Actually, I was just chuckling over the fact that "50,000 people a year die from second hand smoke" and "50,000 people a year die from coal power plant emissions" and 50,000 people a year die from prolonged seizures and 50,000 people a year die from alcohol poisoning.

Handy that these happen in blocks of 50,000.

No, you're thinking of second-hand smoke.

Yeah. Of the list, I picked Blackjack, but I'd prefer backgammon.

It's already called "Crowdsourcing."

No that's TLC.

Actually, I would adjust this slightly.

First, as Apple, I would take a weed whacker to the store and remove huge swaths of duplicate applications. I'd pick three to five apps for a particular category, based on the product and the developers' fealty to Apple. Apple doesn't want developers just dumping applications. Apple wants their customers to have a support mechanism for apps, they want the developers to quickly support iOS updates, etc. So the idea is that having your iOS App in Apple's App Store is a badge of honor for all of the various Apple users out there. Apple will also assist with marketing.

What about everything else?

Second, introduce side-loading. Apple might think your app sucks, but you believe in it. So you can sign a deal with a different non-Apple-labeled store. Or you can distribute it yourself. You'd still have to sign the application with a certificate from Apple creating, in theory, a paper trail if something goes wrong. Users might also get the appropriate warnings ("You're running an app from the Internet that could trash your phone, eat your children, and destroy the universe. Are you really really sure you want to do something so dangerous?") to try to...uh..."warn" them of the potential issues.

So, yes, you can sell your strip poker game, fart box, smuggle illegal immigrants game, or whatever App you see fit. Apple gets it's $99 from the developer for appropriate certificates but Apple doesn't get any of the action from sales.

Actually, I think you're off.

They use Helium at launch to prime the turbo-pumps that pump the fuel. I don't think they use Liquid Hydrogen for fuel--they use a special mixture of kerosene.

The Shuttle Main Engines (and the basis of the SLS) use liquid hydrogen for fuel.

They've done it before--ADB.

One issue, though, is how long would Apple maintain both? Yeah, Apple dumped 68K for PowerPC, but they also stopped developing PowerPC. When Apple switched to Intel, they stopped doing things for PowerPC.

They could probably switch the iPad Air to Intel. But what about the iPhone? Apple--and 3rd party developers--would probably end up supporting both ARM and Intel for several more years in iOS.

Yes, but it is the Internet. Thus, you must have a car analogy.

Your 1993 Escort Wagon is a fun example. It's got some extra room for carrying grass seed or lots of groceries. It gets good gas mileage. As a 1993 vehicle, it probably produces more smog than a newer vehicle. It has no torque, so you don't want tow anything uphill with it.

But it hits a certain sweet spot--it does everything you want a car to do.

By your original statement, I would have one car for going fast. I would have another car for carrying groceries. I would have a third car for towing a boat or carrying heavy things. Realstically, that's not going to happen because cars are too expensive.

But do I want four different devices? Do I want desktop with a nice big screen and high-performance for working at home, a laptop for working on the go, a tablet for light-tasks while I sit on the couch, and a phone for when I'm out and about? A company like Apple, of course, says that's exactly what I want and they are more than willing to sell me each of those devices.

What Microsoft is trying to do is find that sweet spot that, in a car, is filled by your 1993 Escort Wagon. Something that will satisfy the largest number of people. A jack of all trades and a master of none, if you will.

When I was in high school, they were remodeling three out of the four years I was there. Somehow, we all managed to survive. It did mean that some kids had to share lockers with their friends and the "class corridor" (i.e., senior corridor, freshman corridor) system sort of broke down as people tried to snag lockers where they could.

Which is fine--if you're not one of the millions of people.

Back in the late 90s, my roommate went back to Vietnam to visit some friends. She went back to the house she grew up in and discovered that almost all of the people who lived there had moved away. Why? Because the street they lived on was across from a hospital and it was tough for the ambulances to get in. So the government decided they were going to widen the street. So they told everybody, "Hey, we're widening the street and you may end up losing the front 6 feet from your house. Sorry about that." No wasting money buying property or law-suits or anything like that. Just a "You're fucked. Move on."

Of course, there's not much for disclosure rules, either. So what everybody did was sell their place to the next sucker in line and get out fast. Of course, once those people found out, they did the same thing.

What's funny is that had been going on for three years. The government still hadn't shown up to widen the street. In fact, when she went back in 2012, they still hadn't widened the street.

I kinda like that part of the 5th Amendment to the Constitution about "[...] nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." Yeah, it does gum up the works for worthwhile infrastructure projects, I agree. But I'd rather not wake up one morning and find the house that I live in is going to be part of a freeway and I'd better move...

That's actually kind of a funny idea...

Step 1: Set Cruise Control to 90 MPH.
Step 2: Activate Lane Control.
Step 3: Exit the vehicle. Yes, I know this is the hard part.
Step 4: Find a local bar and watch the police chase your car.

You might need to place a mannequin or something in the drivers seat...

If one person does it, they'll think he's a traitor.
If two people do it, they'll think they're both faggots.
If three people do it--imagine! Three people walking in, leaking information, and walking out? They'll think it's a terrorist organization.
And can you imagine 50 people walkin' in, leakin' information, and walkin' out?! They'll think it's a terrorist movement!

(Apologies to Arlo Guthrie...)

Yes.

Well, that's sort of the point, isn't it? You don't know what's being stored in there.

I believe Virgin America or Jet Blue allow you to order food from your seat--and you pay with a credit card. I don't remember if they have a credit card swipe at the seat or if you have to give it to the FA. Nowadays, also, they don't necessarily have free movies--you have to pay for them at the seat.

Now is it just taking the credit card info and authorizing immediately and calling itself done? Or is it recording your credit card so that if you order something else--some snacks with your movie, perhaps--you don't need to swipe it again? Or is it holding onto the information and waiting until the flight is over before submitting everybody's charges?

I'll admit, I don't know the answer to this. But I could easily believe that somebody's system holds onto credit card information...