Here in the UK, the standard is for all phones to be supplied network-locked (unless you buy a SIM-free handset from a non-mainstream supplier). I believe that retailers are obliged to provide a non-locked handset if you specifically ask for one, but they typically get around that by not having them in stock - they rely on the facts that most people a) don't know they can get an non-locked device if they ask for it, or b) don't want to wait for a non-locked device to come into stock.

HP are pretty good with this kind of information now, too (and not just for laptops). There's a wealth of information and videos in their 'Customer Self Repair' section online here: http://h20464.www2.hp.com/index.html

making it possible for anyone to access the information simply by cutting-and-pasting.

Surely it's 'copying-and-pasting'?!

....how much ice did you catch?

From TFA:

This might be true in the US, but in other regions the PlayTV hardware add-on enables you to do exactly that. PlayTV allows you to watch live free-to-air TV and HDTV through the PS3, and record those programs to the PS3's hard drive. I bought the PlayTV add-on (I'm in the UK) as it was cheaper than buying a standalone DVR for free-to-air broadcasts, and have found it to be easier to use and far more reliable than the standalone alternatives available here

I think you'd be hard pushed to find too many cinemas in the UK where the owner is actually on site when you show up to watch a film - they're nearly all owned by the big chains these days unfortunately. Also, we pay for things in Pounds Sterling in the UK.... for the time being, at least.

Don't all new PS3 games check that you have a certain minimum firmware installed, and force you to update to that minimum before you can play the game? I.e. your current games may well work, but will newly released ones?

This appears to be nothing like the Nokia service from TFA. All this is is a pre-pay credit card (of which there have been many available in the UK for a while now), which is only available to O2 customers and has the added function that they send you a text message when your balance changes. It does not let you pay for your stuff with your mobile, and it does not let you top it up using your mobile phone (although you can top it up at O2 shops and mobile phone 'Pay Points').

From TFA:

Don Foster said: "The Conservatives' incompetence when they were in government has made laws designed to ...protect children from harmful DVDs unenforceable"

I don't think a law passed in 1984 was designed for DVDs, considering they were still ten years from making an appearance at that time.

I've had no problems using VGA on several different HD TVs - you just need to set the resolution to the native resolution of the screen.