> Bruce Schneier has published an opinion piece saying that while Snowden did break the law, we need to investigate the government before any prosecution occurs.

The law is whatever the government makes it. That doesn't mean it's right. Sometimes laws are passed by congressmen bribed ^H^H^H receiving donations from lobbyists. Sometimes laws are passed by politocrats who figure whats the point of all that power if they can't use it. Absolute power may be a cliche, but look at how its changed Obama from a progressive socialist to someone who makes Bush look like a hippie. That doesn't make it right. Schneier needs to transcend Kohlberg's 5th stage. ghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg%27s_stages_of_moral_development and the Constitution makes this "law" illegal anyway. We just have to wait 5 years for it to work its way up to SCOTUS.

This opens up hitherto unknown surveillance opportunities for the government to keep a tab on the people, but the sight of a cockroach in their kitchen keeping an eye on them will freak out most people. So can I suggest the government add to those circuitboards a voice synthetiser so the cockroach can loosen up its surveillance target and get them to relax. 'Hi! How ya doing?' or 'Pasta again? LOL! [checks records] At least it's not Felafel!' Suggest voice over by Billy Crystal. You're welcome.

Yeah John. Get it through your thick head: You're not going home early on Friday. Now get back to work.

Australian government is now seizing bank accounts by declaring them 'inactive' if they haven't had a transaction in three years. Financial planner found $150K vanished and they also shafted a pensioner who got back from heart surgery to find his account seized. Probably hit other people who won't know yet, or elderly whose relatives won't even know the money is missing. Sure it'll be put to good use refurnishing bureaucrats offices: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/brisbane-woman-has-had-more-than-150000-taken-from-bank-account-under-recent-law-changes/story-e6freoof-1226654782499?from=trendinglinks

A nudge I can understand if there is any way to create enough energy to push something that large out of the way, but what is the point of the nuke? How do we know this doesn't end up creating lots of smaller asteroids?

"The goal would be to fragment the asteroid into many pieces, which would then disperse along separate trajectories."
Uhhh. Ok.

"Wie believes that up to 99 percent or more of the asteroid pieces could end up missing the Earth, greatly limiting the impact on the planet."
Hell of a bet to take on a hunch. Where are the simulation runs or is this a touchy-feely? How do you know it won't vapourize a nice big hole inside like the underground nuclear tests?

"Of those that do reach our world, many would burn up in the atmosphere and pose no threat."
More ifs.

Sounds kind of flaky but he's got a $100K grant which I hope will answer these and good they are looking at *something*. I don't want to be an exhibit in a future sentient cockroach museum.

The whole idea that you could create money by having your computer crack at a cryptographic algorithm is ridiculous, but so too is the fact that some professions earn so much more than others, that those professions form unions (oops! I mean 'professional associations') that limit supply of their professionals, or that during the GFC the Fed could pull billions of dollars from out of their ass and give it to banks who could then earn themselves interest off that. Bitcoin may be a bubble, but so is the entire stockmarket where you have computers buying and dumping stock microseconds later without any idea what is being traded. Hey did you know the big investment banks pay a premium so they connect their computers closer to the exchange's computers? As soon as they detect buys on a certain stock, they start grabbing massive amounts of it on the assumption others will follow and they can dump it microseconds later? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-frequency_trading Please tell me how this is good for the economy and sensible investment?

Bitcoin may have its problems and speculators are really bad for anything, but so called 'real money' is just as bad and maybe worse.

Nothing lasts forever. Blizzard have had a good run that other companies can only dream of. I'd love to spend months in it, but real life beckons and by that I don't mean Facebook.

> 'Google developers forked Webkit and decided to remove from Blink all the code (including MathML) on which they don't plan to work in the short term.'"

Haha! What a bunch of losers. Psssst! What's he talking about?

Is this bill PR to divert attention? The government has given itself permission to breach privacy anyways: http://www.news.com.au/technology/nicola-roxon-backflip-gives-green-light-for-online-spying/story-e6frfro0-1226464553027 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/data-retention-laws-risky-canberra-told/story-fn4htb9o-1226465841909

> A recent letter signed by 15 companies and trade groups — including TechAmerica, which represents Google,

LOL. Google with the same Eric Schmidt who wants Drones banned because he's worried about the invasion of privacy when they fly over your mansion estate?

""You're having a dispute with your neighbour," he hypothesised. "How would you feel if your neighbour went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their back yard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?"

Gee I don't know Eric. About the same way I feel when you run your fingers through my hair. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/apr/21/drones-google-eric-schmidt

Smart guy! Good with money. Knows to cash out on those share options while they are still high. Before that impending PLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNGE...

Yeah the execs are parachuting out, but does anyone know who in MS is behind the Windows 8 clusterfuck? Like who was the dick who said to get rid of the Start button because *FUCK* those PC users. If there is a series of unsolved murders in Seattle at the moment it is that guy getting rid of everyone else at that meeting.

> Unfortunately, our US bank account is scheduled to be closed and we can no longer provide the same level of USD deposits and withdrawals as we have in the past.

Is it me or is that the most understated sentence ever written?

Modded Off topic? Really? Ok I could have worded in nicer but here is a company accused of fraud which a serious offense but their first thought is hunting down the person who reported them?