I have CDs going back to the 1980s which still play. This article confirmed my suspicion that they will not last forever and I don't want to spend the $$$ to replace my 400+ CDs with another media that the record cartels control like BluRay with the movie cartels. When the mp3 format came along, I found an encoder (RazorLame) that did an excellent job of maintaining the fidelity of my CDs so I proceeded to rip my entire collection. I heard some horrid fidelity mp3s on filesharing sites due to bad encoders so I don't download music nor do I upload my rips. The original CDs are now backups which are ripped to lossless and lossy formats. I'm covered in case those CDs start dying, and I also have redundant backups on different media other than disc platter technology in case my mp3 collection gets hosed. The record cartels hated mp3s but copyright law permits personal backups and there has been no legal case or precedent against personal backups.

Please, PLEASE do the same to the EPA. If you read the recent news, one of the staff who just got a bonus was spending most of his taxpayer-funded work hours downloading p0rn. This is a wonderful solution to that problem.

Successful Sony Formats... + CD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C... [wikipedia.org]

The audio CD wasn't a format developed solely by Sony, it was a collaborative team effort between Sony and Phillips both of whom had been independently developing the technology. Development of that format started in 1974 long before Sony was a content provider. In fact when the infamous rootkit scandal emerged, Phillips called out Sony because the rootkit media did not conform with the "redbook" audio CD specification and should not carry the audio CD label.

The biggest reason why audio CD was a successful format was because the audio CD specification contained no provision for DRM.

I have traveled internationally. Automobiles in Germany have a keyless ignition with push button start. If your fob is within proximity of the control panel, the button starts the engine. They have it in Ford, Mercedes, and BMW autos that I have rented. I liked the system.

Color me reluctant, but I have no interest because Sony is notorious for proprietary formats that lock you into their product and I still despise their hostile disposition for customers when they gave us the rootkit scandal.

I pulled the plug on broadcast and cable television back in 2000. Nothing worthwhile to watch and too many ads. My brother brought DVDs of newer shows and I've no interest in them either. I've lost any desire to waste time watching television, and these legal battles do more to drive me away from it all. The content owners don't want to play nice and I refuse to patronize such villiany.

Just who is the devil here?

Hate to be playing devil's advocate but a common tactic to shield assets from the taxman has been to transfer them to children.

While this may be a good tool to combat such tactics, it does have unintended consequences in harming those who can least afford it.

It's a well known fact that the IRS doesn't have the resources to resolve debts against the rich armed with a loaded legal and financial warchest. So they go after those who are least able to resist. This isn't a fair law at all.

My work cell phone is provided by my employer. I have my own personal cell phone, which is 100% separate from my employer. I will not provide that cell number to my employer. Period. When I get home from work, I turn off the work cell phone. If they contact me during off-duty hours, I won't get the message until I am on duty. If my employer demands my personal cell number, then in return I demand that they reimburse my cell phone bill 100%. It is not an unreasonable demand and they never follow through. Why do we need a law for this?

Why do I need a camera to see my rear view? They make my ass look big.

No-fly lists simply shouldn't exist, regardless of whether or not they can work. The idea that you can be considered too dangerous (Without a trial!) to fly and yet not dangerous enough to arrest is absurd. As others have said, this is just used for oppression.

There was one case of the no-fly list being used against US Sen Edward Kennedy, proof that it is a tool that can be exploited for political retaliation and oppression.

This doesn't work as an explanation because corporations in countries other than the U.S. (with faster speeds) are also greedy. So corporate greed isn't the cause per se. It may be necessary, but its not sufficient.

Other countries don't have lobbying loopholes where corporations can buy their own laws or have the issues with regulatory capture that the US does.

Why not laptops? Why not cars? Why not any of a thousand things that are stolen all the time.

I wouldn't mind this as much in cars or laptops. I'm pretty sure I could disable it if I wanted. But in a smartphone? How?

This whole thing gives me the creeps

Smartphones are a tool of civil protest. The government can selectively "kill" Smartphones and effectively crush any rebellion. Ukraine and Iran have already demonstrated that power.

The same can't be said about cars or laptops.

This is just another flawed redistribution of wealth scheme that will ultimately fail.

It takes away the incentive to progress up the ranks because the tax progressively reduces any gain in income.

When does this tax "expire"? After the New York State Thruway was opened in the 1950s they put a toll on vehicles to pay for its construction. The construction costs have long been paid for yet the toll remains. This "tax" is just another revenue generator for the state treasury to fund projects with no relevance to the Thruway.

After the tax, the take home income will be driven down to the income level of uneducated workers. Why put all that effort going through college when you don't gain a better income? Students will see this disparity and turn down higher education. This starts a cycle of collapse in the system. Fewer graduates, loss of tax revenue, loss of distribution to colleges, reduction of professors and staff, reduction of tuition enrollment, reduced opportunities to citizens, followed by even fewer graduates...

Government has already raided Social Security and other social programs. What is to stop them from raiding my tax dollars targetted for college tuition to prop up increasing welfare rolls when more able-bodied workers drop out of the labor market?

The tax punishes a self-sustained independent lifestyle and marriage. You can only live with your parents long enough to evade the tax, but if you marry or have to move away to find a job you have to get your own dwelling. Then your income drops due to the tax. Need to apply for a mortgage for a house? Your drop in income lowers your credit score which means higher interest rate. Home sales will drop because college graduates will have trouble getting approved for a mortgage.

Political abuse. Obama has already used government to punish political enemies and has proposed education reform that is vulnerable to institutions being refused federal assistance if they oppose or criticize the agenda of the POTUS. This is a very good reason why government should stay out of higher education.

Ultimately the long term problems will outweigh the short term gains. "Share my work ethic not my wealth" rings so true.

IBM stands for International Business Machines.

Actually, for the employees, IBM also stood for "I've Been Moved", as in, "transferred".
Now I guess they have changed that to "IBS", as in, "I've Been Sold".

"I Bought a Mac"

That REALLY ruffled some feathers in the halls at IBM :)

This bill proposes to put the kill switch under the control of law enforcement officials. That's asking for abuse from an oppressive government. Look how Obama has used IRS, ATF, OSHA, and other agencies as political weapons to intimidate political enemies.

If the government were REALLY concerned for the public good, they would put the kill switch under the control of the CONSUMER. We already have it for credit cards - we call up a phone number, report it stolen, and wala credit card becomes an instant brick. There is no reason this couldn't be done for mobile devices.