The captivate I had, you could change the battery in well under 5 seconds. Bootup time was longer but not really any issue since typical use case was not to be using it immediately after.

Now I have a Razr Maxx. I was concerned about not being able to change the battery easily at first but it really typically has enough capacity that it's rarely an issue. It has been a pain how long it takes to charge on a couple of occasions though.

I could give it a go but the exchange charges aren't too good.

A lot of the Wii's appeal is in multi-player games (Wii -> we). I was surprised when I finally bought an x-box how lacking it seemed to be in this category (not that that says anything about the xbox as a console overall). That's also something that is lacking from tablets and phones. So I don't think that that's necessarily where Nintendo is having problems.

I agree. I assume you'll be marching on Washington to demand the government hand over their guns?

If I find out that I've been issed with an NFC Card

Are you sure you haven't? I have a few cards that contain rfid chips and I was never notified. The only way to know was the logo on the card (and I guess the absence of that is not a guarantee)

The confirmation method has to be attached to the card otherwise it leaves open the option for rogue devices to drain your money.

Username/password with my bank.

I'm one of those Bitcoin-heads and have been interested in some of the discussions of hardware wallets. What all the designs I have seen in common have is some way to display the charged amount on the device and a button to be pressed for user confirmation. It is such an obvious requirement for anyone who takes a moment to think about it so I can only think that it has not been implemented in this case because it detracts from the "gee-whiz" aspect of the technology. Marketing over design.

I was once standing a line in front of someone who complained quite loudly about the (marginal) extra time it took to process card transactions. That was about 20 seconds before someone turned up with a bunch of change to be sorted into the cash drawer. He was oddly quiet after that.

Card processing terminals vary but some do it right. Typically, at Walmart, I have all the card business done by the time the checker is still swiping the last items and I have the cart loaded by the time the receipt is ready.

The potato product invented in Belgium

UK postal codes include letters and numbers.

Just tell them you didn't want to have to file with the IRS every year even though they have no jurisdiction over your earnings. That's the main reason I'm putting off becoming a citizen (should I ever change my mind about returning to the UK).

They take pin if you're using the debit card portion. Not all credit cards have that though I understand. When you travel internationally, things get a little complex sometimes.

Why would you assume he's American when he's talking about cards from outside the US? (Looks like he isn't if the other post above is from him).

Note that this zip code requirement has only been brought in in the last 5-7 years. Largely, I think, due to the high rise in gas prices. When you could fill a tank for 20-30 dollars, not an issue. Now even my relatively small car takes 60-70 to fill up on occasion.

I'll remember that next time I try and buy batteries for my L7089.