WAAS is the limiting factor in most units and most cases (near urban areas) so this is a non-story. Besides, the people going for those kind of caches are experienced at reading environmental clues anyways, so not much effect there either.

All of this and no mention of Project Plowshare? It's disappointing to see Wired this far under journalistic par. Unless of course, you ignore that so that you can go on with a seemingly clever article.

Ah, very well then, your dates are off.

The Great Depression began in 1929 and ended in 1939. Some argue that it actually ended sooner and, by the formal economic definition of a shrinking economy, it ended in 1934. US GDP in 1937 was greater than that of 1929 so only the fully ignorant would say that the depression persisted past 1939.

Now Roosevelt took office in 1933 and after being elected to an unprecedented fourth term, died in office in 1945 just weeks away from Germany's surrender during WW2.

So there you have it. Roosevelt outlasted the depression by at least 6 years which is in direct contradiction of your statement that the depression lasted throughout his time in office.

If you are a rational person, then I would welcome the sight of the kind of mental gymnastics it would take for you to assimilate these facts into your world view. My experience, however, indicates that you will just ignore them because it is safer to coddle your ego in warm, comforting ignorance than to face the world as it really exists.

Unemployment nation wide is closer to 7% while in California specifically it's more like 8.5% now.

H1B's affect wages more than they affect unemployment. With a strong economy registering unemployment near 4%, they keep wages in check by preventing labor demand from running away from supply. In a stagnating economy with unemployment nearing 8%, they allow companies the freedom to cut wages, benefits, hours, etc. These cuts are often permanent despite being described as temporary concessions in "tough times" since all future gains are measured from where you are and not where you were a year ago.

Growth in supply always depresses prices, it's simple economics. Add to that the fact that H1B's are a cheaper source of labor supply, and you have quite the corporate tool to control labor costs.