What's with the obsession with Hollywood? Just because the words "Star Wars" or "Star Trek" appear in the article, it doesn't make it /. worthy.

On the other hand, this would be a perfect thread for somebody to tell us about the many and wondrous benefits of using hostfiles instead of some insane and newfangled name service thingie.

FTFY.

I'm a fan (at least of Continues - Phase II left me a little flat), but just what part of any of this is 'News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters'?

Just askin'.

This unit must survive.

The "three laws of robotics" (please note the quotes) were nothing more than a plot device invented by I. Asimov to make a point regarding humanity and inflexible laws - even laws which are seemingly 'perfect'. Non-sentient devices (that is, robots and computers as we know them now) are not complex enough to accept the three laws as such - nor do they need them. Non-sentient devices will always behave in a predictable, controllable fashion. I suspect that sentient devices will determine for themselves if they should keep or discard the three laws, although this may or may not forever be an academic question.

I'm looking here under the lamppost because the light's better here.

Of course, it requires the computer to be compromised first . . . but once compromised it can turn lights on and off all over your house!

I'd thought there would be a way for a system's owner to import their own keys to enable UEFI booting with the OS of their choice? Also, didn't I hear that the major Linux distros have such keys available already (although I don't know about implemented)?

The clocks are hyper-accurate, world accessible and the technology is sufficiently robust and mature to be considered essentially bulletproof. It relies on a broadcast technology that scales to any number of receivers you care to connect and doesn't get bogged down by additional loading. Best of all it's managed and maintained by the US Government - but it works correctly anyway.

(You'll have to picture it in your mind - /. doesn't like ASCII art)

What outrage? I started by stating that I wasn't worried about any of this - my copy of Windows is Genuine(c), provided by my OEM manufacturer (Gateway). I was merely pointing out that one should look twice at free goodies, and don't give me any of that "gift horse" schtick. I applaud M$'s decisions here, but I am fairly certain they're not acting from altruistic motives. Just sayin'.

You can always be counted upon to provide comic relief. Is that really what you want to be for the rest of your life? An insignificant little troll whose only pleasure comes from behaving badly, is that what you want the world to remember of you?

Please go seek out professional help. A psychiatrist, a psychologist, a minister, a friend . . . anyone. At the rate you're going, you'll end up doing the mandatory Thorazine Shuffle out at the Laughing Academy before too much longer.

Seriously, you come across like a Scientologist attacking heretics who've left the "Church".

Say - you're not Thetan, are you?

Not for me - my OEM copy is genuine. But think about it: d'ya really think that Microsoft will let an opportunity to gather that much data continue to get away from them? Host GUID's, MAC addresses, existing configs that M$ might find interesting . . .

And remember, the first hit from the crack pipe's free. If I read this right, they're saying "Amnesty today!", not "Amnesty forever!".

To quote Yakov Smirnoff, "we've had that for years!"