Verizon uses CDMA which doesn't support SIM cards. There's a spec for using SIM-like cards with CDMA which has been around for a while (it started off with the R-UIM, and was superseded by the CSIM, both of which are even compatible with GSM SIMs) but I don't know of any US carriers or manufacturers that have implemented this. Which is unfortunate for the customer, but is obviously a "good thing" for the carriers: vendor lock-in and all that.

A very, very bad idea. Google has enough power over content as it is. I'd hate to see them gain even more. Google already controls the most popular search engine and the most popular video hosting site (at least in the US. I'm not sure about the rest of the world.) Imagine if you could only find, say, music videos as youtube "rentals," or had to use a Google TV box for streaming internet radio. Sure, a lot of those technologies are open right now, and Google's motto is "do no evil," but do you really believe that Google wouldn't be able to lock their content down in an instant if their shareholders demanded it?

A lot of people have the opinion that the ACLU is only about shutting down the speech of Christians/Whites/Men/*insert majority group here.* I think this case proves that not to be the case, and demonstrates the good that the ACLU actually does: Protecting personal privacy, freedom of expression, etc. This is a very important case, one that could potentially set a very bad precedent. It's good that there's at least one somewhat powerful organization on the side of personal privacy in this case. I hope groups like the EFF get involved as well.

Except the state isn't trying to force any kind of morality on them, they're trying to let gay couples have the same rights everybody else has. This doesn't mean that every church will then need to marry gays, or even that people will need to accept gays (any more than they already do, of course; attacking/harassing them would still be off limits.) Gay rights really do have no effect on the people that don't like them; in my experience, the only reason they oppose it is because they believe they're in possession of some sort of "universal moral code" which proclaims that being gay is wrong.

I'd assume this isn't about deploying unmanned drones over US, but rather allowing them to deploy from the US. Some UAVs, such as the Global Hawk, have very long flight ranges, enough to deploy from US bases and fly to their destination overseas. It would also be useful to be able to ferry the planes from test bases and manufacturing facilities to the operation bases without having to disassemble them and load them into a cargo plane. The FAA probably wants to know how they perform in order to accomplish this, not for some hypothetical secret surveillance program.

It sounds like you both want the Notion Ink Adam. IMO, it's the most impressive tablet concept I've seen yet; a Tegra 2 based Android tablet with all the features listed above, and a PixelQi display. Unfortunately, it looks like the PixelQi version will be pretty pricey, and the launch is being delayed because they're trying to get Flash working properly on it. I just hope it comes to market and doesn't flop.

Air Force pilots are typically better at air combat than the Navy pilots because, while the Navy pilot will have more flight hours, the AF pilot will typically have more air combat training. That's because the Navy spends a much larger percentage of their time practicing for carrier landings, while the Air Force spends almost of their time practicing air combat. Also, since the retirement of the F-14, and especially since the introduction of the F-22, the Air Force will typically have better equipment. There aren't many forces I can think of that can match the USAF in an air war.

So, you're offering to set up an open VPN and post the connection details on the internet? Have fun talking to the FBI after the chans discover it and use your connection to download gigs of kiddie porn. Or, alternatively, when some hacker uses it to own a bunch of boxes. Seriously, handing out VPN connections to strangers is a really bad idea.

Yeah. "If this goes well, you'll be a hero. If it doesn't, it's your fault and you'll never work in the industry again."

The above is most definitely a troll. However, if you don't know what fchan is by now, you deserve the horror that lies on the other end of that link.

Microsoft just wishes that they had thought of it first.

This is Microsoft we're talking about. If you believe they'll ever do that, I've got a bridge to sell you.

In response to 2, I'd like to state that being poor was not usually enough to qualify one for medicaid before this bill passed (and, indeed, still is not the only requirement until the provisions come into effect.) You typically have to be poor and have special needs in some way, such as being a child, a parent of young children, blind or disabled, or elderly. This varies depending on state, but I'm sure it's pretty standard.

You couldn't commute with it, even if you were within range. This thing is an ultralight aircraft, and the FAA prohibits ultralights from overflying populated areas, or from operating between dusk and dawn. Ultralights are recreational vehicles, plain and simple.

The "jet" in "jet-boat" comes from the fact that it is propelled by a pump-jet, otherwise known as a water-jet, rather than a screw. Of course, the pump-jet is powered by a maritime gasoline engine in most cases, but that's irrelevant. On the other hand, the term "jet pack" is general parlance for any type of "wearable" aircraft. In fact, the most well known "jet pack," the bell rocket-belt is, as implied by the name, a rocket pack.