I really like Hello SMS. It's a very simple interface. It's light on features, but has what most people probably really need, and some neat UI tricks I've not seen elsewhere.

Funny how all the other browser makers are able to make browsers that work across your multiple versions of Windows, but you, the makers of Windows, are unable to. Until you learn that lesson and actually DO something about it, you can rename your browser all you want. You'll notice that US West renaming itself to Qwest didn't work, and renaming themselves again to CenturyLink didn't help, either. Hmm...

My Nexus 5 thinks you don't know what you're talking about; it works just fine on T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint. Get with the times, man; it's ALL ball bearings now!

But probably not many. Slashdot admins could run a query to see; that would be vaguely interesting, but I've seen comments from several people who say they're using the site under a newer login than their original.

My bug has finally been fixed - if you've always wanted to vertically center text in a select box, you're now good to go. Seriously, filed it in November of 2010, as as I can recall.

Yeah, they apparently weren't able to roll out FIOS to anything other than outlying suburbs across most of the U.S. Not very many people are able to get FIOS, and they stopped expanding their service area a few years ago, and even sold off parts of their fiber network to other companies in certain markets. If you aren't in a FIOS service area now, you probably never will be.

Both Verizon FIOS users were reportedly very happy (other than their experience using Netflix).

Isn't there one near the Mexico border in NM that already exists?

Personally, I'm Eastern Orthodox Atheist.

But I'm not religious about it. :)

I posted an article describing the "why" a month ago. Totally not surprised that the current reform efforts exhibited the same arc.

That general model is exactly why this initiative collapsed as well. Several aspects of this reform - such as "attributable owner" rules, i.e., implementing laws that require patent applications to reveal the real party of interest in the case, as a measure addressing shell companies - were supported by large interests that benefited from them, and opposed by large interests that didn't. The result is stalemate, just as we've seen countless previous times in the patent "reform" discussion.

The only measures that make it through the "reform" system are mild improvements that don't affect some entities differently than others. And even those can be difficult - e.g., the first-to-file change in the America Invents Act is great for well-funded enterprises, but more problematic for small businesses. In that case, large enterprises simply steamrollered the opposition with lobbying cash.

The upshot is that the "reform" sytem is, itself, deeply dysfunctional. An additional tragedy is that efforts that would objectively improve the patent system for everyone, such as giving examiners more time to perform their examination and implementing more accountability for technically incorrect arguments, get lost in the struggle.

Which one is cheaper? Which one has better dispute resolution procedures?

The solution is simple: more innovation!

All they have to do is make a 'smart' 4K glasses-free 3D curved tv, and everybody wins!

How did the metro interface get in the way? With Windows 8.1.1, desktop stays in desktop. Did your wife only ever use 8.0? (if so that would explain a lot).

I find Win8.1.1 to be quite functional, usable, stable, and productive. I freely admit that 8.0 was kind of annoying unless you wanted to spend a fair amount of time tweaking and climbing a learning curve. But Win8.1.1 (without any Start8 crutches required) works pretty well.

Thinner... lighter... better screen... impressive touch and pen support... and a full PC... tons of innovation, and listening to feedback and acting on it in a very timely manner. Yeah, Microsoft, just cut that out (rolling eyes).