Seriously, unless there is a very real business need ( and no, the CIO jumping up and down about TEH CLOUDS is not a legitimate business need ), keep your data under your control. Not only does this alleviate the problem of bailout should your provider die on short notice, but it also solves the security of cloud data rather nicely.

Granted, that someone even has to point this out shows just how deep the marketing bullshit is on this.

Well, the practice will be illegal anyway. But it always has been, and we see that no one really pays attention to that pesky "legality" question, so what'll probably happen is that it will get a new window dressing, be secret, and no one will be the wiser.

Oh, it'll still be illegal, but that's what gag orders are for.

I have a radical idea. If we accept that game developers are going to have the moral equivalency of a used car salesman with a crack addict to support, how about we ( the customers ) stop giving said addicts OUR GOD DAMNED MONEY FOR SHIT.

Anyone who gives these greedy SOBs a single cent are part of the problem.

How about we hire and promote based on merit and competency?

++ Would read again.

I've got a porter and an ale bubbling away at home, as we speak. Bonus: Don't throw away the spent grains! Make bread instead!

Yes, and?

How my users react to it. I demoed 8 to my users, and got a resounding "HELL NO", due entirely to the start screen. They weren't buying it, and I don't blame them.

Given the leaks so far, I expect my users will be onboard with the new version ( possibly with some grumbling about the "look" ). But I won't really know until I get it in front of them for some feedback.

hahahahaha

No, what we're seeing is one of two things:

1) They've already figured out how to milk this suggestion for every dime ( and given enough time, they'll figure out how to milk even MORE out of it )

2) They see which way the wind is (hopefully) blowing, and realize a compromise NOW might let them salvage some of the situation.

In either case, telling them to go "pound sand" is still the correct response. AT&T and their ilk have screwed over customers for years. There is no reason to suddenly adopt an attitude of cooperation with them, knowing full fucking well the only reason they're doing so is to find a place to stick the knife.

And for heaven’s sake, don’t consent to a search if you are carrying a big roll of legitimate cash.

You never consent to a search. Make them get a warrant or conduct an illegal search. You may have just bought the car. It may have absolutely NOTHING personal in it. You still don't consent to a search.

Period.

Well, cost and interest. As we both touched on, the tech just isn't that interesting. That plus the cost pretty much covers this story.

If companies really want the smart watch to take off, they'll have to drop the cost and increase it's interest factor.

Can you really have a "war" when you no one shows up?

Don't get me wrong, some of these smart watches rate as "neat", but not for several hundred dollars. I could see dropping 100 bucks, maybe, on something that tracks health telemetry, but honestly? It'd probably have to be a gift before I got it.

This is kind of like saying 3D TV companies were in a war with each other. While that may have been true, consumers didn't notice because the tech just wasn't that interesting to them.

Seriously, having been stuck with rackspace email for as long as I have been, I can only expect things to get better. They could hardly get worse.

One of the beneficial side effects of places like Kaiser ( all in one insurance/provider ) is that they can communicate and enforce such policies as "No antibiotics for viral infections", often in spite of well meaning but ultimately clueless parents.

Smaller practices may still prescribe antibiotics for everything from a sniffle to a stubbed toe, but the bigger places are finally getting it. It's one of the few benefits of consolidating our health care as we are.

Seriously; in light of all the violations of our "privacy" by the government, what "rights" can we humans be said to retain?

Viewed in that light, however, the answer is probably a depressing "Yes".

So they *shouldn't* aggressively pursue profits?

Strange.