Pin tumbler locks are actually very simple devices. They're quite easy to disassemble. You can physically inspect the pins and see that there are only regular bottom pins (no master pins). That being said, they're extremely easy to pick. I saw a locksmith pick one (the kind you find on your front door) in seconds with a pick gun (it "bounces" the pins to the shear line). On a separate note, I'm posting this purely for technical interest (/. is news for nerds after all). I do agree with your argument, technical reasons aside. People have to trust professionals in subjects they're unfamiliar with, and some of those people, because they're people, will violate that trust.

The term "cyber war" really annoys me. Let's save the use of the word "war" for conflict in which real people are killed and "weapon" for devices that are used to kill real people or destroy real property. I hate propaganda bullshit.

Actually, I went to the setting to opt out, and I found that I was already opted out "based on my current activity." So they've seen that I don't like that sort of thing (because I've opted out in the past) and respected that preference.

I just got a smart TV, but I've left it entirely disconnected from the network. I connected a Debian box running XBMC to it. I trust that machine far more than whatever is running on the smart TV. The rule for my trusted network is: if I don't have root, it's not trusted. And root is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for trust. For example, my Kindle is rooted, but I still don't entirely trust it since Amazon still has remote control over it.

Google Nose is real?

Which city/cities are you talking about? Private businesses have to post a no-gun sign in order to prohibit lawful concealed carry on their premises, and illegally carrying into one of these businesses is usually treated as a matter of criminal trespassing - a misdemeanor (although you'll still lose your CCW permit). Government buildings are a different story - federal buildings are always felonies, although state buildings can differ (e.g. Ohio-> felony, Oregon-> OK w/ permit).

The rest of your comment is excellent advice for future CCW holders. For anyone with a CCW, always remind yourself of your responsibility every time you put on your weapon.

Setting a good password on your PC to protect the personal information on it is useless unless you also have full disk encryption. Unless you've enabled some form of remote access, the password to your home PC is useless to a remote hacker. The best practice for securing the personal info on your PC is to keep it in a secure location (i.e. your house). If the PC leaves your house, encrypt it. If someone's physically broken in, you have bigger issues to worry about.

I have a Kindle paperwhite (a "normal" kindle). I have rooted it, and I am able to ssh into it. It runs Linux:
[root@kindle root]# uname -r
2.6.31-rt11-lab126

It looks like it has most of the GNU stuff, so in that sense it is more familiar than Android.

I'm not disagreeing with you - it's a device built for a single purpose. It just uses a general computer to do so.

I shit you not - the rules you just described are the ones in use at my bank! Needless to say, I plan to switch soon.

They weren't thinking 4th-dimensionally. ;-)

Me and my $5 wrench disagree. ;)

Are you suggesting...to RTFA? Oh No! ;)

... due to lack of physical access. :-(

If they continue to make it difficult for me to enjoy video at home without advertising or other ridiculous restrictions, I'll read a book instead. Besides, a lot of the movies / TV shows today aren't really worth watching anyways. I can read some of the classics, and many of those are in the public domain. :)

You're absolutely right about how businesses must be regulated after they get to be a certain size. Just look at the gilded age. There was a whole bunch of new manufacturing technology, and businesses saw an opportunity to make a shit ton of $$ on it. They abused the system, and people got pissed off and demanded reforms, which led into the progressive era.

I think that we're going through a similar phase with computers. Right now, there is little regulation, and the companies are taking full advantage of that. However, I think that more and more people will get pissed off at the tracking and invasion of privacy. Many people fought very hard to bring in the reforms of the progressive era. I hope people today will fight to bring in the reforms needed to keep up with today's tech.