the buttons were at least half the reason why hp48g was the one!

You win! Eleven words to say what I said in volumes: http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3314779&cid=42279293

Reading that first patent is quite interesting. They basically patented a system of on screen objects that you can select in order to handle call waiting functionality....which was a new invention compared to the old way of using the 1,2,3 and send keys, which was confusing for people (according to the patent).

Highlights the ludicrousness of patents. "Hey man, this is groundbreaking stuff here, making a menu system with simple text labels instead of making people remember which number to press at which time". Pretty much NOTHING new about the idea, just the specific application to cell phones .... /LAME

The patent claims that before this awesome "invention" users had to hit either 1,2, or 3 on the keypad followed by the send button in order to manage the call waiting aspect of your phone. It also claims that you had to press a different number to control a given call waiting function (place on hold, hang up current call, combine calls into a three way call, etc) depending on what you were doing on the phone at the time, so this was confusing and cumbersome for users.

So this Sony employee "invented" a simple menu system (though the patent seems to cover any sort of system, aka apple's buttons which pop up on screen when you get a call waiting type of call) which lets you (via a scroll wheel and button, in the example) select "Hold" or "Disconnnect" or what have you by scrolling and clicking. In this way the user doesn't have to remember whether they should press 1, 2, or 3 and instead can just click on words to do what they want.

It's worthwhile to look at the images which contain samples of the menu system (as well as flow charts and block layouts of a typical GSM cell phone).

TLDR: This extremely generic/broad patent is for a simple system to handle call waiting on a cell phone. A system which is novel because it's easier to use than the old keypad based system in use at the time.

Consequently it's ridiculous.

A mere fraction of the annual defense budget :(

I think the slashdot editor read a little bit too much into this quote "It uses a GOTO instead of a more elegant loop." This doesn't mean it has no loop as stated here on slashdot.

This article is the least interesting thing in a long time. Sure it's sorta cool that one line makes a cool looking screen on your commodore, but to extrapolate the grand claims that the article and the book make is nuts!

Barely viable economically? You might want to look at how many houses are getting solar added every year. From experience I can tell you that it's thousands of homes per month and the pace is steadily increasing. When you consider solar on your home compared to the utility in your area over the next 20 years PV does a lot better than "barely viable economically". (Yes what I'm talking about is happening because of government subsidies, but those subsidies are HIGHLY effective, and within not too many years won't be necessary.)

While I heartily agree, it can be done. I have often used a 0.35 Rotring Rapidograph, but it requires good paper (smooth) and holding the pen within about 20 degrees of vertical. Fortunately this wasn't hard for me to accomodate, and I loved it.

I prefer Rotring because of the way the helix works (replaced with the cartridge, so no having to clean it).

Copic pens are what I use. Definitely can't push hard with the disposables but the aluminum bodied ones are amazing. Then again I get the sense that you want a different style of pen.

Available as a set at Dick Blick These are no Sakura pens, these things are made for professionals!

guess you were lucky

hahaha

Yes, and all criminals are logical like Spock. I still lean towards this guy being framed but, as you say, only time will tell

It's not out of his ass. Try the Wikipedia disambiguation page which states:

Foreign Intelligence Service - a term used by an Intelligence Service/Intelligence Agency to describe their (foreign) counterparts.

Correction, no one has used the Williams developed flywheel KERS system in F1. Every car to have run KERS to date has used a battery based system.

In any case, Porsche has demonstrated the flywheel based system and is going to use it in a production vehicle shortly.

Please stop underestimating the capability of engineers to DO THEIR JOBS......all the people on here talking about the safety need to go ahead and say out loud "i don't want to goto the 80th story of this building because, jeebus, I just don't know if they could make buildings that are that tall safe"...and then realize that your common sense is trumped by their engineering ability!