dd does a block copy from input to output, /dev/zero is a device in linux that will always read zeros. smartctl is a cmdline utility (part of smartmontools package) that can be used to read error logs and counters from hard drives. So he uses dd to write a bunch of zeros to a new drive in blocks of 8MB and then checks to see if the smart firmware reported any errors.

http://smartmontools.sourceforge.net/man/smartctl.8.html

The zpool/scrub bits are specific to running a zfs pool but could be useful to check a batch of drives at once.

You expect Apple to practice civil disobedience against IP law? Has a large corporation ever done so?

I think this could be replaced with just "Don't put the young/new person in charge of spicing things up". Hipster is a bit of a charged word, and I think there are plenty that others wouldn't think of as hipsters who would still make this sort of mistake (e.g. recently-graduated frat-bros who used to set up skits that pushed the edge of racism).

I find the more recognizable words there are or the more focus on the vocals the harder it is to tune out and use as background music. Growly metal with good drums/guitars is my favorite but I also like some electronica as well. If the task doesn't take much concentration I may switch to rock. Hip-hop is the hardest to tune out and I've heard many with the same opinion.
Note that I enjoy hip-hop it is just very much a language/vocal-centric genre much like pop and I think that is the key (for me at least).

...and when it detects Ahmadinejad's voice print nearby it goes kaboom!

Dick Cheney has criticized Obama's handling of this incident, saying that he should have ordered an airstrike immediately to prevent the tech from falling into Iranian hands. Sounds pretty crazy to me.
Also, upon further reading it sounds like the designers may have purposely avoided sensitive cutting-edge technology due to the high probability of a single-engined UAV failing over enemy territory.

These drones do have a self-destruct as well as other "things are going wrong" modes. One of them is to just circle waiting for control communications to be re-established. Another one is an automatic safe landing mode. Some people suspect that this drone may have gone into auto landing mode which would explain why it appears undamaged. For such a sensitive device leading to such horrible PR if captured, I feel perhaps the self-destruct should be the default failure mode :)
However, having it just blow up in some civilian household would probably not be good PR either.

Wow, thanks so much for making me aware that there is a show called "Lady Hoggers." I have no opinion one way or the other, but the title alone made me smile when I searched and found out it was real.

All this proves is that more parents are reporting to daycare providers that their children deathly allergic to peanuts. I've heard it before. The question is whether the incidents of children who are truly that allergic to peanuts (to the point of coma) has increased or parents whose children have mild peanut allergies have been led to believe they are OMGDEATHLYSERIOUS or at least tell other people it is that severe.

King Crimson.
Please recycle the points, I don't want them.
Also, I recommend you name your firewall Discipline ;)

They aren't exactly an open source company, but a company that has bought the prior commercial sponsors of open source packages. In many cases they then proceeded to bungle community interaction and knock some of the appeal off the original technologies among many decision makers.

Will they license/open this technology? Will they have to charge?
They better warm it up, we all are waiting.

I'm not!

Yes.