Linux is already much of a moving target when it comes to application development and getting some kind of a consistent environment, now it will be increasing harder (at least on Ubuntu). I can envision vendors spending more time updating their build environments than actually implementing their products.

Heck, try a comparison for Red Hat between Bing [bing.com] and Google [google.com]. You'd think that the Red Hat Society had their own linux distribution targeted a little old ladies... At least there's a little more reference to Linux now than last time I checked a month or so ago...

A while back when I had a blackberry I wrote a simple background app that went and updated the GPS every few minutes and made a HTTP request to my webserver with the coordinates. On the server, I made another page that simply overlaid the points on Google Maps. At the time I used it primarily to track where I was walking my dog (mainly to satisfy curiosity when I want to know where or how far we went). My wife actually pulled it up once while I was out on a walk when she wanted to come get us for something so she didn't have to go driving around searching for us (or so she says :) ).

It was a really simple set up (I think i had it working in an hour or so), and i'm sure you could put something together for a smaller phone if you don't want to get a berry for your daughter. I don't have the code anymore, otherwise I'd post a link... I'll look around for it, probably on a thumbdrive somewhere)

Can't figure out if you're describing me or yourself! I was diagnosed post-high school with ADHD, mostly for the same reasons you mention. I can keep large, complex software algorithms in my active memory, but still consistently forget what my wife asked me to do 30 seconds ago (probably because I'm still thinking of the algorithms).

I got through high school, and even a tour with the Marines before being diagnosed. Hit the real-world and college and it can really show up when the tasks start getting truly complex.

Then why bother even having a networking stack in Windows if you're not going to use it?

After I get going in the morning, I just fire up Songbird and blast the heaviest metal I have. Metallica, Six Feet Under, Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, whatever. For some reason, and it probably has to do with the ADHD, it just puts me in that perfect groove for slamming out my best code. That stuff for a time and then it's on to some John Coltrane or Johnny Winter for a while. Back and forth once or twice a day.

I don't know, but heavy, fast paced thrash metal just puts me in that perfect mindset... Just had to make sure I got good earphones so I didn't annoy the hell out the people in the adjacent cubicles!

Federal Bureau of Investigation actually conducts investigation using technology appropriate to the crime. News at 11!
Seriously, is anyone actually surprised that the FBI would actually adapt to the 21st century and develop new means of gathering evidence? A circa 1960's bug under the desk isn't going to be very useful when all you hear is typing. Provided the bureau used this lawfully (with a warrant, etc), this is not really news...

I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to call BS on your calling BS... Was a corporal with the Marines a while back, and when our commanding officer asked for something, it got done... When the civilian programmer contractors were either not around, or unable to provide a solution quick enough, the coding (not just config changes) fell on me. Wrote quite a bit of code while in the field to get some kind of functionality out of what technology we had.