Beware of rootkits written in whitespace.

Indeed, patents, like guns, are not to blame. Both are just tools.
However, even if guns are OK, there are laws to prevent people using them to harm other people. In fact crimes involving guns are taken very seriously and often result in the most severe sentences.
In Apple vs Samsung cases, bullshit patents are cleary used as weapon to harm the other party. And they keep firing at each other, western style, and there is no sheriff with sufficient authority to make them stop. Here lies the problem with patent laws.

The infection may be just the excuse they needed to upgrade. The cost of cleaning is probably just bullshit to push their argument.

Back then, developers with a real background in computing were rare and demand was high. As a result, companies hired many people with skills only vaguely related to computers. If such people just did their jobs without acquiring the necessary background in the process, the fact that they have difficulties now is understandable.
OTOH, older developers with an extensive background will have no problem adapting to newer technologies because in the end, the techniques don't change that much.

I work in aeronautics (avionics testing and simulation) and we mostly use linux. We used to use solaris/spark and SGI workstations but they are currently being phased out.
But it is more the exception than the norm. The rest of the company network is all Microsoft Windows and Office and we often need a Windows computer (or VM) to work with other departments.

Businesses may not have feelings but the people that make it up do. Also, they got a slashdot article because of it ;)

Well they tried to switch to DOG cabling but it didn't work.
So in the end I believe they simply used the same kind of cables but with more fire-resistant insulation.

When the disconfort stops, it is certainly enjoyable.

If you like "static", keep your old TV. It is not available on new, all-digital TVs.

Two years ago, Google erased the contents of hundred of thousands of GMail accounts. It was caused by a bug and corruption spread through their network even though it is normally highly redundant and fault tolerant.
The result : a few hours to a few days of downtime for the affected accounts and almost no data loss.
How did they manage to avert a disaster ? They had proper backups, on tapes.

In fact he's right somehow. Renewable and unlimited are not the same thing.

Given enough time and as long as the sun is shining, new oil is created. If we could change suns like we change batteries and no catastrophic event occurs, oil would never wear out. OTOH, nothing "renews" in the sun.
As for unlimited energy, the laws of physics don't like it.

1- Android is linux
2- You have to review the permission before installing the app, don't want a flash light to access the internet, get one that doesn't request it. In some custom ROMs you can even revoke permissions (it is totally unsupported and make a lot of apps crash but it is possible).
3- In most linux distributions, apps are usually installed with full root access and run with all user privileges. Much worse that Android.
4- On Samsung (and many others) android phones, you can run custom ROMs, which means as much control as on most linux PCs. And while it is not supported, it is tolerated.

Why do Google detractors always quote wrong ? It is "don't be evil", not "do no evil".

I don't know about the newer Nexus phones but for the Nexus One, the official way to unlock the bootloader and flash new ROM cause a padlock icon to appear the same way as Samsung's yellow triangle.

This is horribly inefficient, at least in big companies.
First thing : if something breaks, it is not necessarily the employee's fault so why would he have to pay for it. Second thing, if 10 keyboards break, it is more efficient to send one person buying all 10 then 10 people buying their own. Third thing, if a company hires let's say a developer, it is because his development skills are valuable. Anything they ask of him that isn't related to development is a waste of such skills, especially if there is someone else more suited for the job.