If it turns out these crashes are Windows blue screens, the media will jump all over Microsoft. But considering everything else we're heard about this poorly run oil rig, it just as easily could have been poor third party/custom software or faulty hardware causing kernel panic, and have nothing to do with MSFT.

No one can take advantage of you without your permission. If you provide free on-call services, that's because you allow it.

More than a speedy bios, an SSD makes a bigger difference in boot times. I use PCs all day, but my new MacBook with SSD boots fast! From the "chime" to the login screen is 5.5 seconds.

The article says that these satellites are rarely used right now, and a full replacement system is coming online in 2009. Frankly, why bother to crack down when the problem is going to solve itself in a few months? And why crack down now when the problem has been going on for so long?

It will be interesting to see if the US shuts down these satellites entirely when the time comes, or leaves them on and operational and open to piracy. My guess is they will waste the budget money and keep them online far too long.

The complaints about "shortcomings" are misguided.

I only need Skype in wifi hot spots. Domestically, I use my cell phone minutes for phone calls. If I need to call internationally from my iPhone, I use Skype-To-Go, their relay service.

I only need VOIP when I'm out of the country. I'm not going to use iPhone data roaming because it is too expensive. But there are plenty of free wifi spots around the globe.

Fring has been so unreliable for me, an official Skype client has me very excited. When I'm in Cabo or Canada (or anywhere overseas) for a weekend, and I want to call home, this is where a Skype client is perfect! Find a wifi hot spot and dial away!

Of course they can go offline, and you are wrong to be upset about it. Gmail is:

1. Free
2. In Beta

Even if it were not free and were not in beta, unless you are paying for 100% guaranteed uptime, they are still allowed to go offline. Sure, no one wants to be without email for a few hours, but we'll survive. If it's that important to you, get a paid 100% uptime service with a solid backup plan.

I'm amazed how people get worked up about short outages like this. Stuff happens.

1. I'm sure you can find lots of gigs on Craigslist or through a recruiter. Through a recruiter, you'll probably find more jobs that want you onsite during the day, which will interfere with your real job.

2. Which leaves you with looking for freelance gigs via Craigslist and such. The majority of those projects will be from people with little understanding of what they really need, and even less money. As a result, you should be picky about the jobs you take. You need to understand their business model, not just their programming needs.

3. I recommend against making fixed-price bids on freelance projects. Hourly is much easier for you to manage, and keeps the client from feature-creeping you. It's fine to give estimates, meet their budgets, but don't fall into the trap of fix-price bidding on an undefined project! Yes, it is harder to negotiate and win an hourly contract vs fixed-price, but it is worth it. (You will get burned on a fixed price project: it will happen to you, as it does to all new freelancers, so here's my "I-told-you-so" in advance!)

4. Collections. Collecting payment needs to be easy, and often isn't. Do not deliver source code until you are paid. Have a contract stating that payment indicates acceptance. Show them frequent builds and let them see and use the software frequently so that invoices are not a surprise. When you don't get paid, stop working.

I also advise taking on an easy project to start. Make sure it is a slam dunk for you and get a taste for whether or not you want to keep doing freelance projects. Good luck!

Jobs had a Whipple procedure -- a major operation that removes part of the pancreas and re-wires hit guts. The 5-year survival rate is around 25%, and Steve is right at the 5 years. I could not find 10-year survival stats, but even with a successful surgery and claims that he is "cancer-free", a Whipple means a shortened life span. Weight loss is a known complication. But who is he kidding? He's skipping the keynote because of his health. He's probably skinnier and more sickly-looking than before, and any other excuse is just that: an excuse. Warren Buffet knows he is not immortal, and while he has not named his specific successor, he has made numerous statements that it is taken care of, and Berkshire Hathaway is fully prepared for his eventual death. Jobs needs to do the same, and now. I hope he stays at Apple for a long time, but realistically he could be dead in a year.

Damn straight. I'm paraphrasing here, but I believe he said or posted something like "I was only behind one proxy, and when I realized what I'd done, I had a "OH $T!" moment, changed the pw, and posted it online." And he used a traceable email address when he posted and admitted what he'd done. That proxy may not have been enough to hide him from an investigation, but he sealed his fate when he used that email address. Even if that proxy had been traced back to his IP address, he could have STFU and have already poured some Clorox onto his computer. Poor kid, he needs to get punished, but any prison time is just cruel and unusual.