I think the main point here is that the one person who did hear the difference is probably the only one who hasn't fried his ears with an overabundance of DBs. It's going to be interesting watching all you young'ns join us deaf old geezers saying "huh?" while you're still in your 20s and 30s. My years on an air force flight line with jets taking off left and right now seem downright quiet compared to your ear buds and honking horn automobile stereos.

At first glance it's evil, but it depends on how it's used. As little as I use a cellphone, it might be worth watching an ad before every call if the iPhone only cost me $5. I'm sure it could be set up so that a 911 would bypass the ads. This might also be acceptable for a low cost macnetbook that cost you $25 and offers free access but makes you watch an ad every 15 minutes while you're answering your email.

Harold Coyle wrote a story "Dead Hand" back in 2002 using this device. I just started reading the book - pretty good - this weekend.

I don't think that's quite true. I've had cheap off brand AA batteries cause problems much more often than "name brand" AA batteries. Leaks and premature discharges have all been common problems with off brand batteries I've used in the past. Ikea AA batteries for example seem to die in half the time of Duracell, even they're both "AA" batteries.

I know it's been 10 years since I graduated/taught, but I doubt much has changed. School computers were laden with malware and viruses. I'd get disks with assignments from clueless students that were virtually bubbling over with viruses. I'm sure it's the same with USB drives now. Honestly, lending out your laptop would seem to be akin to lending your toothbrush to a typhoid patient.

I was listening to my Sony ICF-2001 (1981) radio last night. I still pull out my TRS Model 100 (1985) now and then. The readout's a little funky, but my first Casio calculator (1976) still works, and while very rarely used, my Sans & Streiffe slide rule (1969) hasn't dropped a bit yet. And my Vectrex video game (1981) still buzzes along just fine.