Bah. They can "collate" all they like, but they are swamped by the false positive (and false negative) problem.

Of course, it sucks to be a false positive, but air travel is overrated...

Pardon me for interrupting the usual /. dialogue with something relevant to the original topic, but Ken Shirriff did a couple of teardowns a year ago that point out exactly why the counterfeit chargers are Not Safe. The safety issues revolve around poor isolation practices between the line and USB sides of some USB chargers.

Major items include
1) lack of "double insulated" construction in the internal transformer.
2) parts placement of line and USB side components on a single circuit board such that paths may be readily formed between line and USB sides from moisture, construction errors, or component failure.
3) inadequate margins between line side and USB side in overall layout of the charger internal components.

http://www.righto.com/2012/05/apple-iphone-charger-teardown-quality.html

http://www.righto.com/2012/03/inside-cheap-phone-charger-and-why-you.html

"Where have you lived where your neighbors shunned you for not belonging to the "local church"?"

Idaho Falls, Idaho. They don't much hold with all that whacky stuff the liberals down in Pocatello do. Boy, do I wish I were kidding.

And in other news, the bill has been declared DOA on arrival at the House of Representatives, where the Speaker of the House has announced that they intend to do their own thing, perhaps later this year, or possibly next year where a bill can be used as fodder for the 2014 campaigns.

Meh.

Why should I care if Apple knows what I do or where I go? They don't make their money by selling other companies access to me. They make money by selling electronics to me.

You don't know what you're talking about. You have no idea why Google's mapping services are no longer available. You don't know if it was Apple's decision, you don't know if it was Google's decision, you don't know if it was a mutual decision--and you don't know what factors played into that decision. You do know, however, that Apple is evil and therefore, ipso facto, everything's their fault. The end.

Yeah, and that app uses services made available to it (or not) by Google.

You're right, Google isn't obligated to provide anything to iOS. But I suspect they do so because it's making them more money than their entire Android operation. Why is Apple not providing ...something to Android? I'm not sure what they could be providing, but if you do think of something the answer would probably be because Google infringed many of Apple's patents when creating Android. Oh, sure you may not agree. But a court of law sure did. The Big Steve vowed to destroy Android because of how blatantly they stole from Apple.

Yes, I have heard of iAd. And you raise a good point. But the fact that it represents about 0.000001% of Apple's revenue, I somehow trust more that they won't succumb to shady privacy practices. Perhaps you think that's silly. I don't.

No. Apple's business is selling things to me. It isn't selling my information to others. That's Google's model. There really is a difference. I'm not imagining it.

And you know that the reason turn-by-turn wasn't available in the iOS Maps app is because Apple just ...didn't get around to it or something. You know that it wasn't that Google withheld that service from Apple. Or that Google and Apple argued over ads or other conditions. It basically just didn't have it because Steve Jobs was a dick and Google is open and FREEDOM AMERICA.

The really big players here are Facebook and Google. They both have fantastic amounts of data about you and their business model is entirely advertising-based. I don't think it's "false" or unfair to point this out and express some concern over it.

Your insinuation that the iPhone is substandard, overpriced, lacking innovation and giving little value for money is simply wrong. The 5 is almost certainly the best smartphone on the market today. As was the 4S before it. Anyone who doesn't recognize that it's at least a contender for the top spot is seriously missing something important about personal technology.

Yes, you are a slashdot product. But you'd be even more so if they started selling your information to advertisers or other third parties.

Also, I don't mind if Google wants to recommend a restaurant to me. I at least have some kind of relationship with them. But I'd rather they not allow third parties to grab my personal data to be used later for unknown purposes. That's the kind of thing Apple won't do.

Why is Apple always the villain around here? Remember that one time when Google implemented turn-by-turn directions for iOS maps app? Yeah, me neither. Besides, I trust Apple more. With them, I'm the customer. With Goolge I'm the product...with my personal information being sold to advertisers. Google already reads my email, knows my web searches, sees my RSS feeds and more. I want them also knowing where I go?

Gah! Wrong article. So much for using a cat as a personal assistant...

The best part will be the weekly stack ranking and 360 degree review sessions.

"You are an A/10! Please vacate the house at once!"