OS X has little to recommend itself on servers. Whilst OS X is undoubtedly 'Desktop Unix Done Right', it also seems to be 'Server Unix Done Wrong'. Any of the commercial *nixes, Linux or even one of the BSDs would probably be a better choice for most people.

I say this having been running a small OS X server for around 7 years and am now switching to Ubuntu. The only thing that I really prefer about OS X over Linux on a server is it uses the very nicely designed BSD firewall, rather than iptables.

On the desktop it's a different matter and I still prefer my Macs to my Linux Mint PCs.

Almost all petrol stations here in the UK have cameras already installed to read your numberplate before you're allowed to fill up. This is to help reduce the number of people driving away without paying for fuel. So I'd imagine that most of your list of problems have already been sorted out. The biggest worry, imo, is 'database'. Especially 'government database'. Just renewed your insurance? Database not yet updated? No fuel for you. The police already have ANPR cameras to catch uninsured drivers, but they know that the database isn't always accurate and will phone your insurance company to check to see if you are actually covered. A fully automated system obviously can't do this, so if the database is wrong then you're screwed.
 

I was hoping for Maine Coon.

And in related news, iPad 4 rumored to be just 2mm thick.

My company has just issued me with a brand new HP laptop (Sandy Bridge Core i5) that only has VGA out, not DVI or HDMI. Since video is all digital these days, it seems pointless to convert the digital signal to analog vga, then have the monitor convert it back to digital again.

Did you actually bother to read the article?

It clearly states that it's talking about Britain. It has nothing at all to do with either Comp Sci teaching in the US or the job market there. It's commonly known that IT teaching here in British schools is appalling (or worse). That's also on the factors behind the Raspberry Pi project - to get kids fired up about programming, as all they get taught in schools these days is how to use Windows and Office.

Finally, a use for the <blink> tag.

I've never heard anyone call it the Daily Racist, though I've often heard it called the Daily Heil, the Hate Mail and the Daily Fail.

No, Unity is nothing like OS X. I've been using Unix (and then Linux) since the late 80's and OS X is the without question the best desktop *nix. Unity, on the other hand, makes desktop Linux pretty much unusable. The best Linux distro that I've tried so far is Mint 11. It's still not as good as OS X, but is getting there. I'm looking forward to trying out Mint 12, to see if they've closed the gap even more.

Every smartphone manufacturer seems to be suing every other manufacturer. So if we take this to it's ultimate conclusion, then nobody will be able to release any smartphones, as all other manufacturers will be blocking them. Mabe if that happens, then we'll might see some sanity return.