these hipsters will have bitcoins with nowhere to spend them, so every independent brewery, vintage clothing store, horn-rimmed eyeglass shop, pipe & tobacco company, scarf retailer and unsigned recording artist will immediately start accepting bit coins as a form of payment. And before we know it, bitcoins are mainstream and will be used everywhere. The only real losers here will be the hipsters after a year or two, who will be eventually disappointed when they realize bitcoins are totally mainstream now.

"Bitcoin is a ponzi scheme and will NEVER be popular or mainstream, and I will continue to shout this mantra for any story on bitcoins on Slashdot. This includes stories that contradict my position - such as this one. As a tekkie of some sorts, I am still bitter that I never involved myself with bitcoin mining during the early days despite having the resources available at the time - and I will continue spewing this nonsense until this self-fulfilling prophecy becomes true. Either that or I work for a bank / paypal"

And your point is? A collectible is a collectible. Does that mean my personally signed, limited edition discography with the number #823 / 1000 is any less valuable? If anything that increases the value

Incorrect. We don't know what he said - perhaps you have some absolutist position on discussion over the internet - that *anything* can be said without being an arrestable offense. How about some reminders of things that are said that are most certainly illegal?

- Yelling fire in a crowded theater (inciting panic)
- Incitement to ethnic or racial hatred
- Extortion
- Threats of violence, rape or murder

I shouldn't have to re-iterate that old mantra of "not all free speech is free!", and you may disagree on the law on some points like what "racial hatred" is exactly. But if you don't like what someone said and send them a message saying you will find and murder them - do you honestly believe that you shouldn't go to jail? Threats of murder get you jail time, whether it's done in person, over the phone, or over the internet - despite being "just something you said".

Mods, can you please stop modding these False Equivalencies as Insightful? It's getting really annoying. "Demicans and Republocrats are the same!! THE SAME I say. They both vote the same on these issue!" Except that whenever this mantra is repeated, you cherry pick your topics to fit your narritive of "new boss, same as the old boss". NDAA agreement, warrant-less wiretapping, war on drugs, war on Afghanistan, regard for the Bill of Rights or Constitution. The SAAAAAME I tell you!

Oh, did you leave out a few key topics where they parties might not have aligning values? Gee, how about abortion, same-sex rights (and general tolerance / attitude towards gay folk), thoughts on military spending, healthcare for the poor? Because when I hear of some US politician denying evolution and promoting intelligent design teaching in school, I would bet my life savings that there's an R next to their name in the ballot and not a D. One party (and their members) acknowledge climate change as real, and the other party has some members blaming hurricanes on gay marriage! You bet your fucking ass there's a difference between parties.

We get it. You're bitter about the two party system. Maybe the Libs or Greens are a much better choice for you, and get a somewhat passing grade in your hypothetical leadership, morals and ethics test - but they aren't getting elected any time soon. Maybe the D and R candidates both get a failing grade in your test (say 50%). But if one scores a 5% and the other gets a 40% grade, that's a huge difference - you don't get to say "Well they both get an F grade and both fail - therefore they're equally bad".