I've always thought the universe seems very young. The Earth itself is what? nearly 5 billion years old. I don't expect any first gen stars to still have habitable zone. So, is Sol a second or third gen star? Can't be any more, surely.

The obvious extrapolation to the machines doing everything is no need for money. Every need is catered for by the machines. The machines maintain themselves.

The bigger question then becomes, what do the people do with themselves? The options for self-destruction get all the easier, especially with the machines at our beck and call. Can we have cultural aims that never include genocide?

... or something equivalent like disabled scripting.

It does give usefull feedback at least. :)

I've happily used 32GB already. It's odd how press releases always limit themselves to what was tested with no indication that bigger sizes may also work.

I not long ago purchased a Transend MP870. Accepts microSD cards, plays OOGs, records FM radio, is pretty tough, isn't buggy and the battery really does last. Great device.

An intelligence agency maybe?

I always figured magneto-optical discs would be a good candidate for packaging in a higher precision drive. Looks like that's on it's way. :)

Earthquakes are just mean. They'll completely null the entire area. Expect to rip up the entire network and start afresh.

It requires a decent battery, and an inverter with the ability to run off-grid. Lead acids are cheap but short lived. Lithium phosphates are still expensive. The inverter/charger combo is much higher priced than plain grid-tying.

It only makes sense if you aren't already on the grid, since paying for a new line to the property has it's own hefty price tag.

so that they stay operating, period! I hate being a passenger in modern cars.

NoScript for the win! And Ghostery as a safety net when desperate.

Actually, now you've mentioned it, I don't think I was hassled about the lack of a cellphone by the inlaws last Christmas, nor since. It had been a bit of ritual for the last decade or so. Maybe it's starting to sink in for them.

Lets decide not to have any secrets while were at it.

Doh! I'd misspelt the subject. :(

The projected confidence is a learned behaviour I suspect. One learns to effect change through convincing others to do their bidding.

So, its a misunderstanding that most idiots are even looking to give a "correct" answer but rather are caring more about personal status and influence.

get out the soldering iron! :P