As a computer scientist, you also realize that you're putting yourself at the mercy of *TWO* development teams, and *TWO* release schedules in the event that a major exploit or bug is found? In theory it's a good way to ensure security, but it also means that you have to wait for Motorola to release an update that Google patched and released already.

I think what you're getting at is that Rock Band gives you the "benefit" of feeling like you're playing the guitar without nearly the amount of effort that the real guitar takes. The thing is, learning other people's songs is still just learning other people's songs. The people who play Rock Band aren't going to cut into the profits of those who play real instruments, and they aren't going to make actual guitarists any worse at their instruments. So while it does seem to give people the illusion that they can approach actual guitar skills, they still can't pick up a guitar and start making music without putting the same kind of effort in as a real musician. I don't think anybody has anything to worry about.

There are actually some pretty good open source engines out there these days. That said, this is yet another case of the "vicious cycle". Modders make mods mostly to catch a break. Every modder hopes to be part of the next team that makes it big. The best way to do that is to go where the players are. And sadly, the players aren't really playing on Linux. I hold high hopes that when Source hits linux, that a whole slew of HL2 mods will become linux native, and people will get used to the idea of programming games for linux. And ultimately, as you say, assets are a problem. Most artists I've met aren't terribly keen on making art for free, much less providing license for anybody and everybody to use their art as they see fit.

You don't have to live *in* a city. I live 30 miles away from my nearest city as a crow flies, but an actual 50 miles by interstate. I've invested in a $30 antenna at my local cheap brick-and-mortar, and have amazing HDTV reception. Also, I have fairly cheap DSL. It's only 3 megabit per second. But it's fast enough to watch Hulu, and it's fast enough for Netflix on Demand. To be honest, there are times where we're not in the mood to watch whatever's on, or to watch a movie on Netflix. But that's not any different than having 160 channels for $80 bucks a month, and STILL being bored with television. Moving off of Cable/Sattelite is just smart these days. There are cheaper alternatives. And you can pick and choose what you want, on your own time, instead of wasting time trying to find something to watch.

I noticed this story on Endgadget a few days ago, and they mentioned Microsoft in the blurb. But I don't really see that connection in the video, or in this article. So did Microsoft fund this?

The article notes that the accuracy of input origin is within 95%. So casual bumps shouldn't work, considering the input is in the inside of your arm. Hand input is trickier of course, but maybe you can set the sensitivity pretty low, so casual taps wouldn't work?

I figure all the time. It's good business to keep track of your competitors. Or, alternatively, it's always tempting to read the bad press about whatever you're working on, so you can set the record straight when people (invariably) misunderstand you.

Does "You can't legally sign away any of your basic freedoms in a contract" hold true in Canada as well? Remember, the story isn't about something going on in the U.S.