I will only submit after the creation of a "double-secret patent application" becomes available. Darn, I just gave away my patent idea...

Cash on the spot? I think not... Considering the issues of stolen devices, carrier account transfer/deactivation, forgotten SIM and purging of personal data; this is a business model that will not fly. These are human problems that will not be easily overcome by some image acquisition and USB port hacking... One business opportunity for this may be to create a service to collect lost phones found by a good samaritan. Insurance carriers for policies that people buy for their phone could report SNs and pay a small fee to ecoATM for the return of a lost device. If the lost device was already replaced, the insurer would be free to dispose of the device as fit (sell to ecoATM). Add a feature to collect the finder's data to optionally allow payment for a finder's fee and place it next to a Redbox or Coinstar and this MAY have a SMALL chance.

I'll admit that the 90's and most 0x's are crap; poor finishes and ugly designs, poor reliability.

I'm sort of interested in the fact that Consumer Reports has been finding the newer models acceptable. Add in that Ford didn't take/need a bail-out and that the new Taurus and Fiesta actually have some style/fit and finish and I might switch back. I've been driving Honda and Toyota for 10+ years. Considering the Toyota scares along with the Honda ugliness,

Although I haven't driven a Ford lately...

I had the same experience. One class I took the professor checked everyone's book to see if it was the latest version; it was new that semester ($75). He never referred the book all semester; no reading assignment, no homework, nothing to do with the book. The book changed again the next semester and the bookstore didn't want to buy it back. Students taking the class knew they would get flack for not having the latest version, so the book was worthless. I still think to this day he was 'buddies' with the author.

Sounds like (put favorite Apple product name here). The difference is we choose to purchase something like an iPhone/iPad/iPod. The intersection of these two industries is scary. When we reach the point where you need the lastest iWhatEver or an OS upgrade to it that employs the latest encryption in order to use an app to 'rent' the latest text book, I will give up all hope.

At least I will always have my hard copy of Machinery's Handbook (I think it cost ~ $90 USD in 1984).

Wow! Sold out already...

Spaces?! What Spaces?!

I code in LabVIEW; we don't use no stinking spaces (unless communicating with OLD programming languages).

If a physical disk is not shipped with the product, does this help M$ support the claim that you are purchasing a license to use rather than a product?

While production costs are certainly lower, this may have more to do with changing the marketplace than saving costs. Who benefits the most from the absence of physical media and manuals?

what the title means, but it does make me wonder what it might be like to manage the most remote data center in the world...

Did you mean homicidal, or are you homophobic ;-)

more like this: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=blasphemy

Unless you want to write games for Apple products ;)

Make that "AND no corn syrup". High-fructose corn syrup ON meat is a bit much, even for crazy Amercicans...

In the US, most markets sell only Choice; you need to special order Prime or visit a butcher shop. The restaurant industry consumes most of the Prime cuts, providing better margin because people will pay for the quality when they go out to dinner.

Marbling is the real difference. The Japanese have spent generations breeding and tending to Wagyu cattle that have some of the most tender and marbled beef in the world. Sell a choice steak at the market with a ring of fat that would represent the amount of fat in a Prime cut and the customer would complain that the store was trying to cheat them.

As for range fed; it tastes MUCH better. The difference between a Choice steak of grain fed origin and that of a Prime, range fed cut is like the difference betweem Cheez Whiz and Camembert.

I've been working hard to control the corn derived products in my diet. I prefer range fed meats and products with no high-fructose corn syrup.

Better in quarters...

I know people who administer Linux clusters of PS3s. If these devices get bricked, I'm sure Sony will hear about it...

http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/09/military-purchases-2200-ps3s/