Before we go ahead with any of this, could we please not "verbify" all the nouns? In other words, feel free to implement a proxy based p2p protocol or network, as long as you don't "proxify" it.

They sure don't make the wooosh'es as they used back in the old day...

I know! Even I am not that grumpy. (but maybe his dog got murdered ten years ago)

Thanks for clarifying.

Now, what happens if I "jailbreak" an Android phone, and flush the OS images (typically boot and userdata), e.g. with Cyanogenmod, Replicant, Ubuntu. Will I automatically unlock the carrier lock as well? Or is there a way to retain the carrier lock, and still install an OS of my choice?

This is why I will always come back to Slashdot. There will always be some guy, like yourself, delivering the most absurd, but at the same time spot on comment, managing to combine wit, insight, technical details, sarcasm, cynicism, and reality into a beautifully constructed one-liner (which, as you can see, I am not capable of), and make me laugh of loud! -- Congratulations! Keep 'em coming!

Read and learn:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.html

The term “intellectual property” is at best a catch-all to lump together disparate laws. Nonlawyers who hear one term applied to these various laws tend to assume they are based on a common principle and function similarly.

Nothing could be further from the case. These laws originated separately, evolved differently, cover different activities, have different rules, and raise different public policy issues.

So no, patent and copyright laws do not "overlap". (As for your first sentence, I'm not even sure what it means; "The need"? Right now I need a coffee, but that is certainly not based on any patent...)

This should be modded up.

It's easy to jump to knee-jerk conclusions about some arbitrary number which "feels small". Once you do the math, as the parent just did, it becomes clear that it is perfectly fine. In fact, writing 60 GB / day is for most home user a HUGE margin, so the drive should be able to last much longer than three years.

The GPL is based on copyright law. It is *not* predicated on any kind of patent law. Those are completely different laws, and it is important to know the difference, lest we get caught in the "intellectual property" mumbo jumbo.

Installing Windows would be more like ripping out his memory banks?

> Voice input for things like setting timer names?

Yes, I can see how that goes:
- nineteen minutes, please

Starting ninety minute program...
OTA update started. Please to not shut down the own while this is in progress

Well, where my mate works, the access swipes are timestamped, registered, and stored. Access to the logs are restricted, but in HR related cases, they can look at when you came in, and where you walked.

After the disaster which is my current Dell 2709W (27", 1920x1200), I'll never buy Dell again.

Out of the box, about four years ago, it always had major overheating problems, which manifests itself as jitter on grey-tones (old style Windows 95 UI looks like a xmas tree). Then, in the last year, a vertical purple line 2-3 pixels wide has started to appear when I turn the screen on. It goes away after about 20 minutes. So yeah, probably bad caps.

Then, there is the f*** buttons. Almost every time I want to switch between input sources, the OSD menu times out before I can get to the right source. Just as often, the confirm button does not register the click, and I have to go all over again. F*** annoying! The old models, which had a dedicated physical button for input source was much better. I notice your U2711 has the same "fancy buttons", so it's a no-go for me.

Finally, it's the card-reader and USB hub; it doesn't work, or only works sometimes. No a big deal of course, but simply useless. However, this seems to be a rather consistent problem with Dell monitors. The same thing keeps happening to many of the 24" models at work.

Overall, I'm happy I got the monitor at the time I did, however, my next will be an Eizo, price be dammed.

Why would this hinder piracy? This is just about pixel resolution, and file-size, no?

The back of a pen is sufficient to point at something. No need to smear grease all over my screen. I've tried to wash it away, but it doesn't get properly clean; not like a pristine out-of-the box look anyway.

Thank you, finally somebody how understands me! Finger-prints all over the screen is disgusting.

And if they really have to point at something, it's far better to use the back of a pen, or similar. That way my view is not obstructed by half an arm.