Interestingly, none of our users have complained about the keyboards on their new Macs. They complain vociferously about other things, to be sure, but this isn't one of them. For such a supposedly widespread problem, they've been remarkably silent.

Background: I've supported the Macs and PCs at my workplace for over 10 years. I prefer the older chiclet design, but mostly because that's what I'm used to.

Although I'm an independent, I come from a family of Republicans. All of us were expected to go to college. Some attended top universities, some have advanced degrees, etc. The value of higher education was never questioned. At least not until recently.

The problem is that colleges are losing their practical value. A gender studies degree, for instance, is great if one aspires to be a store clerk, but it's unlikely to provide the skills one needs to get ahead in life. Even the trades are more lucrative and provide a better standard of living. It wasn't always like this.

Unless my child plans to go into a STEM field, I will encourage them to explore other options. At the very least, a healthy young adult should be financially self-sufficient. Anything that detracts from their ability to pay their bills or self actualize, anything that keeps them slave to the state (think student loans for a major with low ROI), is simply unacceptable.

I see similar sentiments among my Republican family members and conservatives in my social circles. They're not anti-intellectual. They just want education to be worth something. Say what you will, but a debt-laden degree in gender studies is not as valuable as an engineering degree, or even as valuable an entry-level trade school certificate.

There has been a longstanding bias in favor of leftist ideology on college campuses. Much of that was tolerable by remembering that opinion is just that... opinion. At least we could agree on most of the facts. Strip away the practical fact-based value that even the most obscure college degrees used to to provide, however, and all you're left with is a bias that conservatives disagree with... and possibly a kid that won't "launch". Is it any wonder that they perceive this trend as bad for the country?

Simon: My God! The sun.

Elaine: What is it, Simon?

Simon: A large, fiery ball at the center of our solar system, but that's not important now. We're heading right for it.

You're painting with too broad a brush. Lots of people feel better at 40 than they did at 20. The early 20s can be a tremendously awkward and difficult age. The brain isn't fully developed until the mid 20s, those who were skinny can fill out by middle age, those who were fat can lose weight by middle age etc. Depressed young people often gain perspective and a healthier when they're older. I feel somewhat better today at 40 than at 20, both physically and mentally. I can still run as fast, solve puzzles as quickly etc. as I did then and I'm happier with my general physique. I've never been an elite athlete, but I've stayed active. Does this mean I'm delusional? No, it just means I've taken care of myself and perhaps have the right combination of genes for it. My parents are still active in their 80s. Playing tennis, riding bicycles etc. I hope to be doing the same when I'm a senior citizen. This doesn't mean I'm blind to the fact that our bodies eventually wear out and break down. There's just a lot of variation among humans. That being said, I agree that ageing should be studied further. What I'd like to see is a way to simultaneously tap into the advantages of various ages. Being younger shouldn't be the goal, in my opinion, but becoming better. The two aren't necessarily synonymous.

They mite be onto something.

"Anthropomorphic device" covers an awful lot of territory. Humanoid robots are anthropomorphic by definition. The term isn't limited to mechanical bears and such. Of course stuffed robot toys will respond to the user, express surprise and become generally more interactive. That's the natural evolution of Teddy Ruxpin, Furby, dolls that move their eyes, robots that fetch things etc. Toy and robot manufacturers should develop and improve on such products as they see fit. Google does not have a legitimate claim to this idea. There's nothing novel about it. Even if such a patent exists, it shouldn't hold up in court. If there's anything creepy going on here, it's that Google has so much clout. If they can get away with patenting this sort of thing, then they may as well just patent the idea of dolls or robots in general and be done with it.

Simple input devices. Switches, keyboards, mice, joysticks etc. will likely remain capable of the tasks they were designed for long after the machines we connect them to fall into disrepair. If they're in a reasonably dry location out of sunlight, made with durable materials, and there aren't any people plants or animals around to break them, they should last for centuries at least. That being said, what's a sufficient level of complexity for the sake of this thread? A switch can be as simple as two wires that complete a circuit when touched together.

It suggests whatever it suggests to you, but your opinion doesn't make it so. I've been aware of the tech community's bias against AOL email addresses for nearly as long as I've had one but it's still my primary. Why? It's outlived three .edu accounts, two EarthLink accounts, several that came packaged with ISPs, multiple Gmail accounts, a few from personal websites... you get the idea. So I've had it since 1994, when my dad let me create one under his subscription. Its presence simplifies things for family and old friends get in touch with me. Yes, my old AOL has even outlasted my presence on Facebook and Google+. Frankly, I just view the bias as yet another case of people being lemmings but feel free to reach your wrong conclusions if that's what makes you happy.