I thought the point of Chrome native stuff was that a layer of abstraction was removed?

You can get something very much like that. Take a look at the low end LGs. The LG Optimus Chat C550 claims a 18-odd days battery life and Android based.

Right now we have the best range of phones every. Everyone can get something that is close to what they want, from "true" dumb/feature phones (Nokia 100), to high end feature phones (Nokia 515), up to basic, long-lasting smart phones (Optimus Chat C550) right the way up full-blown PDAs with phones attached (Galaxy Note).

Alas a set of people refuse to look beyond the headline and start screaming about "dumb phones" without ever actually looking into what is on the market.

No I really don't. But I think we have gone as far as we can can. I'm glad it meets a need you have, but I just don't see it.

> Most people DON'T know these things, so there's that.

But most people will not have what is clearly a geeky toy. So this only really helps reviewers of cables.

> USB charging is absolutely a confusing mess.

I've never really come across this confusing mess. Now I don't own any Apple devices, but my mix of Android devices have all charged fine with a mix of USB cables connected to a mix of plugs (ranging from battery packs to wall sockets). Sure the PC may charge slower than the wall socket but I don't see why most people would care.
The Apple charger might not charge the Android at all, but that is something that you will notice without a $25 tool.

We have a known bad combination - Apple charger, Android phone. How does this help? It will tell us it is bad, but we know that.

If I've read the kick starter thing correctly (and I may have it wrong) this is two bits, a tester and a cable that will ensure you get the best charge from your USB port.

The tester only really works after you have bought a device, which is a little to late in my mind, esp. when you could buy a just $25 charger and be reasonably sure you are getting something good.

Sure you could say that send the charger back if you get a "dud" but that again will cost more (factoring in time) than just buying a good reasonably priced charger in the first case.

I'm sure it has uses (8000-odd people think it does), I just don't see them.

In this case you are talking about the "better cable" rather than the cable tester, and would the "better cable" really help in the case of the car charger?

But how does what looks to me like a cable tester help me with that?

The good usb cable I get. But that is not worth $25 is it?

From the sounds if it you don't need a $25 dongle to say "this port is rubbish" and you could spend said $25 on either a powered USB hub or plug.

At work I could plug my phone into the computer or... Buy a second plug, that seams a bit pointless even it if it does knock and hour of the phones charging time.

At home I do have choice, but why would I really worry as each night it gets charged and has all night. So again an hour does not really matter.

What am I missing from this?

The money invested in SETI is then invested in other companies.
The returns from this then pays for SETI and the people who owns the bonds (this would have to be a tiny return for the bond owners).

Once the SETI program finishes the investments in other companies is closed and the amount left over is given back to the bond owners.

What is the reasoning behind that?

I think you are taking a extreme example here. Most school can not afford to give away iPads. To take a different extreme my daughters local school (in Greece) can not afford a room full of reasonable computers and uses hands-me-downs from its students and teachers.

>Only if you don't want a monitor with it.

You plug it into your existing tellybox (or a new one for them ). That is how I see my daughter using hers when she gets a little older.

Personally I see the monitor mentioned in TFA aimed at the "adult hackers playing with their new toy" set of the RasPi market rather than the "kids having complete ownership of a computer" part.

Cool. Do they speak either HDMI (Ideally) or analogue TV?