My parents bought me one of those new VIC-20 computing machines back when they were newly released.

Having never really been exposed to BASIC programming, except for many long sessions in front of TRS-80's, much to the chagrin of Radio Shack managers, I found the VIC-20 user manual rather... "light"... in its content.

Later, I bought the Programmer's Reference Guide, which was an explosion of useful details and information about the VIC-20!!! There was an entire section on memory maps and detailed 6502 assembler codes. Using just that book, I started learning to write and hand compile machine language routines. I would enter the programs via PEEK commands and DATA statements.

Awesome trick!!! I never even realized that until now and I had access to a TS1000 when they first came out. However, I would think it's only a speed for space tradeoff. At 1MHz, I wouldn't have relied on that too much for repeated use in loops!

Then again, I used a VIC-20. At least I had 75%-250% more RAM to work with, depending on the stock Sinclair variant.

I had a Fiat once, total crap.

but they give the US their cut so it is OK. I work in various countries and have had to get used to the simple fact that money laundering just means not giving a cut to the US. I can shift as much money as I like from any country to any country without question as long as I pay 6% but if I take too much of my hard eant money in cash from one country to another I am called a money launderer. All the guff about criminals is just guff. Criminals can use any system, but good people and bad people want to save money by using the best and the cheapest. Liberty Reserve was cheaper because it was not paying the US and that is what this is about. There is more crime going on on Paypal but they pay the US their cut. People like HSBC are helping corrupt governments to shift their money but the US gets its cut so that is OK.

I live in perpetual summer you insensitive pig... Just moved from Laos to Thailand yesterday...

They do not need to block Facebook. They will sue Facebook and as Facebook is doing business in their jurisdiction, Facebook will have to pay. There is no option. Or do you think that America will want to waive it's right to sue foreign businesses the to business in America?

...starts dusting off the passport and packing some clothes and chloroform

Please, this is /. we know that no one reads the article.

My bank does not have photo ID and I would be extremely shocked if they did anything as stupid as you are suggesting. I cannot get anything out of the account without using the card and PIN number and if I want to say that I have lost that I would be required to produce photo ID. So if someone opens a fake account the bank is more likely to make all the money when they lose or break their card :-)

It really is cute when home hobbyist guitar players think they know how to play music, though.

Of course I played Battlefront. I guess I should have specified: Battlefield on Frostbite 3: Star Wars.

Ok, I'm formally trained on piano, saxophone, and drums. You couldn't knock out a rap song in about 1/2 an hour. I can't tell tell you how many smug guitarists I've met who don't know any music theory who think they're qualified to write a hiphop song.

So just for fun, what are the notes in E melodic minor? And haha, Smoke on the Water ... man, you'd have been better served to pick a tune that was more than a few chromatic power chords chained together.

I think that if you have a desktop PC, you now have more choice. Do you need a laptop or a tablet? If you only check the internet etc. while you are away from your PC then a tablet is great but if you travel and do real work then you might still want a laptop... Some people are happy with a smart phone and a PC. I do not own nor want a tablet but I think that giving people more choice is great and I am therefore a strong supporter of tablets. To be honest, I have thought about getting a small dumb phone so that it fits in my pocket better and a tablet to replace what the phone can do but I doubt that I will ever do that... it is about having these options to think about and to be able to choose whereas Gates just want people to do what he can make money from.

I use a computer, I am a geek, my brother uses an iPad and is very happy with it. It does everything he wants, whereas I want to create web pages, documents etc. so I need more. Apple has given people choice and we need more choice so people can buy what suits them best. Gates is only upset because his offering to the tablet market is a flop. Windows 8 is rubbish and most people hate it so now it is Apple that is wrong. Talk about sour grapes.