So... if I’m flying from Houston to Frankfurt next week, should I be worried?

The RAM is user upgradeable, the warranty is for a year, not a month, and there’s nothing that prevents you from using a ten-year old USB keyboard/mouse. Don’t know why you wasted your money paying for all that... I’m sure most slashdotters have a few keyboards and mice lying around, I know I do.

I did the same thing when I got a direct message with it but Safari managed to warn me. I believe Safari uses Google’s database of phishing sites so it looks like a bug in Chrome.

I'll see your anecdote and raise you another. My university (a private institution in Texas) offered three sections of pre-calculus this semester (about 20 students in each section). However, they filled *eight* sections of Calc 1. Pre-calc is required for admission and the class is only for those who were admitted to the university but failed the mathematics placement test. Calculus is required and this is a *liberal arts* school. Most students are not science or engineering majors. I don't know why your university had such low standards. Maybe they need to tighten up their admissions requirements (or you should've transferred to a more rigorous school).

Just because a BP station has a BP sign doesn't many there is *any* guarantee you're pumping BP gas. Most stations in the US are franchises, not owned by the oil companies.

Most of these franchises are free to pump *whomevers gas is cheapest.* They buy on the wholesale market.

What you *are* guaranteed is that the gas you pump will include that companies add-pack. The most famous of these is Chevron's Techron add-pack.

IOW, that BP station could have BP, Shell, ConocoPhilips, Exxon or even Citgo gas coming out of its pumps.

(Also, the gas stations don't care about this. They don't make their money here, they make it selling you a $3 soda)

AFAIK, Apple will allow you to purchase from the US store if you have credit card with a US or APO billing address. That's how they check.

Also, I'm pretty sure the ToS for the store has had this rule ever since it was opened up to other countries. Each country has its own store due to licensing restrictions from the labels.

I know board games don't leap to mind, but check out some of the recent German games.

(I assume you can google these. Trust me, it's worth it)

Settlers of Catan
Carcassonne
Ticket to Ride (extra points for spotting the mistake in the game)
Puerto Rico
San Juan


Yes, these are just games, but they also aren't the garden variety he-with-the-best-luck-wins type of games. Settlers, a little bit, but the rest are intense strategy games. You may not be learning math or physics, but there's just as much value in reading people, long-term planning and anticipating others' actions. Sure, these aren't as tangible, but they're also real-world skills.

I know you've already been through ThinkGeek, but the Cuboro marble sets, if they still have them, continue to fascinate me.

Oh, and magnets. Magnets rock.

One more thing: Old cameras. If he likes to take stuff apart and put it back together, plus learn about optics and light, buy him an old film camera. Look up Canon AE-1 on eBay. Add in a few cheap lens and he'll be able to dissect the camera and examine all the lenses, mirrors, gears and everything. Easily under $50.