This very different new theme and the window button changes don't seem to serve any purpose other than to make new visual changes for a new release.

Ubuntu might do better if they kept a better measure of consistency in the look-and-feel and user interface between versions.

For example, the shut down and log out buttons were separated in 9.10 and there is no longer any good way to have a single button that can simply shut down, standby, hibernate, and log out. There was no real need to change this and not provide a way of doing what was possible before.

Also, the volume control was merged into the notification area (to improve usability no doubt). The problem with this for me is when I watch a fullscreen something on my primary monitor, I cannot simply place a volume control applet on the other and scroll up and down to change the volume like I could before without making the primary notification area sit on the second monitor.

Change for the sake of change just doesn't seem like the way to promote a good Operating System. There will always be detractors, but Ubuntu should aim to have the level of consistency it needs for people to identify it (over a period of time longer than 6 months) as a particular brand.

Additionally, I personally would hate to see the old human theme disappear over time because a newer Macintosh-like theme takes some artist's fancy. I think the old human theme really captured the essence of the term "Ubuntu" (and the icons looked easier to associate with the tasks and didn't take so much space).

Dear Sir

You are cordially invited to a free dinner party. We have spare food and drink that would otherwise go to waste. There's a lovely selection of blood red wine and mixed bits soup.

Please bring your own salt and pepper shakers, and a bottle of sauce. We have a policy here that you sprinkle some of these ingredients over your body when you walk in -- just an old tradition.

You are welcome to bring as many friends as you like, on the condition they are healthy (preferably tall and fat).

Don't pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity.

From your friends in the castle on the hill with the lightning.

Try clicking left and right mouse buttons simultaneously.

Yes. However, that is for one measurement. To really know what speed you are limited to before you can get surplus energy out on one end (eaten on the other of course), you also need to know how many possibilities there are for measurement, and how much energy you would lose in measuring the "wrong" variable.

For instance, you could set up, say 100 such entanglements in parallel and then measure at random whether some spin is up or down at some time of some particle or whatever would be necessary at random. Chances maybe good that you get the extra energy out on, say 2 of these 10 measurements and end up coming out on top. If this were possible, you might be able to beat the classical channel speed limit all together (albeit with somewhat diminished output) over large distances.

And make sure you adhere to coding rules that maximize the number of lines and readability at the same time:

It's a real problem too. If only those photons would slow down I'd be able to leave my basement. Maybe I should invest in one of those large hollow balls to commute in the daylight, so I don't get bogged down by billions of photons from above.

Also, the ability to easily format equations, and quickly take pictures from the same device would make it a great note taking tool. Together with a maths package, it could be easier to write and solve equations, plot data, etc. on this thing. Not to mention, you and anyone else will have the advantage of being able to read the notes you took in class (important come exam time) and print multiple copies.

Someone's is bound to cock up the sensitivity or character/formatting recognition; cripple the applications or ease of which to interact with them (by making it run with pauses or something); etc -- it just would be too good to be true for $400-$500.

Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with the first paragraph, I take issue with the second:

From the context of an article on malware, are the users really getting dumber with time? Who really wants to learn about antivirus/security practises? This is the job of the techies, not something to foist on unsuspecting users. You cock this up it's your problem.

I hope you are not one of those people in tech-support who says to me to click on something I've already clicked on several times, then continues with the line that they would have to be sitting in front of the machine because it is "too hard" for me to understand, and who is a general waste of time to call with a computer problem.

The good ones almost always will solve a problem over the phone efficiently, be a pleasure to converse with, and not overtly insult their clients intelligence. They may even teach the average user something in the process (the user is unlikely to learn through doing if all they get is looked down on). You should ask yourself how would you like to be treated if you asked what's happening on the screen, and someone's running a quantum physics simulation.

Show something colorful/educational about computing on computer display terminals. However, make sure that when the kid get too close or touches the screen, he/she gets a good zap. That'll make them think twice about damaging the equipment.

(In case you are a moderator, I am of course joking, and not trying to give informative advice here).