Everyone seems to have forgotten about the other pollution that comes from burning petrol. I live next to a main road and the soot/dust is horrendous.
Most of that pollution would not occur if a synthesized fuel like this one was used. It should burn cleaner as it will have no contaminates. The big offenders creating soot/dust are the big trucks burning diesel and lacking proper catalytic converters. A modern car using this fuel should be fine - much like a car burning propane or natural gas.
You sure? The initial release was on Feburary 13, 2002 - 10 years ago. Windows 95 was release 17 years ago and it could never even run.NET. The first version of Windows that could run.NET was Windows 98 - released 14 years ago. And I doubt that they had.NET ready for that initial version - doubt they even had an internal alpha version.
Because it would take longer so the airline would not be able to charge as much for tickets. Also, the crew would have to be paid for more hours for each flight. Maintenance would also cost more per flight as each flight would involve logging more air time. And I would feel bad for the air traffic controllers - their job would get significantly more difficult.
A car going past you at 120mph is not going to give you nearly as much turbulence as overtaking a truck doing 60mph.
Yes, but you are expecting, and prepared for the turbulence of the truck. Many drivers don't deal well with surprises so a car overtaking them at 120mph, combined with the resulting turbulence, could cause problems. But you also have to remember that this is Texas where lots of people drive 1 tonne trucks. Those trucks have power and, considering how the drivers tend to have more money then brains*, will likely be the vehicles travelling at 120.
* - In my area, the young male drivers working in the oil field tend to have the big trucks which are driven like sports cars. Those who actually require a large truck tend to drive them intelligently.
But despite all of this, according to statistics from the autobahn the number of vehicle collisions is not determined by the speed limit. There are idiots on the road regardless. What does change is the number of fatalities as when the speed limit is increased the crashes are more likely to be fatal.
Here in North Carolina you can be stopped at a "license check" roadblock.
In Canada, and I would assume most states, you only have to provide your drivers license if the officer has sufficient grounds to request it. For example, a driving infraction. Police are free to request it but you do not have to humour their request. As it turns out, most people just hand over their drivers license.
Had a friend's father that was a defence lawyer in a small town (~5000). The police hated him - he always defended the people they arrested. That and he would never let the police overstep their authority. I recall them asking for a drivers license at a random stop - his response, no. The officer asked again several times implying that there would be trouble if he did not comply. His response, no - and that's how it ended.
I guess I'm saying people should read their local laws to see how they are affected. And remember, police do not have to tell the truth so do not automatically trust them. Police act on their own self interest, just like everyone else. They are not always on your side.
Hope you mean TRIM and not defragmenting, which occurs when a file is deleted on an SSD, not when one is written.
No, TRIM is not defragmenting. TRIM only occurs on SSD and is a result of how FLASH has to be written/erased.
Traditional storage devices have storage elements with only two states - 1 or 0. These elements are then written to and read by the OS. SSDs are different as their storage elements have the same two states - 1 or 0, but also have an "empty" flag. You see, to write to a storage element that is not empty requires a rather lengthy erase procedure to be performed before the write. So to speed things up, SSDs maintain an "empty" status.
But how does an SSD know when a storage element is empty? When a file is deleted all that happens is the FAT table is changed - the actual data does not get deleted. Over time, all available blocks in an SSD get marked as "not-empty" and that lengthy erase procedure is required all the time. This is where TRIM comes in, it allows for the OS to give the SSD hints by telling it certain blocks are in fact empty. The SSD can then pre-erase these blocks to ensure speedy future write operations.
So that is TRIM - defragmenting is something else entirely. Look it up, it's basic stuff. But because SSDs do not offer truly random access, there is an advantage in having the file system defragmented. How much of an advantage is what I would like to know. If I had to guess I would say minimal.
I would guess it is because OS X defragments the drive as it is being written. The overhead is largely not noticed when writing to a traditional hard drive while. Due to SSDs greater speed, it will make it appear that OS X has performance issues. The thing about performing inline defragmentation is it improves speed as the computer ages and as the HD begins to fill. Because all of the benchmarks were performed with fresh systems, the benefits of a defragmented drive would not be noticed.
The question I have is with the low seek times of SSDs, is there still a need to defragment drives? Probably, but to what degree as it surely is not as important as when one is using a traditional hard drive.
I know at least one person to whom several beers is as intoxicating as a cup of coffee. Are you saying this person is physically as intoxicated as anyone else who drinks that much, or legally intoxicated as much?
Wow, you are not just talking about two different drugs, but two drugs that are in completely different families. One is a stimulant and one is a depressant. How on earth can you compare them to each other?
Now in regards to your question, the answer is both. Humans differ greatly from one another but, on average, reaction time correlates to blood alcohol content. Tolerance is not part of the equation. We are talking about how a chemical effects signals that propagate through the brain. It's all chemistry - no amount of tolerance can change that. Do a search on scholar.google.com if you don't believe me. I wasn't able to find much with regards to tolerance but those studies which correlate reaction time to blood alcohol content generally result in findings that leave no room for outside factors (like tolerance).
You're so very wrong - at least in regards to alcohol. It is true that people can become accustomed to alcohol but they only appear sober. Their reaction times will be just as bad as someone who rarely drinks. This is why drinking and driving is so dangerous - those who do it really believe it does not impact their driving. And they are right, so long as nothing out of the ordinary happens. The problem is it severely limits what one perceives and how one reacts in an emergency situation.
Try having a few beer and then playing your favourite fps. Think of it as a science experiment - and a good excuse to have a few beer. Now compare your scores with and without alcohol and report your findings...
It's not for nothing. Stupid and greedy? Yes, but not for nothing.
By unlisting a subscriber they are incurring the opportunity cost of selling that subscriber's information. Yes it sounds stupid and only an economist would understand, but bean counters will take this into account. What they don't take into account is the cost of pissing off a large part of your customer base. I suppose with everyone signed up with long term contracts they don't have to worry able a mass exodus of customers.
There were plenty of tablets out before the iPad - I don't think anyone is contesting this fact. Apple is suing Samsung for creating products that are so similar to those made by Apple that a large percentage of customers can not tell them apart.
In regards to the Touch Book, it differs from an iPad in many ways. From looking at the photos, it appears to be designed for use with a landscape orientation. It lacks a home button centred on the bottom border. The screen is inset from the border where the iPad has a flat seamless surface. Then there is the software that is obviously very different in both appearance and function. Do I have to mention the keyboard? There is no way this invalidates the Apple design patents. Despite what people here like to claim, the patent is more specific then a rectangle with rounded corners.
All of these patents are just plain stupid - but they serve a purpose. A company must be able to protect their designs from those who would copy them. Without these protections there would be far less innovation. With regards to Samsung, I don't feel sorry for them. Plenty of great tablet designs have come out that are not copies of an iPad. Microsoft has their new tablet and HP had (unfortunately, past tense) their WebOS tablet. Blackberry makes a non-infringing tablet as do many manufacturers of Android based tablets. It is easy to not copy Apple, I don't see why Samsung went out of their way to be an Apple clone.
As a developer, I find it important to ask the question "Why?". Tasks are performed to solve problems. Those who contract out tasks (the employer) understand the problem but typically lack the expert knowledge required to devise the best possible solution. The employer can devise a solution, break it into tasks, and contract out those tasks; but results are typically less then optimal.
What developers should to is to try to understand the underlying problem so their expert knowledge can assist in designing an optimal solution. So when one is asked "Can you do this?" they should reply with "Probably, but why is it required?". Depending on the answer the correct response will probably be along the lines of "Yes, but there is a better way to solve that problem".
For example, a person might go into a store and ask a clerk for an iPad. A good clerk would politely ask why they want an iPad. If the customer was looking for a highly mobile device for reasons.... then a 7" Android tablet might be better. In this example the customer lacks expert knowledge regarding tablet devices and their proposed solution was less then optimal. By understanding the underlying problem, the clerk is able to recommend the most appropriate device. It is the same for developers - take the time to understand the problem if you want the customer to be happy.
Not really. When every new PC comes with a copy of Windows there is no reason to go with ReactOS. The additional license costs for a corporate Windows Pro upgrade are minimal. If one wanted an alternative OS they would just go with Linux.
So on the plus side you save a little money for each PC but you do so at the risk of software compatibility/support, possible legal action from Microsoft, and increased labour costs as now the IT people have to work with more then 1 OS. Small gain, large risk - that's why it won't happen.
They're worried because their web server can't handle much traffic. This filters the prospective suckers based on mental ability ensuring that only those deemed worthy will apply.
- well actually I am against charity on principle, but unfortunately people have this desire to be charitable, thus creating a situation where gov't says that charity will be enforced by threat of violence via taxes, thus turning something that is a private situation (somebody getting charity from a specific person or a group) to a situation where people who in fact are living on charity (welfare, SS, etc.), and it become entrenched so that the people on charity start believing that they are ENTITLED to it, so the gov't must steal from some with threat of violence, and give it to individuals who think they are entitled to it.
I think you're ignoring a few things. Firstly, it is expensive to have people running around stealing things because it is the only way they can survive. It is beneficial to everyone, even those who are taxed, to have taxes collected to ensure a certain level of security. Welfare is less costly than prisons and orders of magnitude less costly than private security or the lost productivity resulting from no security. People are OK with military spending but not SS? Hard to believe, SS spending makes you much safer.
Second, is America not owned by the people? When natural resources are extracted should the people not receive a part of those resources? The resources are not free as individuals are not allowed to take them - they must be purchased from the government - ie, the people. Should only the rich and employed receive a portion of these profits? People are entitled to certain things because America is owned by the people, not the rich.
I hate welfare and am all for getting people off their lazy asses. But it is a necessary evil as the alternative is far worse.
Correction here, poor definition for "brute force", other described it better. Should be described as a search algorithm that tries all possible valid solutions - heuristics are allowed.
There are ~ 9^39 ways that a sudoku board can be filled in - much less then 9^81. Regarding "brute force" algorithms, I would define them as algorithms that attempt every possible option without the use of heuristics. This does not imply they are stupid and check possibilities that can not exist, which would be 9^81, just that they do not try the most likely solution first.
Being a locked down walled garden appliance kind of limits their usefulness.
No, being locked down does not have to limit their usefulness. It does limit their flexibility, but usefulness is something else entirely. If being locked down simplifies the things they want to do then the usefulness has increased by being locked down. Please remember that usefulness is determined by the user and not everyone is like you.
Your kind of ignorance is what you get when you don't really educate students about technology. They don't realize how much bullshit you're spewing right now. They don't understand what's going on.
Who cares about educating students about technology. It is just a tool - much like a calculator. They don't need to understand what's going on - they shouldn't even have to think about it. If they do then it's a poor tool.
This is just a PC with different IO devices and some artificial crippling.
No, it is not a personal computer - it is a tool. It might share components with a PC but then so do some toasters.
The real question should be is this a useful tool for education. Calculators are another tool used in schools right now. Personally, I don't think this is a good thing. Are tablets a good thing? Time will tell.
Apple includes a compilation of BSD and GNU tools. For example, tar is the BSD version where Linux has the GNU version. The differences are minor but real. The solution, if you are one of the few people that actually care, is to install MacPorts and let it install and update the GNU versions for you.
Revolt is pretty much all that's left for radical change (and yes, shutting down or preventing the paranoid state is radical). Only problem with that is the people are happy enough, enough of the time that they won't go to war against their government over the periods they're not happy.
I'm afraid not. Protests are far more effective for getting changes enacted. Revolts, like we saw in the middle east last year, can produce change but they also result in many undesirable consequences. They are simply too destructive.
If you could mobilize a couple million people to march on Washington every weekend for a couple of months - the TSA would be no more. The problem is that most Americans want the TSA - they make them feel safe. Personally, I think they're stupid but that doesn't change the fact that the TSA are here because the American people want them. Want to get rid of the TSA - educate the population. These videos will go further towards getting rid of the TSA than anything the author could do with a gun.
You may not consider the appearance of the cops at your door with a search warrant for your house and property that they obtained from one shell casing at a crime scene to be an inconvenience, but I certainly do.
So if your firearm is stolen, report it to the police. You should do this regardless.
Further, the inconvenience of having to police every round you fire anywhere just to prevent being framed with a discarded bit of brass is a serious inconvenience.
Two things here. First, you're paranoid. Second, you should always pick up your brass.
And needing to complete yet another set of paperwork to transfer a gun to someone else
No different then transferring vehicle ownership - not a big deal.
A way should be found to put the "active" components inside the devices at either end, with the (now much cheaper) cable running between them.
The reason why Thunderbolt is so fast is that it doesn't have to worry about cable length. What you're talking about has already been done, it's called USB and is well suited for many applications. But the throughput on USB will never reach that of Thunderbolt. Add the availability of optical cables and Thunderbolt becomes even more impressive.
The maximum speed of the connectors from your link is 5Gbps. No indication if this is at the physical or data layers. Actual speed (from Wikipedia) is 250MBps per channel. But getting multiple channels on a small connector is difficult. From the site, one of the must suitable 4x connecors still has a width of 21mm and depth of 28mm. This won't work in modern ultrabook computers.
Thunderbolt offers bidirectional 10Gbps at the data layer. Currently, up to two channels are supported on most computers (the Macbook Air only supports 1). And the connector used is tiny - well suited for the next generation of computer hardware. If Apple's Thunderbolt -> GigEthernet adapter for $30 is typical, then the cost of implementing Thunderbolt should be reasonable - probably less expensive then PCI Express External.
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Everyone seems to have forgotten about the other pollution that comes from burning petrol. I live next to a main road and the soot/dust is horrendous.
Most of that pollution would not occur if a synthesized fuel like this one was used. It should burn cleaner as it will have no contaminates. The big offenders creating soot/dust are the big trucks burning diesel and lacking proper catalytic converters. A modern car using this fuel should be fine - much like a car burning propane or natural gas.
I've been a .NET developer for 16 years
You sure? The initial release was on Feburary 13, 2002 - 10 years ago. Windows 95 was release 17 years ago and it could never even run .NET. The first version of Windows that could run .NET was Windows 98 - released 14 years ago. And I doubt that they had .NET ready for that initial version - doubt they even had an internal alpha version.
Surface requires a different API so all those Win32 apps will need far more then a recompile - they need a redesign.
Because it would take longer so the airline would not be able to charge as much for tickets. Also, the crew would have to be paid for more hours for each flight. Maintenance would also cost more per flight as each flight would involve logging more air time. And I would feel bad for the air traffic controllers - their job would get significantly more difficult.
A car going past you at 120mph is not going to give you nearly as much turbulence as overtaking a truck doing 60mph.
Yes, but you are expecting, and prepared for the turbulence of the truck. Many drivers don't deal well with surprises so a car overtaking them at 120mph, combined with the resulting turbulence, could cause problems. But you also have to remember that this is Texas where lots of people drive 1 tonne trucks. Those trucks have power and, considering how the drivers tend to have more money then brains*, will likely be the vehicles travelling at 120.
* - In my area, the young male drivers working in the oil field tend to have the big trucks which are driven like sports cars. Those who actually require a large truck tend to drive them intelligently.
But despite all of this, according to statistics from the autobahn the number of vehicle collisions is not determined by the speed limit. There are idiots on the road regardless. What does change is the number of fatalities as when the speed limit is increased the crashes are more likely to be fatal.
Here in North Carolina you can be stopped at a "license check" roadblock.
In Canada, and I would assume most states, you only have to provide your drivers license if the officer has sufficient grounds to request it. For example, a driving infraction. Police are free to request it but you do not have to humour their request. As it turns out, most people just hand over their drivers license.
Had a friend's father that was a defence lawyer in a small town (~5000). The police hated him - he always defended the people they arrested. That and he would never let the police overstep their authority. I recall them asking for a drivers license at a random stop - his response, no. The officer asked again several times implying that there would be trouble if he did not comply. His response, no - and that's how it ended.
I guess I'm saying people should read their local laws to see how they are affected. And remember, police do not have to tell the truth so do not automatically trust them. Police act on their own self interest, just like everyone else. They are not always on your side.
Hope you mean TRIM and not defragmenting, which occurs when a file is deleted on an SSD, not when one is written.
No, TRIM is not defragmenting. TRIM only occurs on SSD and is a result of how FLASH has to be written/erased.
Traditional storage devices have storage elements with only two states - 1 or 0. These elements are then written to and read by the OS. SSDs are different as their storage elements have the same two states - 1 or 0, but also have an "empty" flag. You see, to write to a storage element that is not empty requires a rather lengthy erase procedure to be performed before the write. So to speed things up, SSDs maintain an "empty" status.
But how does an SSD know when a storage element is empty? When a file is deleted all that happens is the FAT table is changed - the actual data does not get deleted. Over time, all available blocks in an SSD get marked as "not-empty" and that lengthy erase procedure is required all the time. This is where TRIM comes in, it allows for the OS to give the SSD hints by telling it certain blocks are in fact empty. The SSD can then pre-erase these blocks to ensure speedy future write operations.
So that is TRIM - defragmenting is something else entirely. Look it up, it's basic stuff. But because SSDs do not offer truly random access, there is an advantage in having the file system defragmented. How much of an advantage is what I would like to know. If I had to guess I would say minimal.
I would guess it is because OS X defragments the drive as it is being written. The overhead is largely not noticed when writing to a traditional hard drive while. Due to SSDs greater speed, it will make it appear that OS X has performance issues. The thing about performing inline defragmentation is it improves speed as the computer ages and as the HD begins to fill. Because all of the benchmarks were performed with fresh systems, the benefits of a defragmented drive would not be noticed.
The question I have is with the low seek times of SSDs, is there still a need to defragment drives? Probably, but to what degree as it surely is not as important as when one is using a traditional hard drive.
Not every American beer is Budweiser, although even that is 5% so, yes, you're still ignorant.
Careful what you say. I don't know how it's done down under, but I'll leave you with this tidbit of info:
In the States alcohol content is measured by weight as opposed to volume. So a %4 beer in the states would be a %3.2 beer in Canada
I know at least one person to whom several beers is as intoxicating as a cup of coffee. Are you saying this person is physically as intoxicated as anyone else who drinks that much, or legally intoxicated as much?
Wow, you are not just talking about two different drugs, but two drugs that are in completely different families. One is a stimulant and one is a depressant. How on earth can you compare them to each other?
Now in regards to your question, the answer is both. Humans differ greatly from one another but, on average, reaction time correlates to blood alcohol content. Tolerance is not part of the equation. We are talking about how a chemical effects signals that propagate through the brain. It's all chemistry - no amount of tolerance can change that. Do a search on scholar.google.com if you don't believe me. I wasn't able to find much with regards to tolerance but those studies which correlate reaction time to blood alcohol content generally result in findings that leave no room for outside factors (like tolerance).
how accustomed to the drug are they
You're so very wrong - at least in regards to alcohol. It is true that people can become accustomed to alcohol but they only appear sober. Their reaction times will be just as bad as someone who rarely drinks. This is why drinking and driving is so dangerous - those who do it really believe it does not impact their driving. And they are right, so long as nothing out of the ordinary happens. The problem is it severely limits what one perceives and how one reacts in an emergency situation.
Try having a few beer and then playing your favourite fps. Think of it as a science experiment - and a good excuse to have a few beer. Now compare your scores with and without alcohol and report your findings...
It's not for nothing. Stupid and greedy? Yes, but not for nothing.
By unlisting a subscriber they are incurring the opportunity cost of selling that subscriber's information. Yes it sounds stupid and only an economist would understand, but bean counters will take this into account. What they don't take into account is the cost of pissing off a large part of your customer base. I suppose with everyone signed up with long term contracts they don't have to worry able a mass exodus of customers.
There were plenty of tablets out before the iPad - I don't think anyone is contesting this fact. Apple is suing Samsung for creating products that are so similar to those made by Apple that a large percentage of customers can not tell them apart.
In regards to the Touch Book, it differs from an iPad in many ways. From looking at the photos, it appears to be designed for use with a landscape orientation. It lacks a home button centred on the bottom border. The screen is inset from the border where the iPad has a flat seamless surface. Then there is the software that is obviously very different in both appearance and function. Do I have to mention the keyboard? There is no way this invalidates the Apple design patents. Despite what people here like to claim, the patent is more specific then a rectangle with rounded corners.
All of these patents are just plain stupid - but they serve a purpose. A company must be able to protect their designs from those who would copy them. Without these protections there would be far less innovation. With regards to Samsung, I don't feel sorry for them. Plenty of great tablet designs have come out that are not copies of an iPad. Microsoft has their new tablet and HP had (unfortunately, past tense) their WebOS tablet. Blackberry makes a non-infringing tablet as do many manufacturers of Android based tablets. It is easy to not copy Apple, I don't see why Samsung went out of their way to be an Apple clone.
As a developer, I find it important to ask the question "Why?". Tasks are performed to solve problems. Those who contract out tasks (the employer) understand the problem but typically lack the expert knowledge required to devise the best possible solution. The employer can devise a solution, break it into tasks, and contract out those tasks; but results are typically less then optimal.
What developers should to is to try to understand the underlying problem so their expert knowledge can assist in designing an optimal solution. So when one is asked "Can you do this?" they should reply with "Probably, but why is it required?". Depending on the answer the correct response will probably be along the lines of "Yes, but there is a better way to solve that problem".
For example, a person might go into a store and ask a clerk for an iPad. A good clerk would politely ask why they want an iPad. If the customer was looking for a highly mobile device for reasons .... then a 7" Android tablet might be better. In this example the customer lacks expert knowledge regarding tablet devices and their proposed solution was less then optimal. By understanding the underlying problem, the clerk is able to recommend the most appropriate device. It is the same for developers - take the time to understand the problem if you want the customer to be happy.
Not really. When every new PC comes with a copy of Windows there is no reason to go with ReactOS. The additional license costs for a corporate Windows Pro upgrade are minimal. If one wanted an alternative OS they would just go with Linux.
So on the plus side you save a little money for each PC but you do so at the risk of software compatibility/support, possible legal action from Microsoft, and increased labour costs as now the IT people have to work with more then 1 OS. Small gain, large risk - that's why it won't happen.
They're worried because their web server can't handle much traffic. This filters the prospective suckers based on mental ability ensuring that only those deemed worthy will apply.
- well actually I am against charity on principle, but unfortunately people have this desire to be charitable, thus creating a situation where gov't says that charity will be enforced by threat of violence via taxes, thus turning something that is a private situation (somebody getting charity from a specific person or a group) to a situation where people who in fact are living on charity (welfare, SS, etc.), and it become entrenched so that the people on charity start believing that they are ENTITLED to it, so the gov't must steal from some with threat of violence, and give it to individuals who think they are entitled to it.
I think you're ignoring a few things. Firstly, it is expensive to have people running around stealing things because it is the only way they can survive. It is beneficial to everyone, even those who are taxed, to have taxes collected to ensure a certain level of security. Welfare is less costly than prisons and orders of magnitude less costly than private security or the lost productivity resulting from no security. People are OK with military spending but not SS? Hard to believe, SS spending makes you much safer.
Second, is America not owned by the people? When natural resources are extracted should the people not receive a part of those resources? The resources are not free as individuals are not allowed to take them - they must be purchased from the government - ie, the people. Should only the rich and employed receive a portion of these profits? People are entitled to certain things because America is owned by the people, not the rich.
I hate welfare and am all for getting people off their lazy asses. But it is a necessary evil as the alternative is far worse.
Correction here, poor definition for "brute force", other described it better. Should be described as a search algorithm that tries all possible valid solutions - heuristics are allowed.
There are ~ 9^39 ways that a sudoku board can be filled in - much less then 9^81. Regarding "brute force" algorithms, I would define them as algorithms that attempt every possible option without the use of heuristics. This does not imply they are stupid and check possibilities that can not exist, which would be 9^81, just that they do not try the most likely solution first.
Being a locked down walled garden appliance kind of limits their usefulness.
No, being locked down does not have to limit their usefulness. It does limit their flexibility, but usefulness is something else entirely. If being locked down simplifies the things they want to do then the usefulness has increased by being locked down. Please remember that usefulness is determined by the user and not everyone is like you.
Your kind of ignorance is what you get when you don't really educate students about technology. They don't realize how much bullshit you're spewing right now. They don't understand what's going on.
Who cares about educating students about technology. It is just a tool - much like a calculator. They don't need to understand what's going on - they shouldn't even have to think about it. If they do then it's a poor tool.
This is just a PC with different IO devices and some artificial crippling.
No, it is not a personal computer - it is a tool. It might share components with a PC but then so do some toasters.
The real question should be is this a useful tool for education. Calculators are another tool used in schools right now. Personally, I don't think this is a good thing. Are tablets a good thing? Time will tell.
Apple includes a compilation of BSD and GNU tools. For example, tar is the BSD version where Linux has the GNU version. The differences are minor but real. The solution, if you are one of the few people that actually care, is to install MacPorts and let it install and update the GNU versions for you.
Revolt is pretty much all that's left for radical change (and yes, shutting down or preventing the paranoid state is radical). Only problem with that is the people are happy enough, enough of the time that they won't go to war against their government over the periods they're not happy.
I'm afraid not. Protests are far more effective for getting changes enacted. Revolts, like we saw in the middle east last year, can produce change but they also result in many undesirable consequences. They are simply too destructive.
If you could mobilize a couple million people to march on Washington every weekend for a couple of months - the TSA would be no more. The problem is that most Americans want the TSA - they make them feel safe. Personally, I think they're stupid but that doesn't change the fact that the TSA are here because the American people want them. Want to get rid of the TSA - educate the population. These videos will go further towards getting rid of the TSA than anything the author could do with a gun.
You may not consider the appearance of the cops at your door with a search warrant for your house and property that they obtained from one shell casing at a crime scene to be an inconvenience, but I certainly do.
So if your firearm is stolen, report it to the police. You should do this regardless.
Further, the inconvenience of having to police every round you fire anywhere just to prevent being framed with a discarded bit of brass is a serious inconvenience.
Two things here. First, you're paranoid. Second, you should always pick up your brass.
And needing to complete yet another set of paperwork to transfer a gun to someone else
No different then transferring vehicle ownership - not a big deal.
A way should be found to put the "active" components inside the devices at either end, with the (now much cheaper) cable running between them.
The reason why Thunderbolt is so fast is that it doesn't have to worry about cable length. What you're talking about has already been done, it's called USB and is well suited for many applications. But the throughput on USB will never reach that of Thunderbolt. Add the availability of optical cables and Thunderbolt becomes even more impressive.
The maximum speed of the connectors from your link is 5Gbps. No indication if this is at the physical or data layers. Actual speed (from Wikipedia) is 250MBps per channel. But getting multiple channels on a small connector is difficult. From the site, one of the must suitable 4x connecors still has a width of 21mm and depth of 28mm. This won't work in modern ultrabook computers.
Thunderbolt offers bidirectional 10Gbps at the data layer. Currently, up to two channels are supported on most computers (the Macbook Air only supports 1). And the connector used is tiny - well suited for the next generation of computer hardware. If Apple's Thunderbolt -> GigEthernet adapter for $30 is typical, then the cost of implementing Thunderbolt should be reasonable - probably less expensive then PCI Express External.