I love GCC, don't get me wrong, but it seems to me from the research I've done that it's been left in the dust by Intel's and even Microsoft's compilers, which do a far better job at generating optimized code, especially for x86/x64. I have an application where I'd love to use GCC rather than a horrible vendor-specific C/C++ compiler to generate some ARM firmware, but I'm getting a lot of resistance due to its perceived poor/bloated code generation.

Can anyone confirm or deny this and make me at least able to justify GCC as a possible option again?

It's terribly unfortunate that Apple has decided that iPad owners have no right to install whatever software the owner sees fit on his or her own tablet, thus necessitating (and encouraging) the jailbreaking community.

Mad props to these guys and their reverse engineering skills. Perhaps one day Apple will decide it's simply not worth the effort to keep up with the cat-and-mouse game of jailbreak/patch and just finally allow people to sideload apps and use their tablets however they want. Sadly, I don't foresee this happening.

Imagine if you're the CEO of Porn Corp #1 and also serve on the broad of Porn Corp #2...

FTFY.

Can this become a new Slashdot meme, please?

I'd give you a million mod points if I had them.

I don't necessarily disagree with you when you say 'We need to let people like that sink or swim', but in this world of tightly connected social networks where friendship among individuals governs their level of access to your details, I'm not so sure about that. You're only as secure as your weakest link. If one of your less technologically-savvy friends on Facebook happens to fall for this scheme and gives up his login information to the attackers, then your information is exposed to them, and you're put at risk. This is why while I sympathize with your point, I still think it's incredibly important that phishing attacks like this be cracked down upon as quickly as possible to prevent exactly that sort of thing from happening.

Before you reich my heart?

why should some random 9-to-5er paid-hourly desk jockey in a car company know who the hell he is?

Because he was on Dancing With The Stars! Doesn't everybody watch that show?