Oracle releases a Java SE update to plug security vulnerabilities, but the installer still prompts me to install the 'Ask Search App' by default.

Does anyone see a conflict of interest here?

On the plus side, it seems that our galaxy is one of the 10% capable of supporting life.

So at least we only have to start looking locally...

Actually, it's the awful commenters that are turning people away. For example, you only had to do a search in the Slashdot Search bar for 'Google Tax' to see half a dozen published stories about Google's tax exploits.

For example...?

I bought a Samsung Chronos Notebook a year ago, and it was a horrible experience.

The touchpad broke twice.
The headphone socket produced a buzz every time the laptop was plugged into the mains.
The WiFi kept disconnecting
Out of date drivers that have never been updated.
No support for Windows 8.
Terrible support staff who were either incompetent, lazy, or bored.
Badly written system software: it takes a full 20 seconds to enable/disable the WiFi, no support for non-administrators, it's intrusive and yet it's also required for full system functionality.

Even if all the hardware on this new model is up to scratch, nothing else has changed, and this deal will leave you sour. Basically, don't expect any real after-sales support in the way you probably expect it from most other laptop manufacturers. If you think of it as an appliance (like a TV) and never upgrade it, you *may* be fine.

Change gears down. It's called engine braking. Change to a lower gear and your engine will either explode, or it will slow down. Either way, you'll stop.
Or how about the handbrake? You may skid, yes, but you will also slow down.
Got an ignition switch? Turn it off.
Got keys in the ignition? Take them out.

ProTip! if you're keen for a joy-ride, call the police first and pretend your car's gone crazy. Not only do you get to legitimately drive faster than you've ever driven before, but the police will also clear the roads for you.

Result!

We can't even decide what is morally correct between ourselves as human beings. Take abortion for example...

Which was nice...

Most users doing most end user stuff prefer using iPads instead. Who is the target audience for Ultrabooks?

A 256GB HD, 4GB RAM, and a low resolution display just doesn't cut it for brand new hardware these days. It's rare (and expensive!) to find Ultrabooks with better specs than this.

Ultrabooks look nice - but if they're less powerful than my current hardware, why would I want to change?

We have repeated cases of people going to court to dispute 'fair use', which shows that it is not well defined enough for humans to get right, let alone automated bots.

Lay down specific rules for 'fair use' and then you can write an algorithm to respect those rules.

(Just don't let RIAA/MPAA dictate the rules.)

And will you still be supporting their actions when you find your own personal bank details on that list?

Seriously - this just causes hassle for *everyone*, and is not a good way to drum up support for your ill-defined and unfocussed protest.

"Into Eternity" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/nov/11/into-eternity-film-review), which documents the staggering engineering requirements of creating a nuclear bunker designed to last a million times longer than any man made object ever created.

The scale of the work involved is almost beyond comprehension. And a hard disk is just a fraction of that work.

It will blow your mind.

Hmmm...interesting. I tried ordering a couple of films about 6 months ago, and got a message from Amazon saying they were unable to ship the product to my specific region. But it seems to work OK now.

Is this a recent development?