First, let me say, I fully recognize that a company promising one thing and then changing the deal like this (possibly in violation of contract) is bad, evil, and they should get what they deserve (if, in fact, they actually did this). That's not what I'm about to talk about though.
If I think back a few years, there were lots of 'unlimited access dialup' providers, back when there was no cable/dsl to speak of. These providers usually charged $20-$30/month.
Then one day, these providers started changing the terms of agreement going from 'unlimited' to '300 hours a month' and then steadily adding restrictions. Why? Simple. It was only economical for them to offer unlimited access as long as they were growing like mad and the users were not internet savvy. What they were selling was not based on paying for actual resource use. The growth of these 'unlimited' providers also managed to drive a lot of ISP's who actually charged a reasonable per-hour fee for using their services out of business...
Now we look at Cable. Cable makes sense...$50/month is CHEAP for the kind of speed you get... try purchasing *real* bandwidth sometime, you know, the kind where you don't get a TOS that says 'no servers' and you can get your old IP networks routed in. In most places, that's still very expensive by comparison.. even though the T1 you bought is SLOWER than your Cable. Now.. sometimes, Cable got really slow. Lots of times people blamed this on high use in a segment.... but in all the cases where I have reliable knowledge, the real problem was upstream bandwidth from a certain point in the network. I saw a cable company (in the same small town) bring in 512Kbps Frame-Relay to thier regional network and then deploy cable modems to everyone blabbing about the multi-megabit speeds. Surprise.. it was *really really slow*.
Now DSL. DSL, as a technology, is great. I've done homebrewed DSL connections between offices in a small town (actually, between an ISP and a related company a few blocks away) and it's great.
DSL is nothing more and nothing less than a point-to-point technology. The problem with DSL is how the supporting networks are managed (or not managed).
Regardless of what technology we bring in... we should keep two things in mind.
Any internet access technology will suck unless managed properly.
It costs money to run these services, no matter how you slice it. Current services have sold at a loss for quite some time.
Right there with you.. though I wish I could say I've only built upon my original SLS system.... there just isn't enough time in the day to do that.
9600 bps connections using TERM and mosaic-term to surf the web for the first time.
How retro.
Re:From the Wheel Out of Control Department
on
Flywheel UPS
·
· Score: 2
What do you define as living near? Unless you are sleeping with this next to you.... you have little to worry about.
After all, we have thousand ton trains hurtling around with FAR more kinetic energy than this flywheel would ever have...
First, regarding the Gyroscope question.
A single flywheel would act as a gyroscope, yes.
Two equally massive flywheels spinning in opposite directions but at the same rate would effectively cancel the effect though. (This has been tried with bicycles to prove that balancing a bike is not actually due to gyroscopic effects).
I'm no scientist, but it seems to me that flywheels, no matter what, will be more efficient the larger they are, given that friction is the only thing that will cause the flywheel to lose energy... and friction is a function of the surface area of the wheel.... wheras the amount of energy stored is based on the mass... and as surface area is a square function, wheras mass is cubic, you end up with diminishing returns as things get smaller.
Same sort of thing as why a flea can jump 50x it's own height (or whatever the number is) but a human can't... as muscle strength is proportional to cross sectional area of the muscle, but mass is proportional to volume....
Also, one issue is the possibility of explosion in any mobile device. The fact that a chemical cell can only discharge so fast can also be viewed as a safety feature when we're talking about consumer devices. A nano-flywheel-cell or something in a phone might have a propensity to explode violently should something disturb it.
Also, regarding some sci-fi.. I *wish* I could remember the author or title.. but I recall reading some sci-fi from the 50's or 60's that dealt partially with using some small-ish black-holes (they called them kerr-newman black holes,or kernels for short, if it rings a bell). The idea was these things were both spinning at a great velocity, and electrically charged (so they could be magnetically manipulted) so they shielded them, moved them around, and used them as humungous flywheels for storing and retrieving energy.
Ping times never measured speed... and even in the allmighty highly-developed US Internet, it's quite common for a cable user in one place to be unable to play a proper game of quake with someone elsewhere in the US, due to high latency.
Ping times and throughput are related, but not directly.
Also, your speed of light theory is not quite correct. The primary source of latency is buffering through network devices (routers, switches, etc). The transmission delay is a secondary source.
You can do this just fine..
on
GPL FAQ
·
· Score: 2
It says right in the GPL, if you are distributing unmodified binaries from someone else in a noncommercial fashion, you don't have to do anything.
So it's safe to give cousin in Yemen a copy of the software, and he can get the source himself.
But it isn't up to Midori. The Midori crew don't control licensing on Midori linux; it's GPL, and it's components have hundreds of authors, all of who released under GPL, so they GPL must be obeyed.
Yes, the intent seems fine, there's no real big problem with it... but if we stick to the letter of the wording, AOL is supposed to be offering source as well. Heck, all they have to do is form a deal with Midori and offer it through Midori... even that would work.
At any rate, I'm sure AOL, as big and evil as they are, didn't intend to 'screw the GPL crowd' over.... their lawyers thought they were in compliance, and once they figure out what to do, I'm sure they'll simply host a mirror of the Midori source archive and be done with it, perhaps changing some wording on their product. After all.. it's bad for business for a public company, especially a high-profile one, to take unecessary legal risks.
So let's cut them a wee bit of slack and see if they fix it, as most other infringers have done in the past.
Obscurity is only bad when it's the sole basis of your security measures. It is still an important part of any security system.
This is not about securing a system, it's about making it harder to find, period, as you said.
Correct me if I'm wrong.. but..
on
AOL And The GPL
·
· Score: 2
If you are distributing binaries as distributed by someone else, you are not required to provide source, I thought.
Like, if I give you a copy of debian, I'm not requried to obtain source and give it to you.
Just the same, if AOL is including 'gnu tar' for instance, they do not need to provide source, only indicated that they are using 'gnu tar'. In this case, they can say they are using the Linux from Transmeta, which anyone else is free to go get.
What they are saying is, basically, we're broke, we can pay you all 2 more checks, and call it even, or we'll just withhold it all and you can take us to court.
Do any of these companies indicate why they are unwilling to sponsor work permits? Is it cost? Legal fees? Is it because they just don't need you that badly?
No. There is no blanked law covering Intellectual Property Rights.
Patents do not have to be defended. You can selectively enforce them however you want.
Trademark is what you are thinking of; trademark must be enforced, or it no longer has meaning.
However.. I'm puzzled by Past Damages. I was under the impression that with Patent, you cannot claim past damages, only future dealings. You can't say 'We just discovered this company has been using our patented technology for the last 20 years'. Unless you can prove the company knowingly violated your patent (ie: you asked them before and they ignored you) you're probably out of luck.
I'd bet, is simply that there are zillions of people out there with x86 hardware, and very few with sparc hardware. Sure, some die hards like myself will purchase old sparc gear just for the fun of it....
But, without getting into a big architecture war ehre... there is no reason for joe average to spend a dime on Sun hardware; and in cases where there IS a reason, it's usually because the supported applications work on Solaris/SPARC.
It's not that there is no SPARC support for linux, it's just that there is 1000 fold more support for x86.
This is really about consumer protection. The EU is saying that, if your country can't guarantee the same standards of consumer privacy protection, then we are not going to permit our local businesses to export data to you.
Yes, shameless plug for my former employer (I only left because I received an offer I couldn't refuse).
One of the product lines is geared specifically towards launching urban wireless ISP's, including (I think) cost modeling the whole thing, showing how long it'll take to recoup your cost, etc. Full centralized network & customer management & billing software included. They basically sell you a business model, equipment, and technology/training to make it fly.
If you want to be really simple, you only have to build one good mail server on top of all this, and you are set to rock.
I believe we (erm.. they) even have an office Down Under (company used to be called ADE?)
Don't let the website fool you; it's a bit marketroid.. but the products are there. There's more to it that what the website shows.
Yes, shameless plug for my former employer (I only left because it was an offer I couldn't refuse).
Both LOS and non LOS products for exactly this kind of thing. Large, open, flat areas are ideal for LOS type service. One of the product lines is geared specifically towards launching urban wireless ISP's... including (I think) cost modeling the whole thing, showing how long it'll take to recoup your cost, etc. Full centralized network & customer management & billing software included.
If you want to be really simple, you only have to build one good mail server on top of all this, and you are set to rock.
I believe we (erm.. they) even have an office Down Under (company used to be called ADE?)
Don't let the website fool you; it's a bit marketroid.. but the products are there.
As some have mentioned, an ISP is a business, not a tech job. You have to figure out who your market is, what they will pay, before you can even figure out if it's feasible. Knowing nothing about Australia... I can't say.
It sounds to me like what you are asking for is a full business case study for your area, plus equipment recommendations.... something that you should be paying for.
So what you are really saying is, if you have to exercise, and you think the stock has a good chance of more growth, you should let it stay, but have some standing sell orders in case the stock drops, to cover your tax liability.
That makes good sense, but of course, if it DOES drop, you end up with less money than you otherwise would have had...though you can cover your taxes. It's just another calculated risk.
And about getting the advice of an accountant.. ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT QUESTION, you should do this. I sure wish I had. (I ended up paying a great deal more tax than planned this year simply because I didn't know I had to file a simple piece of paper with my employer to defer an option benefit into next year. Or more accurately, because I waited too long to get professional advice.)
Really? What is the point?
Unix(tm) can only be technically used by those with rights to the trademark. os-x does not, nor does linux, or FreeBSD & friends. SCO does. Solaris does. Irix does (I think.....).
If we ignore trademark, and go by feel, and how 99% of the administrators of those systems would describe them...
Linux is a unix.
*BSD are all unix.
Solaris is a unix.
SCO (uck) is a unix.
OS-X is a unix.
I've had to administer all of the above, with the exception of os-x (I've only briefly tinkered with it). They are all basically the same. They all have their own quirks. They all fall under what I consider in my mind to be unix.
What the original trademark means, or what the exact technical definition of unix is, doesn't matter. It's like arguing over the meaning of the word 'hacker'.
And I can think of LOTS of admins who would easily say that any of these variants is 'unix' without even giving it a second thought.
Having also adminned on Solaris, SunOS 4, Irix, etc...
Discussing whether or not it's 'real unix' is splitting hairs. The answer as to whether it can be called 'Unix' or not depends on Trademark. Do you have rights to use the mark? That's a simple yes/no question.
Linux is fine. The *BSD's are fine. All have their strengths and weaknesses. For most administrative jobs I've had, I would *prefer* to work with most modern Linux or *BSD distributions than with Solaris or SCO, all other things being equal.
Calling NT 'Unix' is a joke. Posix compliance is a good thing, but not the be-all-end-all of compatability. Heck, even Unix apps can't run cross-platform if one system has the required libs and the other doesn't.
Or, ignoring trademark issues, OS-X is as much a unix as FreeBSD or Linux, for all intents and purposes.
Sun and HP can do transparent process of the user context of a process between machines? Can you point to any more information on it? I've never heard of that, other than with Mosix.
This is not 'beowulf' clustering... this is not parallel tasking.. this is having portions of processes automatically migrate to other machines in a cluseter based on memory/cycle availability.
This is not rubbish. Mosix has been around for a while, but it's great to see version 1.0
Let's say you exercise 2000 options, say, to buy a stock at $1, and it's now at $11 . The benefit you will be taxed on is $10 x 2000 = $20,000 of added *income* (not capital gains). If you then sell, say, 500 shares at the same price, earning you 500 * $11/share = $5500 bux to put away for tax. There is not a dime of capital gain in this situation. Your 'purchase price' for the stock, for gains caluclation is the fair market value on the day you exercised, not your option price, because you already incurred a taxable benefit on the difference between the fair market value and your option price. You don't get taxed twice for the same thing.
To repeat, the instant-money you make from exercising stock options is not a capital gain, it is a taxable benefit (income). You did not invest and have your capital increase in value, you purchased something that was worth more than what you paid (just like if you buy a house for $1, they tax you on the market value of the house anyway).
There is an added benefit you didn't mention for the US.
For each dB of cable loss or dB of reduced output power, you can add 3dBi of antennae gain, PROVIDED the connection you are making is point to point, and fixed (not mobile). This allows for much longer ptp links than are possible in Canada, for instance, where the rules are simpler (EIRP of 36dBm, period).
So a 20 mile link is probaby quite easily done, provided the connectors and antenna work is top noch (2.4Ghz is sensitive to small errors in cabling, etc).
ALso, and I can't confirm this absolutely, but I know when you get things approved for ISM band in the US, you have to specify the cable length/type and antennae type, and you have to use non-standard antennae connectors (if they aren't fixed or internal). This is because they are techniaclly not supposed to be modified, as if you change any component, you are creating an unapproved transmitter.
Okay. Yes, options have a time limit, usually several years, or near termination of employment. I don't believe it is common practice to have options that must be exercised soon after they vest.
Holding onto stock in a hot market is smart, yes.
Not having the cash to cover a tax liability you cannot escape is *stupid*. You should at least sell enough to cover the tax on the option benefit, else you simply put yourself at greater risk.
This is not about foresight, it's about risk. If you invest in some hot company on the market, you only risk your investment, no matter how volatile the stock is. Better even, if the stock bottoms out, you can at least use the capital loss against your other capital gains.
A stock option benefit is a different matter altogether. the moment you exercise, you incur a taxable benefit. You WILL have to include it in your income for tax purposes, and WILL have to pay whatever tax you owe on it. So it only makes sense to ensure that you can pay up, otherwise, you are taking a big risk.
Slashdot Mirror
First, let me say, I fully recognize that a company promising one thing and then changing the deal like this (possibly in violation of contract) is bad, evil, and they should get what they deserve (if, in fact, they actually did this). That's not what I'm about to talk about though.
If I think back a few years, there were lots of 'unlimited access dialup' providers, back when there was no cable/dsl to speak of. These providers usually charged $20-$30/month.
Then one day, these providers started changing the terms of agreement going from 'unlimited' to '300 hours a month' and then steadily adding restrictions. Why? Simple. It was only economical for them to offer unlimited access as long as they were growing like mad and the users were not internet savvy. What they were selling was not based on paying for actual resource use. The growth of these 'unlimited' providers also managed to drive a lot of ISP's who actually charged a reasonable per-hour fee for using their services out of business...
Now we look at Cable. Cable makes sense...$50/month is CHEAP for the kind of speed you get... try purchasing *real* bandwidth sometime, you know, the kind where you don't get a TOS that says 'no servers' and you can get your old IP networks routed in. In most places, that's still very expensive by comparison.. even though the T1 you bought is SLOWER than your Cable. Now.. sometimes, Cable got really slow. Lots of times people blamed this on high use in a segment.... but in all the cases where I have reliable knowledge, the real problem was upstream bandwidth from a certain point in the network. I saw a cable company (in the same small town) bring in 512Kbps Frame-Relay to thier regional network and then deploy cable modems to everyone blabbing about the multi-megabit speeds. Surprise.. it was *really really slow*.
Now DSL. DSL, as a technology, is great. I've done homebrewed DSL connections between offices in a small town (actually, between an ISP and a related company a few blocks away) and it's great.
DSL is nothing more and nothing less than a point-to-point technology. The problem with DSL is how the supporting networks are managed (or not managed).
Regardless of what technology we bring in... we should keep two things in mind.
Any internet access technology will suck unless managed properly.
It costs money to run these services, no matter how you slice it. Current services have sold at a loss for quite some time.
Right there with you.. though I wish I could say I've only built upon my original SLS system.... there just isn't enough time in the day to do that.
9600 bps connections using TERM and mosaic-term to surf the web for the first time.
How retro.
What do you define as living near? Unless you are sleeping with this next to you.... you have little to worry about.
After all, we have thousand ton trains hurtling around with FAR more kinetic energy than this flywheel would ever have...
First, regarding the Gyroscope question.
,or kernels for short, if it rings a bell). The idea was these things were both spinning at a great velocity, and electrically charged (so they could be magnetically manipulted) so they shielded them, moved them around, and used them as humungous flywheels for storing and retrieving energy.
A single flywheel would act as a gyroscope, yes.
Two equally massive flywheels spinning in opposite directions but at the same rate would effectively cancel the effect though. (This has been tried with bicycles to prove that balancing a bike is not actually due to gyroscopic effects).
I'm no scientist, but it seems to me that flywheels, no matter what, will be more efficient the larger they are, given that friction is the only thing that will cause the flywheel to lose energy... and friction is a function of the surface area of the wheel.... wheras the amount of energy stored is based on the mass... and as surface area is a square function, wheras mass is cubic, you end up with diminishing returns as things get smaller.
Same sort of thing as why a flea can jump 50x it's own height (or whatever the number is) but a human can't... as muscle strength is proportional to cross sectional area of the muscle, but mass is proportional to volume....
Also, one issue is the possibility of explosion in any mobile device. The fact that a chemical cell can only discharge so fast can also be viewed as a safety feature when we're talking about consumer devices. A nano-flywheel-cell or something in a phone might have a propensity to explode violently should something disturb it.
Also, regarding some sci-fi.. I *wish* I could remember the author or title.. but I recall reading some sci-fi from the 50's or 60's that dealt partially with using some small-ish black-holes (they called them kerr-newman black holes
Ping times never measured speed... and even in the allmighty highly-developed US Internet, it's quite common for a cable user in one place to be unable to play a proper game of quake with someone elsewhere in the US, due to high latency.
Ping times and throughput are related, but not directly.
Also, your speed of light theory is not quite correct. The primary source of latency is buffering through network devices (routers, switches, etc). The transmission delay is a secondary source.
It says right in the GPL, if you are distributing unmodified binaries from someone else in a noncommercial fashion, you don't have to do anything.
So it's safe to give cousin in Yemen a copy of the software, and he can get the source himself.
But it isn't up to Midori. The Midori crew don't control licensing on Midori linux; it's GPL, and it's components have hundreds of authors, all of who released under GPL, so they GPL must be obeyed.
Yes, the intent seems fine, there's no real big problem with it... but if we stick to the letter of the wording, AOL is supposed to be offering source as well. Heck, all they have to do is form a deal with Midori and offer it through Midori... even that would work.
At any rate, I'm sure AOL, as big and evil as they are, didn't intend to 'screw the GPL crowd' over.... their lawyers thought they were in compliance, and once they figure out what to do, I'm sure they'll simply host a mirror of the Midori source archive and be done with it, perhaps changing some wording on their product. After all.. it's bad for business for a public company, especially a high-profile one, to take unecessary legal risks.
So let's cut them a wee bit of slack and see if they fix it, as most other infringers have done in the past.
Obscurity is only bad when it's the sole basis of your security measures. It is still an important part of any security system.
This is not about securing a system, it's about making it harder to find, period, as you said.
If you are distributing binaries as distributed by someone else, you are not required to provide source, I thought.
Like, if I give you a copy of debian, I'm not requried to obtain source and give it to you.
Just the same, if AOL is including 'gnu tar' for instance, they do not need to provide source, only indicated that they are using 'gnu tar'. In this case, they can say they are using the Linux from Transmeta, which anyone else is free to go get.
What they are saying is, basically, we're broke, we can pay you all 2 more checks, and call it even, or we'll just withhold it all and you can take us to court.
You can't get blood from a stone.
Do any of these companies indicate why they are unwilling to sponsor work permits? Is it cost? Legal fees? Is it because they just don't need you that badly?
No. There is no blanked law covering Intellectual Property Rights.
Patents do not have to be defended. You can selectively enforce them however you want.
Trademark is what you are thinking of; trademark must be enforced, or it no longer has meaning.
However.. I'm puzzled by Past Damages. I was under the impression that with Patent, you cannot claim past damages, only future dealings. You can't say 'We just discovered this company has been using our patented technology for the last 20 years'. Unless you can prove the company knowingly violated your patent (ie: you asked them before and they ignored you) you're probably out of luck.
I'd bet, is simply that there are zillions of people out there with x86 hardware, and very few with sparc hardware. Sure, some die hards like myself will purchase old sparc gear just for the fun of it....
But, without getting into a big architecture war ehre... there is no reason for joe average to spend a dime on Sun hardware; and in cases where there IS a reason, it's usually because the supported applications work on Solaris/SPARC.
It's not that there is no SPARC support for linux, it's just that there is 1000 fold more support for x86.
No.. I don't think so. Here's why.
This is really about consumer protection. The EU is saying that, if your country can't guarantee the same standards of consumer privacy protection, then we are not going to permit our local businesses to export data to you.
This is GOOD. This is GOOD for the EU citizen.
http://www.waverider.com
Yes, shameless plug for my former employer (I only left because I received an offer I couldn't refuse).
One of the product lines is geared specifically towards launching urban wireless ISP's, including (I think) cost modeling the whole thing, showing how long it'll take to recoup your cost, etc. Full centralized network & customer management & billing software included. They basically sell you a business model, equipment, and technology/training to make it fly.
If you want to be really simple, you only have to build one good mail server on top of all this, and you are set to rock.
I believe we (erm.. they) even have an office Down Under (company used to be called ADE?)
Don't let the website fool you; it's a bit marketroid.. but the products are there. There's more to it that what the website shows.
http://www.waverider.com
Yes, shameless plug for my former employer (I only left because it was an offer I couldn't refuse).
Both LOS and non LOS products for exactly this kind of thing. Large, open, flat areas are ideal for LOS type service. One of the product lines is geared specifically towards launching urban wireless ISP's... including (I think) cost modeling the whole thing, showing how long it'll take to recoup your cost, etc. Full centralized network & customer management & billing software included.
If you want to be really simple, you only have to build one good mail server on top of all this, and you are set to rock.
I believe we (erm.. they) even have an office Down Under (company used to be called ADE?)
Don't let the website fool you; it's a bit marketroid.. but the products are there.
As some have mentioned, an ISP is a business, not a tech job. You have to figure out who your market is, what they will pay, before you can even figure out if it's feasible. Knowing nothing about Australia... I can't say.
It sounds to me like what you are asking for is a full business case study for your area, plus equipment recommendations.... something that you should be paying for.
So what you are really saying is, if you have to exercise, and you think the stock has a good chance of more growth, you should let it stay, but have some standing sell orders in case the stock drops, to cover your tax liability.
That makes good sense, but of course, if it DOES drop, you end up with less money than you otherwise would have had...though you can cover your taxes. It's just another calculated risk.
And about getting the advice of an accountant.. ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT QUESTION, you should do this. I sure wish I had. (I ended up paying a great deal more tax than planned this year simply because I didn't know I had to file a simple piece of paper with my employer to defer an option benefit into next year. Or more accurately, because I waited too long to get professional advice.)
Cheers.
Really? What is the point?
Unix(tm) can only be technically used by those with rights to the trademark. os-x does not, nor does linux, or FreeBSD & friends. SCO does. Solaris does. Irix does (I think.....).
If we ignore trademark, and go by feel, and how 99% of the administrators of those systems would describe them...
Linux is a unix.
*BSD are all unix.
Solaris is a unix.
SCO (uck) is a unix.
OS-X is a unix.
I've had to administer all of the above, with the exception of os-x (I've only briefly tinkered with it). They are all basically the same. They all have their own quirks. They all fall under what I consider in my mind to be unix.
What the original trademark means, or what the exact technical definition of unix is, doesn't matter. It's like arguing over the meaning of the word 'hacker'.
And I can think of LOTS of admins who would easily say that any of these variants is 'unix' without even giving it a second thought.
Having also adminned on Solaris, SunOS 4, Irix, etc...
Discussing whether or not it's 'real unix' is splitting hairs. The answer as to whether it can be called 'Unix' or not depends on Trademark. Do you have rights to use the mark? That's a simple yes/no question.
Linux is fine. The *BSD's are fine. All have their strengths and weaknesses. For most administrative jobs I've had, I would *prefer* to work with most modern Linux or *BSD distributions than with Solaris or SCO, all other things being equal.
Calling NT 'Unix' is a joke. Posix compliance is a good thing, but not the be-all-end-all of compatability. Heck, even Unix apps can't run cross-platform if one system has the required libs and the other doesn't.
Or, ignoring trademark issues, OS-X is as much a unix as FreeBSD or Linux, for all intents and purposes.
Sun and HP can do transparent process of the user context of a process between machines? Can you point to any more information on it? I've never heard of that, other than with Mosix.
This is not 'beowulf' clustering... this is not parallel tasking.. this is having portions of processes automatically migrate to other machines in a cluseter based on memory/cycle availability.
This is not rubbish. Mosix has been around for a while, but it's great to see version 1.0
Let's say you exercise 2000 options, say, to buy a stock at $1, and it's now at $11 . The benefit you will be taxed on is $10 x 2000 = $20,000 of added *income* (not capital gains). If you then sell, say, 500 shares at the same price, earning you 500 * $11/share = $5500 bux to put away for tax. There is not a dime of capital gain in this situation. Your 'purchase price' for the stock, for gains caluclation is the fair market value on the day you exercised, not your option price, because you already incurred a taxable benefit on the difference between the fair market value and your option price. You don't get taxed twice for the same thing.
To repeat, the instant-money you make from exercising stock options is not a capital gain, it is a taxable benefit (income). You did not invest and have your capital increase in value, you purchased something that was worth more than what you paid (just like if you buy a house for $1, they tax you on the market value of the house anyway).
Cheers.
There is an added benefit you didn't mention for the US.
For each dB of cable loss or dB of reduced output power, you can add 3dBi of antennae gain, PROVIDED the connection you are making is point to point, and fixed (not mobile). This allows for much longer ptp links than are possible in Canada, for instance, where the rules are simpler (EIRP of 36dBm, period).
So a 20 mile link is probaby quite easily done, provided the connectors and antenna work is top noch (2.4Ghz is sensitive to small errors in cabling, etc).
ALso, and I can't confirm this absolutely, but I know when you get things approved for ISM band in the US, you have to specify the cable length/type and antennae type, and you have to use non-standard antennae connectors (if they aren't fixed or internal). This is because they are techniaclly not supposed to be modified, as if you change any component, you are creating an unapproved transmitter.
Okay. Yes, options have a time limit, usually several years, or near termination of employment. I don't believe it is common practice to have options that must be exercised soon after they vest.
Holding onto stock in a hot market is smart, yes.
Not having the cash to cover a tax liability you cannot escape is *stupid*. You should at least sell enough to cover the tax on the option benefit, else you simply put yourself at greater risk.
This is not about foresight, it's about risk. If you invest in some hot company on the market, you only risk your investment, no matter how volatile the stock is. Better even, if the stock bottoms out, you can at least use the capital loss against your other capital gains.
A stock option benefit is a different matter altogether. the moment you exercise, you incur a taxable benefit. You WILL have to include it in your income for tax purposes, and WILL have to pay whatever tax you owe on it. So it only makes sense to ensure that you can pay up, otherwise, you are taking a big risk.
But they haven't done it yet, though it's quite likely.
I've seen approximately 20 km links using 2.4Ghz ISM band, staying within the limits of the ISM band.
5 miles is no biggie; we were doing that 3 years ago or so with Proxim RangeLAN cards & some good antennae.