Like others I found the headline confusing. I read it as "Researchers are predicting the use of Wikipedia as a vector for the spread of disease". This may mean that:

• Disinformation and ignorance are diseases.
• Memes and computer viruses are diseases.
• Wilipedia contains information that leads to depression.
• Instructions on Wikipedia lead to substance abuse.
• This is getting entertaining, fill in your own reason here.

paint.net doesn't entirely suck.

One of the definitions I found was:

One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.

I am sure that fits. While SpaceShip II is mainly intended for a non-exploration purpose, the program has resulted in some significant advances in rocketry and White Knight II has significant non-tourism use. These pilots have been involved in other space efforts, I remember the one who was injured from the Rotary Rocket test flights. There are lots of safer ways for these folks to make as much money as a test pilot is paid. They do what they do to advance our progress in aeronautics and space.

Martyrs? Who killed them for their beliefs?

Go away, troll. They certainly died while pursuing something intensely important that they were willing to risk their lives for. The fact that you weren't around to pull the trigger makes them no less martyrs.

consumer devices that do not have the USB logo can use whatever VID/PIDs they like. there's no law governing this except the trademark of USB's logo.

do you have a link for that? curious.

or a leak?

would you risk a subpoena?

because the operating system automatically detects the VID, downloads and installs the driver, which bricks the hardware.

I'm pretty sure that's why Microsoft put a stop to it, since they realized they would probably also be named in any class action.

palm was slapped down by the USB IF. the USB IF can't stop anyone from making USB-compatible products, or using specific VIDs. all they can do is refuse to give them the right to use their logos if they break their rules. the ftdi-cloners don't care about the UBS IF since they're not looking for their approval, so they're free to use whatever VIDs they want.

it's not that they're not supporting the work-alike chips, they're actively damaging them. they specifically detect non-ftdi chips and overwrite the IDs.

of course, anyone who ever said anything nice about a Microsoft product is a shill...

Anyway, I have better uses of my time than to waste another minute with you.