Yes, I agree. The raw data is only as useful as its interpretation. If the resources aren't out there to conduct that interpretation properly, then it invalidates the whole approach.

This is not to far away from the rape kits that have been stockpiled all over the US because the money isn't there to send them off to the crime lab.

GPS tracking is an outstanding concept. It allows convicts to live out in the world, with the understanding that if they cross certain geographic boundaries, they run the risk of intervention from the law. This can aid rehabilitation, if those boundaries are enforced, and it saves a pantload of money on housing them in jail.

One use I'd like to see: many repeat drunk drivers find ways to get access to vehicles, even with lifetime license bans. Set an alert on such a convict so that if they're travelling over, say, 30 mph, it sends an alert and if there's a patrol nearby, get them to pull the vehicle over and see if the convict is the one behind the wheel. Even if he isn't, it sends the message that he is always running the risk of being caught...

Windows 7 was expected to be a better performer than Vista right out of the gate, and if you paid attention to Microsoft's timeline you'd understand why. Here's the quick-and-dirty rundown: Windows XP was codenamed "Whistler", for the BC ski mountain, and essentially represented what was meant to be the ultimate development of the NT kernel. The next version was codenamed "Blackcomb" (for another ski mountain neighboring Whistler), and was intended to be a radical shift in the codebase to rely more on the .NET platform. The shift would be huge, and disruptive, since it would require a whole new driver model and would use new technologies for communications and presentation. It would, in fact, be such a disruptive shift that Microsoft elected to create an "interim" version that would maintain compatibility for the most part. The inside joke here is that the code name for this interim version was taken from a bar located right in between Whistler and Blackcomb, namely the "Longhorn". The trouble with "Longhorn" (which we all know and love now as Windows Vista) was that the attempt to maintain compatibility--AND improve security--led to some significant performance issues. Windows 7 resolves these issues, and it was always intended to. As it happens, netbooks have come on the scene, and they'll clearly have an impact for years to come. In many ways, these really are truly "personal" computers, and the technology has finally matured to the point that such machines can be both cheap and genuinely useful. It's just a happy coincidence that MS has been finalizing a leaner, better-performing OS to run on them

...but I'm definitely frustrated to have not one but TWO Barracuda 7200.11 drives fail. The first was DOA, and the RMA'd replacement just failed after only a few weeks. I've heard rumors that Seagate is returning different drives to customers. Like, larger ones. I'll wait and see.

You know, this technology could be used to distribute porn, too... ;)