I work at a mobile technology company. While our focus is more on WAP and shortcode stuff, we do a number of applications for iPhone, android, windows mobile, and blackberry. You know why it's not a headache? Because everyone involved knows to treat each version for each OS as a whole new piece of software. You rewrite the UI from scratch according to what works best with the phone, recycle the web services, and charge the customer for each app on each platform.

No, you want a nightmare? Imagine you had to write one app that compiled and worked on an Android, iPhone, windows phone, and blackberry. Then you're dealing with the headaches of a web developer.

Hell, if she could change someone's passwords without a computer, I'd hire her.

My place got robbed in June 2009. I've taken several measures to prevent it from happening again. The robbery was pulled off by breaking a hole through a lexane window, climbing in, and unlocking the back door. I think they put a little kid through the hole in the back window because it was a tiny hole to queeze through and they stole a few toys I had lying around along with my electronics.

Low-tech security:

Renter's insurance. I wish I had that before the first robbery.

I chained my computer and my TV to the radiator. The chain is actually very well hidden, so it doesn't look too awful. The chain on my computer goes in through a PCI slot to a giant padlock, so if they wanted my computer they'd have to either tear apart the case, cut the lock, or take apart my computer piece by piece. The chain is pretty darn thick... I couldn't cut it with bolt cutters and it took about 5 minutes to get through with a grinder.

I put a protector over my door lock, and bars over my back windows where the break-in happened. Lexane is nice, but it looked like glass. It doesn't deter people from trying to break in, it just stops them once they try. And when it's fastened to a crappy wooden windowframe, the frame just gets torn out. The bars are attached directly to the brick

Oh, and I got a dog.

I also tell my neighbors when I'm leaving because they noticed my back door was open and my window was smashed for 36 hours before telling my landlord about it.

High-tech security:

I wrote a home security system using VB.net and PHP. The VB application runs on my home computer, and has a camera that looks down my hall. If it detects motion, it takes a picture, posts it online to my PHP script, which sends a text message to my phone with a link to the image. Then, the VB application plays a really loud alarm sound.

If you're interested in using my system for yourself, send my username a gmail and I'll hook you up with a download. I warn you, though, it's fairly customized for me and might not work on your computer.

I set my password to "********". Eight asterisks. That way, if anyone ever cracks it or uses a keylogger or something, they'll say "What the hell? I still can't see it." If I need my password to be extra secure, I throw a few more asterisks in there.

I am the lead engineer for one of the largest providers for mobile coupon systems in the country. My company is known for havng the most robust and flexible couponing system out there.
This story is sensationalist as heck.
Of COURSE there's a lot of information in those coupons. Each one is unique. Therefore, each one can be tracked back to the user who received it. We have access to any information they've sent in (most common is name, age, and zip code, in addition to their phone and carrier, and their phone model if they went through a mobile website). What we don't do is sell data or phone numbers. Nor do we do reverse lookups or spamming. Stores can save any information they want about their users, such as what they've bought, or their number of 'loyalty points' and stuff like that. A SOAP request can pull down that information to their cash registers, and the cashier can update and add new information.
It's very similar to when the cashiers ask you for your phone number. The difference is that with coupons or rewards systems, people have an incentive to actually provide the info.

Regardless, there should've been a prompt to ask if you wanted to install it, and there damn well should be a working uninstall button.

Has anyone considered that she might just be moving very close to the speed of light?

I think that someone coulda made a hell of a great comeback ad with lingerie-clad women rubbing steaks and bacon all over their bodies.

Yep, that's what I use too

Do other lefties feel a bit left out? Only two of the mice listed were symmetrical. As a left-handed PC gamer, it seems impossible for me to find a high-quality mouse that comfortably fits my hand. Especially mice with 5+ buttons.

This problem is often exacerbated by games like Fallout 3, in which bethesda felt the need to perma-bind numpad 7 (strafe left for us southpaws) to the 'Stop the game and open windows live' command. Is there no money in making a mirror version for those of us with a recessive gene or two?

I'd like to see them run linux.