EFOY does. It uses methanol, but a liter of the stuff will last months. Truma has a product, but they refuse to sell anything but their propane meter in the US.
You will be paying top dollar for the fuel cell. From the prices on US Marine products, the 40, 75, and 105 watt cells run $3499, $4999, and $6999, respectively. The fuel runs $67 for a 10 liter bottle, $193 for a 28 liter bottle.
If car camping, I'd probably consider a portable solar charger. Even if one builds their own with a MPPT controller, it will be still cheaper than a fuel cell.
The ironic thing is that in the past, their clean UI is one reason why people moved from MySpace to FB, because MySpace had just so much clutter that it sometimes was too much like a ytmnd reject.
The best system would be smaller, interconnected social networks. That way, someone on one social network could see what another person is doing. Add a bit of crypto to the mix (a wall post is only visible to these private key holders in a list), and it would be a decently secure design.
I wouldn't mind G+ winding up more popular, if only to have an alternative option available. Maybe VK, although that is mainly centered around Russia and Eastern Europe.
When RV-ing, fuel cells (EFOY, VeGA [1]) are already on the market. They may not be powerful enough to run an A/C, but good enough to a few months from a liter or two of fuuel.. This keeps the batteries topped off and allows one to use 12 volt items and 120/240 volt items (with an inverter) without the noise of a generator when dry camping.
A fuel cell running on diesel would be very useful. It would have more energy per volume than methanol or propane, and would go far in supplementing solar.
For non-RV uses, having a diesel fuel cell to supplement a battery bank if the solar charging system isn't cutting it would be useful. A good set of batteries, and one can have a circuit in their house just for small electrical items that are always on, such as battery chargers. It also makes for a decent UPS.
[1]: Ironic that Truma, named after a US president, doesn't sell anything other than a propane gauge on this side of the pond, when they have the absolute best RV furnaces, water heaters (water heaters that will auto-dump their tanks rather than allow the water to burst if the tank is about to freeze), fuel cells, and many other niceties.
That is a point that bothers me. FB is kind enough to allow others to authenticate from them, and they have very good security... but if I were running a business and needed some way to ensure customers were properly authenticated, I'd rather have a commercial entity that could give me some assurance that measures (at least PCI-DSS3 standards) were being followed.
My preference would be smaller social networks with a standard of interlinking, so events, calenders, posts, and private messages could go from social network "A" to social network "B". This way, not all eggs are in one basket.
An even better preference would be to perhaps reuse existing protocols. For private messages, XMPP comes to mind. For longer, async messages, good old fashoned E-mail. Discussions? Web forums, or NNTP. Real-time text conferences? IRC.
Of course, people want a "one stop shop", so even though older Internet protocols might be the best solution, having many social networks interconnected is better than what we have now.
One tenant that should apply to FB: Don't put anything on there, be it in a private message, on a wall, on a group... anywhere that you don't want every LEO in the world to know, as well as your worst enemy.
If one needs to message in private, there are secured end to end ways to do this. Even AIM has point to point SSL. Of course, there is E-mail and PGP or S/MIME.
I'd blame Samsung rather than Google. The fact that Samsung's flagship device required a five digit bounty just to get -root- on it, much an unlocked bootloader, made it something I'd not consider. HTC may not be as popular, but at least the HTC One M8 can be completely unlocked, S-Off set, and of course rooted. Similar with other devices.
The closest to this is the HTC One M8 that has a SD card slot that can handle 128 GB cards.
What I'd like is a device with at least 256-512 GB of space, as well as the option to allow a chunk of it (be it a partition or a file) to be made into a volume (or perhaps volumes) that can present themselves as drives via USB. There are some apps that allow Android devices to do this, and they come in handy, as I can carry boot media on those, and be able to boot/recover a machine that doesn't have access to a PXE system. It can also function as a (rather slow) OS drive.
On the cheap, there are always Backblaze's storage pods. They take up more than 1 RU, but for something that is about $10,000 in price, the price is right.
This is tier 3 storage, though. If you want actual enterprise-grade stuff, it costs a lot more, but it will come with enterprise-grade performance and enterprise-grade warranties.
Of course, for long term storage for a lot of data, it is hard to beat LTO-6 for I/O speed and cheap capacity. After the drives and silos are in, if another PB is needed, that is only $20,000 (assuming $50 per tape, which will be a lot less for large orders,) perhaps far fewer tapes required, if the data is at all compressible.
By the time the LHC is generating data, IBM and Quantum should have LTO9 (25 TB native) or LTO10 (48 TB native) ready to go. Yes, it is still a lot of tapes, but it can be done.
I've found some recruiters to be very good. Others are just trying to find someone with a CCIE to handle a 3 month, no-hire gig in an Elbonian basement for $10/hour. Still others, one can tell are just quite shady. If I can make some type of connection with the person in the first minute or two, it usually works out. If I cannot get a point across or explain to the person that a Nexus 6000 is a different item than an IBM POWER 795, I just thank them for their time, ask them to find candidate that will fit the role, end the conversation, and drop their number into my phone's blacklist.
In general, I have had good luck with recruiters, once I get past the ones asking for obvious stupid stuff [1], and the ones that are trying to peddle the bottom of the bowl gigs that they will find no takers for.
[1]: No, I don't have five years of Apple Swift programming experience, and I have zero clue why the random cold call recruiters want this.
On a job for a UNIX admin position, I was asked the inner join and outer join question. I then was asked what one thing I'd pass on to a new DBA as a single piece of knowledge that would save time, torment, and agony in the future.
What I think we will see once Intel and ARM start hitting a wall with nm sizes is a race to throw as many cores on a die as possible.
Next step after that will be bigger caches and better caching algorithms.
After that, the next step will be to have special purpose cores. For example, some phones have two low-power/low-speed cores, and two faster/more energy using cores. I wouldn't be surprised to see that, as well as cores that are dedicated to specific tasks, but general tasks can be put on those cores if need be. For example, a core for AES, cores that are optimized for floating point operations, but can do integer math, GPUs, a specialty core that is intended to be just for security sensitive processes (perhaps even running a Harvard architecture so that heap smashing is not possible), maybe even FPGAs.
Having a lot of special purpose cores in addition to general purpose tasks, perhaps with a scheduler that can tell the OS to use proper weighting when selecting core affinities will be the next performance gain. However, this will come later, as it requires "knowledge" of tasks to not just be at the CPU branch prediction level, but at the OS scheduler level.
Beyond secure lines, there needs to be a secure network with pipes that don't use the Internet (no VPNs.) NIPRnet is an example of this.
This way, at least the bad guys would have to hack access to the network, then hack access to the central switch to allow their machines to communicate with others, then finally go after the data. With throwing everything onto the Internet, it is a relatively easy job to compromise almost anything.
Connecting emergency devices that notify the proper authorities is a solved problem. Even before the Internet was mainstream, fire and burglar alarms used POTS lines, and even cellular connections to dial out.
What needs to be done is to have emergency devices that dial out be connected to 1 (or may more for redundancy) hardened monitoring servers. These machines are behind a firewall, and don't accept incoming connections.
For items that accept incoming input via the Internet, the devices themselves shouldn't be connecting. Instead, they should connect to a central server that is also very hardened, which either uses a third party for connections (a la gotomypc.com or teamviewer), SSL client certificates so an unauthorized user or device doesn't make it past the SSL handshake. Application level VPNs are also a tool for this. Trying to make every single device hardened is an exercise in futility. Instead, they need to get their interface from a central machine, so there is only one device to properly secure, not hundreds.
In fact, for non-emergencies, devices shouldn't be connected to the Internet at all. This is just ripe for abuse. A good example of this are apps on app stores/repos. Why does a basic fleshlight app require every single permission under the sun including fine GPS, contacts, and access to E-mail? I'm sure that IoT devices will be exploited just as hard where there is a constant stream of data being sent up to some clearinghouse, and if the clearinghouse doesn't do bad stuff with that data, the people who hack said clearinghouse will.
That is one nice thing in Austin... one local chain, the Alamo Drafthouse will eject texters, glassholes, and people on their cellphones from the theaters with great prejudice. It isn't as good as The Oatmeal's glass dome... but it makes it worth it to go to a theater. The fact the Alamo chain serves decent food and beer also is a plus.
I have seen a lot of crazy DB constructions over the years. Devs having completely new tables that were a virtual duplicates of a previous one, oddball crap stored as BLOBs or CLOBS because the dev had their own screwy algorithm and wanted job security by making sure things worked, but didn't work without them.
With a database that has been around a while, even though it might supposedly have a gig of data in it, it might be so bloated that it can be orders of magnitudes bigger, and because of territorial disputes, it will remain that way until a bigwig fires everyone involved and gets people in to fix things or it becomes irrelevant to day to day operations as it got replaced by something else.
Problem is that printouts take a lot of space, and are heavy. A gig's worth of data would be in the millions of physical pages if it were text, less for high resolution drawings or photos, but still a lot of dead trees.
It boils down to data prioritization. Extremely critical data like encryption keys and core financial records for the IRS might be something worth printing. Other items may or may not be worth it.
Maybe someone should invent a CAS (which is presented as a filesystem.) Documents get copied into it, and stay accessible until their expiration date comes along or there is a cryptographically signed removal request. On the backend, the documents are cryptographically signed [1]
[1]: Perhaps the CAS would have an intermediary key, and every day would generate a new key to sign documents with, purging the private key, but keeping the public key around. At the end of every key cycle, a manifest of signed files (hashes) would have its hash sent to multiple timeservers as an added protection, similar to how Stamper at itconsult.co.uk works.
Of course, the backend data would have ECC added, and stored on at least two different media groups, perhaps more. Different media, such as tape and drives, low power "cold flash" (which is what Facebook is trying to get companies to develop), drives and offsite cloud storage (encrypted, of course), optical (if Facebook's Blu-Ray autochanger becomes commercially available), or any/all of the above. The CAS would run the equivalent of a ZFS scrub, checking signatures and ECC info every so often, and periodically copying existing data to new media so the chance of undetected bit rot becomes extremely low, and if it does happen, there are alternate copies.
A payment system needs some thought put into it. As a fallback, if a credit card is abused, the money is reimbursed, charges are reversed. This is a tried and true system for over 40+ years.
Other systems don't have this protection. Debit cards, once the money is out, it is gone. Third party providers? I have read stories of some various payment providers permanently banning people from using them if fraud happens and a charge is reversed, so at best one winds up going through their "fraud" measures, which likely will result in nothing.
I don't see anything that even remotely approaches Visa/Mastercard for a reliable, secure, system where if a customer gets screwed (even if it is a double-charge at a restaruant, and the place refuses to bother going back), money would be returned. Visa/Mastercard also demand a level of security for all links in the chain. In virtually everywhere else in the computing industry, there are no useful laws (FERPA/SOX/HIPAA are never enforced), no regulations... nothing at all to ensure security regulations are kept. The CurrenC hack would not have happened if PCI-DSS3 guidelines were in place.
Yes, Visa/MC are a near monopoly, but they have earned it, and have earned a trust, which is very hard to get. No, they are not perfect, but they do quite a good job at at least doing something to stem the tide of credit card fraud, and reimbursing if/when it happens.
I don't see other payment systems, other than the ones that are based on credit cards, having this innate protection. Consumers read about many, many places getting hacked on an almost daily basis, so they have almost zero faith in security measures. If a payment system can't undo bogus charges, then consumers will stick with one that does, and if nobody gives guarantees against fraud, the end users will go with cash, as it takes far more than an Internet connection to make coins or paper money.
As of now, the Apple student discount is about 10%. It might be a bad thing and a cut of quarterly profits this quarter, but selling Macs to schools for a major cut-rate price will be sewing the seeds of a large audience once the kids (who are used to Macs) start graduating and making purchase decisions.
As for student discounts, I remember Apple offering far greater savings a while back to students, and this might be something they should consider doing again.
It also wouldn't hurt if Apple made a Mac model just for educational institutions similar to an iMac, but would be a bit more rugged, with the ability to not just be locked down with a Kensington cable... but also some type of mechanism to keep the innards from being cracked open and emptied. If monitor and keyboard are not issues, then something slightly beefier than a Mac Mini and made with an aluminum case so it can't be easily smashed open. It wouldn't be as sleek as a consumer device, but if Apple did make something that could be upgraded/repaired, schools would buy those devices by the pallet load.
It also helps long term, Apple may have the mindshare right now... but there was a time when Sony had that (there were Walkman players, then everyone else), and it only took a few years for them to be dethroned as the king of personal device makers. Samsung is doing quite well, and if Apple slips up, they can match Apple blow for blow in every single market Apple sells in around the world. So, if Apple charges off some of its cash holdings to keep the educational market theirs, it only helps down the road when people graduate and buy what they are used to.
To boot, you probably will get a fee tacked on for being able to sit in the cramped space with the contents of the tray in your lap as the guy in front leans back.
My only beef about the MBP compared to other laptops of its price range are security related:
1: The Kensington lock slot is important, either that, or some other way from Apple to put a theft deterrent mechanism in place. Right now, there are no solid theft deterrent solutions, other than MacLock's offerings (which are not doing so well on Amazon reviews) or the Snake (which is decent, but prevents you from closing your laptop.) Every other laptop maker has some form of Kensington slot out there, and even though this isn't made to stop a dedicated thief, it will put a stop to opportunistic thefts. Even if the lock slot is on a sliding metal bar that pops out and pushes in, that is better than nothing.
2: Along the lines of security, I'd like to see a TPM chip on Macs, that is shipped deactivated, but can be easily turned on. This would provide another layer of protection.
A while back, I did a (pardon the pun) apples to Apples comparison of MacBooks to other desktops with the same chipset and features, as well as the Mac Pro to other workstations with the same features.
The ironic thing... Apple was the least expensive, all things factored in. Yes, one can get a computer with far less stuff in it and it will be cheaper, but buying a comparable Dell with what a Mac Pro has in it, even the canister is less expensive.
At a drive through, being able to fire up an app, hit "send" and have the actual order I want would be nice. I tend not to hit fast foot places, but it would be nice to get something that is somewhat close to what I ordered at the pickup window.
Some dine-in restaurants are experimenting with this as well. Chili's has their Ziosk devices, and those are nice because paying for a tab is just a couple taps and a card swipe, rather than having to flag down the waitstaff, especially if one is in a hurry.
Of course, this isn't a "one size fits all", but it can be useful.
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EFOY does. It uses methanol, but a liter of the stuff will last months. Truma has a product, but they refuse to sell anything but their propane meter in the US.
You will be paying top dollar for the fuel cell. From the prices on US Marine products, the 40, 75, and 105 watt cells run $3499, $4999, and $6999, respectively. The fuel runs $67 for a 10 liter bottle, $193 for a 28 liter bottle.
If car camping, I'd probably consider a portable solar charger. Even if one builds their own with a MPPT controller, it will be still cheaper than a fuel cell.
The ironic thing is that in the past, their clean UI is one reason why people moved from MySpace to FB, because MySpace had just so much clutter that it sometimes was too much like a ytmnd reject.
The best system would be smaller, interconnected social networks. That way, someone on one social network could see what another person is doing. Add a bit of crypto to the mix (a wall post is only visible to these private key holders in a list), and it would be a decently secure design.
I wouldn't mind G+ winding up more popular, if only to have an alternative option available. Maybe VK, although that is mainly centered around Russia and Eastern Europe.
When RV-ing, fuel cells (EFOY, VeGA [1]) are already on the market. They may not be powerful enough to run an A/C, but good enough to a few months from a liter or two of fuuel.. This keeps the batteries topped off and allows one to use 12 volt items and 120/240 volt items (with an inverter) without the noise of a generator when dry camping.
A fuel cell running on diesel would be very useful. It would have more energy per volume than methanol or propane, and would go far in supplementing solar.
For non-RV uses, having a diesel fuel cell to supplement a battery bank if the solar charging system isn't cutting it would be useful. A good set of batteries, and one can have a circuit in their house just for small electrical items that are always on, such as battery chargers. It also makes for a decent UPS.
[1]: Ironic that Truma, named after a US president, doesn't sell anything other than a propane gauge on this side of the pond, when they have the absolute best RV furnaces, water heaters (water heaters that will auto-dump their tanks rather than allow the water to burst if the tank is about to freeze), fuel cells, and many other niceties.
Thanks. I don't think we have people physically dwelling in something FB-owned yet.
That is a point that bothers me. FB is kind enough to allow others to authenticate from them, and they have very good security... but if I were running a business and needed some way to ensure customers were properly authenticated, I'd rather have a commercial entity that could give me some assurance that measures (at least PCI-DSS3 standards) were being followed.
My preference would be smaller social networks with a standard of interlinking, so events, calenders, posts, and private messages could go from social network "A" to social network "B". This way, not all eggs are in one basket.
An even better preference would be to perhaps reuse existing protocols. For private messages, XMPP comes to mind. For longer, async messages, good old fashoned E-mail. Discussions? Web forums, or NNTP. Real-time text conferences? IRC.
Of course, people want a "one stop shop", so even though older Internet protocols might be the best solution, having many social networks interconnected is better than what we have now.
One tenant that should apply to FB: Don't put anything on there, be it in a private message, on a wall, on a group... anywhere that you don't want every LEO in the world to know, as well as your worst enemy.
If one needs to message in private, there are secured end to end ways to do this. Even AIM has point to point SSL. Of course, there is E-mail and PGP or S/MIME.
I'd blame Samsung rather than Google. The fact that Samsung's flagship device required a five digit bounty just to get -root- on it, much an unlocked bootloader, made it something I'd not consider. HTC may not be as popular, but at least the HTC One M8 can be completely unlocked, S-Off set, and of course rooted. Similar with other devices.
The closest to this is the HTC One M8 that has a SD card slot that can handle 128 GB cards.
What I'd like is a device with at least 256-512 GB of space, as well as the option to allow a chunk of it (be it a partition or a file) to be made into a volume (or perhaps volumes) that can present themselves as drives via USB. There are some apps that allow Android devices to do this, and they come in handy, as I can carry boot media on those, and be able to boot/recover a machine that doesn't have access to a PXE system. It can also function as a (rather slow) OS drive.
On the cheap, there are always Backblaze's storage pods. They take up more than 1 RU, but for something that is about $10,000 in price, the price is right.
This is tier 3 storage, though. If you want actual enterprise-grade stuff, it costs a lot more, but it will come with enterprise-grade performance and enterprise-grade warranties.
Of course, for long term storage for a lot of data, it is hard to beat LTO-6 for I/O speed and cheap capacity. After the drives and silos are in, if another PB is needed, that is only $20,000 (assuming $50 per tape, which will be a lot less for large orders,) perhaps far fewer tapes required, if the data is at all compressible.
By the time the LHC is generating data, IBM and Quantum should have LTO9 (25 TB native) or LTO10 (48 TB native) ready to go. Yes, it is still a lot of tapes, but it can be done.
I've found some recruiters to be very good. Others are just trying to find someone with a CCIE to handle a 3 month, no-hire gig in an Elbonian basement for $10/hour. Still others, one can tell are just quite shady. If I can make some type of connection with the person in the first minute or two, it usually works out. If I cannot get a point across or explain to the person that a Nexus 6000 is a different item than an IBM POWER 795, I just thank them for their time, ask them to find candidate that will fit the role, end the conversation, and drop their number into my phone's blacklist.
In general, I have had good luck with recruiters, once I get past the ones asking for obvious stupid stuff [1], and the ones that are trying to peddle the bottom of the bowl gigs that they will find no takers for.
[1]: No, I don't have five years of Apple Swift programming experience, and I have zero clue why the random cold call recruiters want this.
On a job for a UNIX admin position, I was asked the inner join and outer join question. I then was asked what one thing I'd pass on to a new DBA as a single piece of knowledge that would save time, torment, and agony in the future.
I said that DROP TABLE autocommits.
I got the job.
What I think we will see once Intel and ARM start hitting a wall with nm sizes is a race to throw as many cores on a die as possible.
Next step after that will be bigger caches and better caching algorithms.
After that, the next step will be to have special purpose cores. For example, some phones have two low-power/low-speed cores, and two faster/more energy using cores. I wouldn't be surprised to see that, as well as cores that are dedicated to specific tasks, but general tasks can be put on those cores if need be. For example, a core for AES, cores that are optimized for floating point operations, but can do integer math, GPUs, a specialty core that is intended to be just for security sensitive processes (perhaps even running a Harvard architecture so that heap smashing is not possible), maybe even FPGAs.
Having a lot of special purpose cores in addition to general purpose tasks, perhaps with a scheduler that can tell the OS to use proper weighting when selecting core affinities will be the next performance gain. However, this will come later, as it requires "knowledge" of tasks to not just be at the CPU branch prediction level, but at the OS scheduler level.
Beyond secure lines, there needs to be a secure network with pipes that don't use the Internet (no VPNs.) NIPRnet is an example of this.
This way, at least the bad guys would have to hack access to the network, then hack access to the central switch to allow their machines to communicate with others, then finally go after the data. With throwing everything onto the Internet, it is a relatively easy job to compromise almost anything.
Connecting emergency devices that notify the proper authorities is a solved problem. Even before the Internet was mainstream, fire and burglar alarms used POTS lines, and even cellular connections to dial out.
What needs to be done is to have emergency devices that dial out be connected to 1 (or may more for redundancy) hardened monitoring servers. These machines are behind a firewall, and don't accept incoming connections.
For items that accept incoming input via the Internet, the devices themselves shouldn't be connecting. Instead, they should connect to a central server that is also very hardened, which either uses a third party for connections (a la gotomypc.com or teamviewer), SSL client certificates so an unauthorized user or device doesn't make it past the SSL handshake. Application level VPNs are also a tool for this. Trying to make every single device hardened is an exercise in futility. Instead, they need to get their interface from a central machine, so there is only one device to properly secure, not hundreds.
In fact, for non-emergencies, devices shouldn't be connected to the Internet at all. This is just ripe for abuse. A good example of this are apps on app stores/repos. Why does a basic fleshlight app require every single permission under the sun including fine GPS, contacts, and access to E-mail? I'm sure that IoT devices will be exploited just as hard where there is a constant stream of data being sent up to some clearinghouse, and if the clearinghouse doesn't do bad stuff with that data, the people who hack said clearinghouse will.
That is one nice thing in Austin... one local chain, the Alamo Drafthouse will eject texters, glassholes, and people on their cellphones from the theaters with great prejudice. It isn't as good as The Oatmeal's glass dome... but it makes it worth it to go to a theater. The fact the Alamo chain serves decent food and beer also is a plus.
Even with some self-winding watches, they require a funky gyroscope case on a nightstand to get and stay powered up.
It would be nice if the watch could go longer without a charge, however.
I have seen a lot of crazy DB constructions over the years. Devs having completely new tables that were a virtual duplicates of a previous one, oddball crap stored as BLOBs or CLOBS because the dev had their own screwy algorithm and wanted job security by making sure things worked, but didn't work without them.
With a database that has been around a while, even though it might supposedly have a gig of data in it, it might be so bloated that it can be orders of magnitudes bigger, and because of territorial disputes, it will remain that way until a bigwig fires everyone involved and gets people in to fix things or it becomes irrelevant to day to day operations as it got replaced by something else.
Problem is that printouts take a lot of space, and are heavy. A gig's worth of data would be in the millions of physical pages if it were text, less for high resolution drawings or photos, but still a lot of dead trees.
It boils down to data prioritization. Extremely critical data like encryption keys and core financial records for the IRS might be something worth printing. Other items may or may not be worth it.
Maybe someone should invent a CAS (which is presented as a filesystem.) Documents get copied into it, and stay accessible until their expiration date comes along or there is a cryptographically signed removal request. On the backend, the documents are cryptographically signed [1]
[1]: Perhaps the CAS would have an intermediary key, and every day would generate a new key to sign documents with, purging the private key, but keeping the public key around. At the end of every key cycle, a manifest of signed files (hashes) would have its hash sent to multiple timeservers as an added protection, similar to how Stamper at itconsult.co.uk works.
Of course, the backend data would have ECC added, and stored on at least two different media groups, perhaps more. Different media, such as tape and drives, low power "cold flash" (which is what Facebook is trying to get companies to develop), drives and offsite cloud storage (encrypted, of course), optical (if Facebook's Blu-Ray autochanger becomes commercially available), or any/all of the above. The CAS would run the equivalent of a ZFS scrub, checking signatures and ECC info every so often, and periodically copying existing data to new media so the chance of undetected bit rot becomes extremely low, and if it does happen, there are alternate copies.
A payment system needs some thought put into it. As a fallback, if a credit card is abused, the money is reimbursed, charges are reversed. This is a tried and true system for over 40+ years.
Other systems don't have this protection. Debit cards, once the money is out, it is gone. Third party providers? I have read stories of some various payment providers permanently banning people from using them if fraud happens and a charge is reversed, so at best one winds up going through their "fraud" measures, which likely will result in nothing.
I don't see anything that even remotely approaches Visa/Mastercard for a reliable, secure, system where if a customer gets screwed (even if it is a double-charge at a restaruant, and the place refuses to bother going back), money would be returned. Visa/Mastercard also demand a level of security for all links in the chain. In virtually everywhere else in the computing industry, there are no useful laws (FERPA/SOX/HIPAA are never enforced), no regulations... nothing at all to ensure security regulations are kept. The CurrenC hack would not have happened if PCI-DSS3 guidelines were in place.
Yes, Visa/MC are a near monopoly, but they have earned it, and have earned a trust, which is very hard to get. No, they are not perfect, but they do quite a good job at at least doing something to stem the tide of credit card fraud, and reimbursing if/when it happens.
I don't see other payment systems, other than the ones that are based on credit cards, having this innate protection. Consumers read about many, many places getting hacked on an almost daily basis, so they have almost zero faith in security measures. If a payment system can't undo bogus charges, then consumers will stick with one that does, and if nobody gives guarantees against fraud, the end users will go with cash, as it takes far more than an Internet connection to make coins or paper money.
As of now, the Apple student discount is about 10%. It might be a bad thing and a cut of quarterly profits this quarter, but selling Macs to schools for a major cut-rate price will be sewing the seeds of a large audience once the kids (who are used to Macs) start graduating and making purchase decisions.
As for student discounts, I remember Apple offering far greater savings a while back to students, and this might be something they should consider doing again.
It also wouldn't hurt if Apple made a Mac model just for educational institutions similar to an iMac, but would be a bit more rugged, with the ability to not just be locked down with a Kensington cable... but also some type of mechanism to keep the innards from being cracked open and emptied. If monitor and keyboard are not issues, then something slightly beefier than a Mac Mini and made with an aluminum case so it can't be easily smashed open. It wouldn't be as sleek as a consumer device, but if Apple did make something that could be upgraded/repaired, schools would buy those devices by the pallet load.
It also helps long term, Apple may have the mindshare right now... but there was a time when Sony had that (there were Walkman players, then everyone else), and it only took a few years for them to be dethroned as the king of personal device makers. Samsung is doing quite well, and if Apple slips up, they can match Apple blow for blow in every single market Apple sells in around the world. So, if Apple charges off some of its cash holdings to keep the educational market theirs, it only helps down the road when people graduate and buy what they are used to.
To boot, you probably will get a fee tacked on for being able to sit in the cramped space with the contents of the tray in your lap as the guy in front leans back.
My only beef about the MBP compared to other laptops of its price range are security related:
1: The Kensington lock slot is important, either that, or some other way from Apple to put a theft deterrent mechanism in place. Right now, there are no solid theft deterrent solutions, other than MacLock's offerings (which are not doing so well on Amazon reviews) or the Snake (which is decent, but prevents you from closing your laptop.) Every other laptop maker has some form of Kensington slot out there, and even though this isn't made to stop a dedicated thief, it will put a stop to opportunistic thefts. Even if the lock slot is on a sliding metal bar that pops out and pushes in, that is better than nothing.
2: Along the lines of security, I'd like to see a TPM chip on Macs, that is shipped deactivated, but can be easily turned on. This would provide another layer of protection.
A while back, I did a (pardon the pun) apples to Apples comparison of MacBooks to other desktops with the same chipset and features, as well as the Mac Pro to other workstations with the same features.
The ironic thing... Apple was the least expensive, all things factored in. Yes, one can get a computer with far less stuff in it and it will be cheaper, but buying a comparable Dell with what a Mac Pro has in it, even the canister is less expensive.
At a drive through, being able to fire up an app, hit "send" and have the actual order I want would be nice. I tend not to hit fast foot places, but it would be nice to get something that is somewhat close to what I ordered at the pickup window.
Some dine-in restaurants are experimenting with this as well. Chili's has their Ziosk devices, and those are nice because paying for a tab is just a couple taps and a card swipe, rather than having to flag down the waitstaff, especially if one is in a hurry.
Of course, this isn't a "one size fits all", but it can be useful.