I don't think there's a speaker in the cockpit from the tower
From the last link the TFS (emphasis mine):
At cruise altitude - the pilots stated they were using cockpit speakers to listen to radio communications, not their headsets.
offered to reimburse me for it
IANAL, so this is just armchair quarterbacking but, if YOU bought the laptop, it's YOUR laptop. This is assuming the boss doesn't want to tag it as a company laptop in return for reimbursement.
Just because I do work on my home PC (which I do), doesn't mean the company has any right to it.
But, if I figured out the One Great Internet Business Idea or write the Great American Novel and used the company laptop to do it, it's an avenue they could use to claim they own it.
Once again, NAL, but I don't think this gives them an avenue. If the company guys me legal pad and a pen, and I write "[A] Great American Novel", it doesn't give the company any rights to my work. I think you're being a bit paranoid.
Think about everything that would have to fall in line for this to happen:
You'd actually have to come up with an idea or work, worth 'stealing'.
The company would have to know about it AND care enough about it to steal it, or try to claim it as their own.
Would have to prove that the laptop you used was indeed owned by the company AND
That you did the work on the laptop.
"Computer makers would then have the option to add the browser back in, ship another browser or ship multiple browsers, according to a confidential memo that was sent to PC makers and seen by CNET News."
*My personal preference would be to increase the minimum standards for possessing a D/L to the point at which it would remove sufficient numbers of drivers from the roadway so as to reduce traffic congestion. We only have room for X drivers. We'll only issue X licenses to the most competent.
Which translates into "We'll only issue X licenses to the people with money."
How do you define competence? Add more tests? Who gets to pay for that? This would just wind up making driving schools that are insanely expensive, because you've now just made drivers licenses a limited commodity. So those who aren't deemed competent enough by your new standard, commute how? Your 'personal preference' works great until you factor in actual people.
If all else fails, lower your standards.
