17 year ago, when I drove a Geo Metro (manual transmission, no AC), it was rated for 49/50 MPG, and that's exactly what I got. However, it spoiled me for other cars. I hear people rave about how great their cars do... at 28-30 MPG, and I think "that's TERRIBLE". For various reasons, for this year only, I'm stuck in a Ford 500. I average 20MPG. I feel guilty every time I start the engine.

By far, the best of the bunch (reliability, customer service, and price) has been T-Mobile.

MetroPCS is good if you live in one of their areas, don't mind the handset selection, and don't travel much. Otherwise, T-Mobile is the best. By far.

I was going to bring that up too.

What Cameron is bringing up is basically a re-hash of the "Looker" plot-line. Though, Looker adds in a gadget that is also a little bit novel (and almost, but not exactly, like the non-lethal flashlight weapon that uses flashing lights to induce vomiting ... only the one in the movie induces blackouts).

Once we cross that gulf that makes truly human-looking CGI characters, you can bet we'll see movies that use virtual versions of real actors. That does NOT mean it'll be successful ... there's more to a successful movie than a real looking actor, you'll still need good writing, good directing, and good acting (voice acting, in this case). But it'll almost certainly have an impact on how many movies are made ... and it'll probably have an impact on the admissibility of video evidence.

How long before we see a FUSE plugin that lets you treat this like an NFS server?
(or did I miss it, and one already exists?)

Firefly doesn't need to be rebooted. It was fine the first time around, and it was envisioned just right. What it needs is not a reboot, it needs a revival/continuance.

Babylon 5 ... the nature of the production "network" messed up the second half of season 4, and ruined season 5 (IMO). Further, the sequel series was ruined by various other issues (chiefly the network airing it). It would be interesting to see how JMS would re-do the whole thing if he had the chance.

Highlander ... there are like 2 or 3 different attempts at a back story, several disconnected movies, 2 different tv series, movies that are based on the series and not the original movie(s) .... it's a huge mess. I'd be nice to see a story that has a central arc (like B5, where it's known up front and told in a slowly revealed and sophisticated manner... not like BSG, where they made up "the arc"/"the plan" as they went along, and just barely pulled it off), but more importantly, it has a definite continuity that the existing mess lacks.

Space:1999 ... obviously, they have to change the title. But it was one of my early favorite shows. I'd love to see what a talented writer could do with it. Again, I'd want it to be an arc story, that is pre-envisioned, and not made up as they go along.

The article referenced brings up Buck Rogers. If they could do it more like the original 1930's, and not like the 1980's, then go for it.

Dune was already re-done, on the sci-fi/syfy channel ... like Firefly, it doesn't need a reboot right now, it needs a continuance (the rest of the books).

One other idea: The Six Million Dollar Man. Only, NOT done by the people who did the reboot of "The Bionic Woman". That was AWFUL.

What about that old kids show: Arc 2? With the vehicle that drives around a post-apocalyptic planet trying to find a way to re-build civilization? That might do well right now.

Or the Shazam/Captain Marvel show of the same era. With or without Isis.

Oh... and... what about Mad Max/Road Warrior? I think Mel is too old to pull off a sequel at this point, so why not a fresh look at it.

Someone mentioned Aliens ... maybe. Or even a complete revamp of the Terminator story (and, again, done with forethought, and not "what can we shove into the sequel this time, and pull out of our butts to sort of make it work?").

Dune was already re-done, as 2 mini-series on the Sci-Fi/syfy channel. Much better than the original theatrical movie.

I think that if Dune needs anything, it's like Firefly: it doesn't need to be re-done, it needs to be continued. The remake had 1 mini-series for the first book, 1 mini-series for the 2nd and 3rd books. It'd be interesting to see the rest of the main novels done.

That was supposed to be "well under $1000" not "well under $100" :-}

To me, what's important about a netbook, is:

1) size -- 7" - 12" screen

2) price -- under $600

3) functionality -- runs the basics (real web browser, terminal or dedicated ssh client, vnc viewer, IM, document viewers)

4) shape -- the above things can also be applied to "tablets", but the difference between a mid-range tablet and a mid-range "clamshell" is the keyboard. The "mid-range clamshell" is a "netbook" (with or without the swivel screen/convertible tablet capability). Not a smartbook, not a sub-notebook, etc. Those are just market-droid's attempts to re-brand and differentiate from past models of the same thing. It's a netbook.

I personally don't think #1 will ever go away, whether you call it a "netbook", "smartbook", or "sub-notebook".

I don't think the price is going to really have a huge change either. Sure, some netbooks are getting more expensive. But, some "laptops" are also coming down to a price point that competes with netbooks.

As for functionality, as time marches forward, the capabilities of devices in that size and price rang will increase. That's a given. So, eventually, netbooks will run more than just the basics. But the point is: they need to always run those basics well.

So, while the marketing blurbs may change, and the exact numbers might change, I'm willing to bet that the actual device category (7-12 inch screen, well under $100, runs basic apps) is here to stay. The only thing I think that might change ... is that someone might come up with a truly compelling device that matches 1-3, but doesn't keep the keyboard. Maybe it'll be the EnTourage eDGe (dual screen tablet, like the OLPC2 concept, or the Microsoft Courier). Maybe it'll be a plain tablet (Notion Ink Adam, or the highly anticipated Apple tablet). Maybe it's something we haven't envisioned yet.

Definitely.

First, do your homework, make sure you didn't accidentally give them consent in your TOS with them.
Second, if you didn't give that consent, contact a lawyer (for civil litigation), and then notify authorities.

Whatever you do, don't tolerate it.

"we all know that untrusted systems on a LAN means game over"

Quick, someone inform the Kerberos team at MIT that their software doesn't work, and never has!