The only exception to this, I think, would be when transit cards are connected to debit cards or bank accounts, to auto-refill when your transit pass runs low. You could potentially siphon money from someone's account that way, but safeguards could be in place (such as the transit company not authorizing any transactions that would result in the purchase of more than "xx number days worth" of transit fare, for example.)

Exactly, this technology gains you nothing and exposes you to more potential fraud vectors. I don't see the point - I'd rather swipe my own card through a standard pad and type in my PIN. I'm already standing there; I don't need some stupid tap technology to go "DURRR, IT TOOK MUH MONEY AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAFTA ENTER MUH PIN!!".

The one place I think contactless cards make a difference is in transit systems. While in Japan I used the refillable PASMO card, and it was nice to be able to tap my wallet on the train "turnstiles" to go though, I hardly had to reduce my walking speed. I could also use it on buses, rather than cash. However I have no comment/knowledge on the security of those, or potential vulnerabilities that may exist.

You mean those little old ladies that are super nice and ask to see your badge? I don't know who works at the "convention center" in Boston, but in my city it seems to be mostly staffed by retiree-aged people.

I'd call the 30,000 people killed in 2001 in the US by firearms fairly significant. Source: http://harvardmagazine.com/2004/09/death-by-the-barrel.html

Lots of other interesting statistics in that article as well. I'm not going to point-by-point argue with you because I'll never convince you that I'm right and you're wrong, but I feel that a lot of the reasons people want to own guns are based on "emotion, hearsay, conjecture, and fearmongering" just as anti-gun arguments are based on the same thing.

FWIW I have no problems with guns, I learned how to shoot while in Boy Scouts, would enjoy the chance to try hunting at some point, and I find target shooting fun, but I don't personally own a firearm as I don't feel I need one to be safe.

I haven't read all the comments that have been posted, but...

I think having very long white boards (or even entire walls painted out with that "whiteboard" paint) would be a great way for the kids/instructors to be able to communally hash out ideas in meatspace. Most rooms don't seem to have enough spaces like this to jot down ideas, draw, write, and think out loud...

He may have been "half joking", but that is indeed done, and it's why you often see clusters of fast food (or coffee shops, or whatever) businesses together. The basic idea is that one company did a bunch of research and determined the site was good. The next company comes along, and says "Hey, Brand A is here, so we should probably be here as well". They'll preform their own market research and due diligence regarding the site of course, but the existence of other brands there drives up the idea that the site is good location.

Furthermore, these business clusters serve to actually drive up business far all the brands located there, despite them being competitors and for the most past interchangeable with each other, as you gain a larger share of customer traffic to an area with many businesses.

Lastly, my current company is majority owned by one of the early investors and owners of Hollywood video. He said that Hollywood and Blockbuster would engage in the same practice of locating physically close to a competitor's store, because that area would have good customer demographics.

Its a pretty interesting topic, really..

So you're saying I shouldn't be giving my toddler bottles filled with whiskey then?

But at least they had an iPhone funeral before the launch!! (wait, or was that for the Kin's launch?)

Am I the only one who notices that when a company B introduces a "Company A Product Killer!", its always Company B who loses out in the end?

I was an editor at the school newspaper when I was in highschool, so we were also required to read the NYTimes and our local city rag every day (delivered free to us at school). I too formed a high opinion of the NYTimes that has stayed with me, despite their errors over the past decade. I'll be sad to say that I'll be browsing it less frequently once they start charging, because $15/mo just seems a little steep to me.

Damnit! Evil plan is already foiled. I'm sure there will be services that pop up to handle that, though...