I agree, this is a nice device and I am considering getting one as well to replace my aging laptop. I've had my hands on a model 2 which got me interested... for work-related stuff on the go, I still prefer Windows over OSX, Linux, iOS or Android, despite a few flaws.

The only thing that comes to mind after seeing those outdoor pictures in the article: please give us a model with a matte display. I dislike glossy screens in general, but on tablets that will probably be used outside in the sun they are positively horrible. In the photos you can hardly see the screen for all the glare.

Exactly. So in order to secure your phone, you want to throw as many obstacles in the path of the thief as possible.
PIN lock? Good.
PIN lock w/ 3 attempts and automatic wipe after? Better.
Automatic wipe if the phone has not been unlocked in a certain period of time? Even better.
Allowing unlock after a certain amount of time only if the phone can contact a certain server (so it can receive and a remote wipe command if one was issued)? Better still.
Data-at-rest is encrypted? It better be.

To get past security measures like these, you need a fair amount of skill and sophisticated tools. Casual thieves, law enforcement and probably many intelligence agencies will have a pretty hard time getting at this data. The NSA, who knows. But if there's a root exploit that only relies on the ability to hook up your phone to a PC, all of the above is pointless, and any punk off the street will be able to get at your stuff.

I read somewhere else that the remaining vulnerability involved "plugging the phone into a PC". A modified charger might exploit the vulnerability equally well, and it already sounds a lot worse than requiring my direct consent.

For some people (upper management, dissidents and the like), secure communication is not sufficient, they also need the phone to remain secure if it is lost or stolen. If having posession of the phone is the only thing that stands in the way of rooting it using this exploit, it is a serious flaw indeed.

Italian Fascism had very little to do with rounding up and slaughtering of millions. I think you're confusing fascist Italy with nazi Germany.

With that said, the USA is a far cry from a totalitarian fascist state; they certainly have not taken the underlying ideology to heart. However, there certainly are some aspects that are creeping in the practice if not the ideals of US government, it seems. That was GPs point, I believe.

Your job (most jobs anyway) includes working with others. Yes, fucking up too often will ultimately get you fired, but if you think a sterling reputation as a coder will let you get away with being an a-hole, think again. Abrasive personalities and prima-donna attitudes can ruin a team just as badly as a poor coder, and if you regularly rip into other developers in public for making mistakes, you will likely be the one being called in for a serious conversation with your manager.

In case of Linux kernel development, Linus doesn't have one of course, he pretty much is the CEO on that endeavor.

This has nothing to do with political correctness; this has to do with being polite and professional. A useful attitude when dealing with other people, and that goes double when you are a public figure whose word carries a lot of weight. You and he may think being abusive is fine and gets results, well, more power to you. But it also means people will simply start avoiding you and your projects.

6 years ago I set myself a goal that I have reached since: to never work for any asshole again, and to set myself up so that I can comfortably walk away from any job. Now I know I can walk away, and it makes a world of difference in the way I approach my work. My managers also know it, and it makes a difference there too, and in my view I enjoy an altogether healthier working relationship with them. The world needs Linus more than it needs most of us, but that doesn't mean any of us have to stand there and take his abuse while kowtowing to him. The guy needs a good dose of humility.

Not to mention the modifications we have to make to the creationist parks.

From what I understand of the effects of solar flare, there's no point in hardening electronics against them as the effects caused in short conductor runs are minimal. It affects power grids because of the length of conductors involved. Regular surge protection will protect plugged-in electronics against secondary effects on the grid.

That's the problem. My country decided to buy these things and participate in the development as a level 2 partner. That has some advantages, and at the time was cheaper than buying off the shelf, plus we got a good deal of offset orders for our own aerospace industry. However, the projected cost per plane has already increased by 45%, and it's still not clear how much the final sticker price will be, or how the plane will perform.

The one big advantage of buying off the shelf is: you know what you're getting and at what price. However I also know how the Dutch military likes to buy stuff: off the shelf is never good enough, and every design needs "to be peed on", as the expression goes, meaning everyone must be allowed to give input as if marking their territory.

I read "morphine dimples" at first. Then I got disappointed.

Now all we need is a functional aircraft...

Typical for a class action suit: millions for the lawyers, gift certificates for the claimants.

An interesting view. I don't agree that there are no consultants who understand the use of project management, in fact, more and more consultants come trained in formal methodologies for project management, change management, requirements capture, architecture, etc. And consultants increasingly come in to do more than code: they understand they need to know the business, and that means talking to people and attending meetings instead of coding all day.

Interestingly, I got some gigs as a consultant because I didn't care for project management and following "proper process", but with an understanding of when it's important to document, get agreement, stick to the rules, and think things through. I got hired to do emergency work and innovative (highly volatile) pilot projects that teams of employees or consultants with compartimentalized skillsets and training to follow procedures simply could not complete in a satisfactory manner. Nice work if you can get it...

"We're willing to wipe the slate clean, give you a fresh start. But tell me mr. Anderson, what good is a job if you're unable to speak...?"

I for one welcome our self-compensating robotic overlords. Break a leg!