...into thinking that it is much easier to a nice selection of books with me in a tablet than it is to carry them any other way.

and your enemies closer.

Yes, I know we would advance technology by solving the problems inherent in making the trip, but there is still plenty to explore (and plenty of science we don't yet know) here on Earth that can be done with much less money.
Mars exploration makes good headlines, but it's not the best use of our limited budgets for science and exploration.

As far as I can tell at ATT's wireless site, they don't care where you got the phone so long as their sim card fits and the phone works on their network.

Can you provide a link to a carrier's site that confirms this?

No, but how about the phone's manufacturer: http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone/iphone4s

Scroll down to where it says "Or get iPhone unlocked and contract-free".

For me, the breaking point came when my next-gen iPod couldn't use the $1 cables I'd had with my previous-gen iPod, and now I was expected to buy Apple-branded chip-locked cables for $50. FIFTY DOLLARS!

Old FUD is still FUD.

No, worst case would be having Majel Barret record the voice. Or would it be worst? Imagine, one of the most famous scientists of all time speaking in the voice of one of the most famous computer systems of all time?

If he can get Majel to record the voice, then he will have once again turned our understanding of the linearity of time completely upside down.

I'm certain someone knows exactly what frequency ranges are being discussed, but apparently no one (including the FCC) really want to make that information available. "White spaces" is a marketing term that doesn't inform.

...where a commercial enterprise has to DECLARE that they operate with the intent to make a profit.

No wonder our financial system is nearly in ruins.

That's funny, because I often legally project source material from commercial HDCP-protected BD-DVD sources. I do have the proper gear for this task. What I don't have is a graceful way to switch between pre-show PPT sources and the BD-DVD sources. You may live in a sandbox where HD-SDI is the standard, but most of us are still working with multiple clients in multiple venues where media distribution methods are far from standardized. "Cameras and decks all have..." was my first clue of that.

There just aren't enough HDCP-enabled pro devices on the market, because the consortium is excessively protective of its stupid-ass DRM scheme.

No, it's because the DRM scheme requires the HDCP all the way to the end device (projector or monitor). In the real world we're not using HDMI inputs on projectors because of cable length issues (among other things.) There is no practical way to get HDCP encumbered HDMI switched and then distributed amongst multiple projectors and confidence monitors in the typical corporate meeting environment.

Maybe this will finally make HDMI manageable for audio/visual crews when faced with multiple HDCP encumbered HDMI sources that need to switched and/or crossfaded in real time. Right now it is damn near impossible to implement any form of HDMI switching due to the ridiculous handshake times needed when protected HDMI sources see changes in the destination. Currently the only way to handle it is with a black market HDMI to component converter which introduces often unacceptable video delays in addition to requiring multiple Digital-to-Analog and Analog-to-Digital transitions along the way.

Google's inconsistent standards are adversely affecting our ability to counter violent Islamist extremism online.

So their standards are not affecting your ability to counter violent Jewish, Christian, or other religious extremism online?

Once again I'll be using video from these guys: http://hallowindow.com/

This year I'm likely to rear-project their lightning loop near my front door, and run 2 LCD TVs with the eyeball loop in the windows of two separate rooms facing the street. (yes, the house is alive!)

Audio is important too, and once again I'll be running this track through speakers and extra subwoofers (real ones, not home ones) hidden on my property: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/halloween/id289650473 There is no better sound effects package than one made by Hollywood Foley Effects artists. It's fun to watch the parents freaking out even more than their kids are.

New Coke.