I have some of those old monorail pieces (I had no idea they were valuable - should probably did them out), and I doubt that you could 3D print them at the moment. The key part of the centre rail is that it's toothed, with the train itself being driven by a vertically mounted motor in the centre power unit, engaging the fine-toothed track with a metal cog.

I just don't think that a 3D printer can produce the level of accuracy needed for that sort of track with enough strength to withstand the metal traction cog.

One of the worst things that happened to the UK back in the day was the stigmatisation of "trades" and the new idea that to be worth anything you had to get a degree. This had a twofold effect - a lack of people who saw a skilled trade job as a viable option, and a devaluation of the degree as everyone scrambled to offer one that would be suitable for all levels of academic achievement.

It's something we're still suffering from, and we need to get away from this idea that everyone can have every opportunity if they want - some people are not cut out for academia, and there is nothing wrong with that, but they might make an extraordinary skilled tradesman. Until we re-level that playing field and take the stigma away from jobs where you get your hands dirty, we'll be stuck with the fallout.

Yes, but it's never really taken off as a substitute for SMS like these apps have. They're structured much more like instant messaging clients rather than email programs, even if the result is ultimately the same, it's all about the interface.

If you're charged for SMS messages rather than having a monthly allotment, services like iOS Messages/WhatsApp/BBM really help since they use your data allowance rather than being specific things the telco can bill you for.

For me, iOS Messages allows me to send text messages, pictures, videos etc to my friends in the USA (I;m in the UK) for free - all it is is data, which I have a ton of (infinite if I'm on wifi), whereas my carrier charges 10-25p for international SMS and picture messages.

RIM's BBM service is like that but previously was exclusively for blackberry devices (as iMessage is for iOS), with WhatsApp being cross platform. Going cross platform with BBM is RIM's attempt to keep blackberry marketshare, since people are really starting to cotton on to these sorts of messaging services as an easy way to avoid massive carrier charges for sending pictures and SMS messages. Their only real downside is that they tended to be OS-specific.

The problem is that Metro is the new start menu.

It would be like Apple dumping the Dock and saying "Launchpad or GTFO", which they clearly didn't do because they realised people who have been using OS X for years would find that annoying and baffling. (I too, do not use launchpad, but I know some people who love it - see what choice does for you?!)

You can message your friends who have Blackberries.

Just as WhatsApp enabled (free, non-SMS) cross communication between iOS and Android, now RIM has realised that they need to get in on that if they have any hope of keeping their existing users, let alone tempt any new users to BB devices.

I have Safari and Chrome.

Safari is for the internet, and Chrome is to keep Facebook sandboxed for the various necessary minimal interaction I have with it. I thought I was the paranoid one until I saw the GP's post.

I see you're struggling to come up with a coherent argument when you don't have 'amusing' portmanteaus to rely on to get your point across. You haven't refuted the argument at all - I didn't say anything about Walmart's business practice or insinuate at all that it "loses money" importing goods. Where are you getting this from?

I merely stated that you have suggested that profit = (retail price - BOM), which is hilariously naive and inaccurate, topped with an appeal to emotion by using a childish variation of a company name.

2/10. Points for showing up. Room for improvement.

I'd be very interested to have the exact part of the parent comment quoted to demonstrate why it was moderated troll. Anyone?

"crAPLE"?

What are you, ten years old?

What's your term for Samsung? "Shitsung?" "Samshite"? Enquiring minds want to know!

You also seem to know nothing about how business works if you think profit is the retail price minus the cost of materials. Maybe when you grow up, you'll understand. You have a five digit UID, so you're at least 10 years old, or you're using your parents' account perhaps.

If you are watching it unfold as it goes, your imagination can get involved.

It's like reading a book and speculating about what is going to happen. Sure you can do a little of that in a movie running at 24 fps, but not for long before the next bit of info comes along.

There is merit for those watching it in real time.

Maybe read the summary rather than just the headline?

And here we see why slashdot has fallen so far - insightful mods for the parent comment.

*shakes head sadly*

I'm officially confiscating your sig. You don't appreciate it, clearly.

Just a hunch, but I'm probably on the money here; don't ever play Dark Souls. Probably not for you.

Not every adventure holds your hand.

They file the lawsuits in a neighbouring county so that the students are ineligible for legal aid support from the university and thus can't afford to defend themselves - the "fines" are cheaper than the cost of defending yourself.