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Comment: Re:Actuarially, no. (Score 1) 676

The people who are ill are not the the problem. The people who are fine and think they can use a "free" service as much as they like are.

If only there were some way to dis-incentivize abuse of the system. Perhaps by attaching some sort of monetary cost to health care, in proportion to the level of labor and resources required to produce the service. But how would we determine the appropriate monetary cost? It's not like this sort of calculation happens invisibly and automatically.

Iranian coder faces execution 'for building smut w->

Submitted by
phands
phands writes "The Register is running a story from Amnesty International about the case of Saeed Malekpour, whose only crime was to write photo uploading software that was later used by pornographic websites without his permission. Malekpour, who has permanent residence status in Canada, has been in prison since he was arrested in October 2008 during a visit to see his terminally ill father. He is facing a death sentence.

If as many organisations as possible make this travesty public, there may be a chance to save a life."
Link to Original Source
Businesses

How the US Lost Out on iPhone Work

Submitted by
Hugh Pickens writes
Hugh Pickens writes writes "Not long ago, Apple boasted that its products were made in America. Today, almost all of the 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other products Apple sold last year manufactured overseas. "It isn’t just that workers are cheaper abroad," write Charles Duhig and Keith Bradsher. "Rather, Apple’s executives believe the vast scale of overseas factories as well as the flexibility, diligence and industrial skills of foreign workers have outpaced their American counterparts so much that “Made in the U.S.A.” is no longer a viable option for most Apple products." Apple executives say that going overseas, at this point, is their only option and recount the time Apple redesigned the iPhone’s screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day. “The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” says one Apple executive. “There’s no American plant that can match that.” Apple’s success has benefited the US economy by empowering entrepreneurs and creating jobs at companies like cellular providers and businesses shipping Apple products but ultimately, Apple executives say curing unemployment is not Apple's job. “We don’t have an obligation to solve America’s problems. Our only obligation is making the best product possible.”"
Crime

Weaponizable Police UAV Now Operational in Texas-> 2

Submitted by crackspackle
crackspackle writes "The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in suburban Houston, Texas is preparing to launch operations with a newly received Vanguard Defense Industries Shadowhawk MK-III unmanned aerial vehicle, paid for by grant money received by the Department of Homeland Security. The MK-III is a product marketed for both military and law enforcement applications. Michael Buscher, chief executive officer of manufacturer Vanguard Defense Industries, said this is the first local law enforcement agency to buy one of his units. "The aircraft has the capability to have a number of different systems on board. Mostly, for law enforcement, we focus on what we call less lethal systems," he said, including Tazers that can send a jolt to a criminal on the ground or a gun that fires bean bags known as a "stun baton.You have a stun baton where you can actually engage somebody at altitude with the aircraft. A stun baton would essentially disable a suspect," he said. "To be in on the ground floor of this is pretty exciting for us here in Montgomery County," Sheriff Tommy Gage said. The MK-III also has more lethal options available, capable of carrying either a 40mm or 37mm grenade launcher or 12 gauge shotgun with laser designator. Sheriff Gage has stated he has no immediate plans to outfit his drone with weapons."
Link to Original Source

Comment: Re:So *that* is how it works... (Score 1) 527

by Aragorn DeLunar (#33847426) Attached to: Facebook Billionaire Gives Money To Legalize Marijuana

There should be campaign finance laws, of course, but the law is a blunt instrument. The problem has to be attacked at its root.

Precisely. The root cause is that the government is in the business of taking large sums of money from some groups and giving it to other groups. This creates incentives for lobbying, whereby people seek to get a slice of the government pie, at the expense of real production which enriches a nation.

Comment: So...? (Score 5, Insightful) 484

by Aragorn DeLunar (#33772616) Attached to: 'The Laws Are Written By Lobbyists,' Says Google's Schmidt

Who do you want writing laws that govern complicated industries (high-tech, medical, etc.): a bunch of politicians, or people who actually work in those respective industries? Does the average congressman with a law degree understand the nuances of intertube technology (too soon? nah.), for example? I have no problem with industries proposing or even drafting legislation, provided that our elected representatives and their staffs actually read and digest the bills to ensure that the law is fair, enforceable, and beneficial.

Comment: Re:Dark Wizard for Sega CD (Score 1) 272

by Aragorn DeLunar (#33453400) Attached to: The Best Video Games On Awful Systems

Dark Wizard and the Lunar series for Sega CD are easily in my all-time top 10. I find myself wondering why we haven't seen any Sega CD games on Virtual Console, since there are games for other CD-based systems.

The cynic in me tends to think that Nintendo has discovered that time spent playing classic games means less money spent on new releases. The recent trend for Virtual Console and WiiWare leans heavily toward novelty games with a short lifespan.

Comment: Why Privacy? (Score 2, Interesting) 926

by Aragorn DeLunar (#33375576) Attached to: GPS Tracking Without a Warrant Declared Legal

Because a government that can search any person at any time can incriminate anyone it wants.

"During a routine anti-terrorism sweep, civil liberties activist John Doe was found to be in possession of methamphetamine, child pornography, concealed weapons, and pirated ABBA songs. He was immediately taken into custody and is being held at an undisclosed location for the public's safety..."

Right now we have an important check in the form of a search warrant. Before searching me, a law enforcement agent must demonstrate to a judge probable cause that I have committed, or will commit, a crime. It's not perfect, and there are notable loopholes, but at least there is some documentation and accountability.

Brain off-line, please wait.