Fox isn't news, it's not, and I believe it entirely possible to sue them for false advertisement. Will everybody in America please do this now?!
The thing with science, and i'm a scientist, is that although it is ALL about the strict classification of things in order for pursuit of the truth; we love tradition. There are things in science that are so pointlessly carried becuase of tradition. Here's the thing: We ALL learned Pluto was a planet. Well, that's just a label, and whether we call it a planet or the newly invented term "Gubla" which I shall go with (Pluto is a Gubla), is entirely irrelevant to Pluto. It changes absolutely nothing about anything, because no matter what you clasify it as, it will always be Pluto.
It's not like we Holiday there. People love nostalgia, scientists especially. I think if we reclassify Pluto, but call it an 'Honourary Planet', then scientists and people of the world will love it regardless. In fact, I never heard anyone once step up to Pluto's defence until this: "Oh, it's not a planet anymore" BS came about, so why do we love it now.
I guess, ultimately, this entire thing can be viewed from the lesson of how people are willing to defend whatever they believe in, no matter whether it is right or wrong... Think about that!
From TFA "...building a business model that allows them to profit directly from piracy."
So if there's a business model that DIRECTLY profits from piracy AND the RIAA acknowledge this, more than that it's their entire argument, then why isn't the music industry adopting this well-defined business model that gives them money DIRECTLY from piracy?
"When deep space exploration ramps up, it'll be the corporations that name everything, the IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks."
- Fight Club;)
It's bad enough now with the Telco's thinking they own the internet. So NASA will lease them for some of the time, what about the rest of the time...? Does the company get to use it's own gear to put up satellites and what not?
To be objective, I guess someone's got to pay for it. But space travel and the means to do so should not be patented away, preventing anyone else the means to get to space should they wish to build their own machine and get off this rock; perhaps assurances against something like this will be needed?
The Japanese are the contractors, they are pretty well renowned for their efficiency. So I think building time may be reduced.
More work needs to be done on the spherical Tokamaks such as START and MAST. Which are showing increasingly promising results. I know from an inside source that more attention is being given to the spherical Tokamak. Especially now that in nearly all the participating countries there is at least a single toroidal tokamak.
From TFA:
"However, environmental groups have criticised the project, saying there was no guarantee that the billions of euros would result in a commercially viable energy source."
This baffles me, just whose side are the environmentalists on again? It doesn't matter that there is no gaurantee. The likelyhood of it being a comercially viable energy source is very high.
Also, bear in mind that everybody knows that fusion will be "along in 20 years" and has been this way for the past 60. However, most countries in the world are producing larger plasma departments at universities and there is a much greater influx of fusion scientists. Many hands make light work. And it has already been mentioned that there are many tokamaks in the world, Russia, China, Japan and America have multiple. The UK has the current largest, Jet, and it also has the spherical tokamaks as stated.
Saying that developing countries need food is actually stupid for two reasons.
Reason one: Ya think?
Reason two: Giving food won't solve the famine, it will only increase the number of people the famine can sustain, hence causing a larger problem. This has been proven and demonstrated time and again.
Education is the key. These kids need to learn a better way of doing things, they need to learn to think for themselves. They need education so they can learn enough about their problems to be able to solve them. The internet is the best tool for learning since sliced trees. Education teaches them how to be resourceful and build their own farming equipment. Teach them to dig down for water. Teach them to irrigate. Education first, solution will follow, it isn't an immediate fix, but just giving food is no fix at all, it only adds to the problem.
On a jokey sort of note, I wonder how long before Africa gets targetted by the RIAA...?
This is too far down for anyone to really see...pity.
Disclaimer: I am a fusion scientist.
The result mentioned in the article has been around for about a year in the fusion community. It is very good work, and opens up further areas of study. However, it is specific to a single Tokamak, and so far has not yet been repeated. Furthermore, the result has not yet been fully understood. (This is linked to it not being repeated.)
This may be sensational news, but it shouldn't be, due to claiming to solve a problem, which so far they haven't fully done. Don't take anything away from the guys who did this. Like I said, excellent work. But until the result is confirmed and understood it should stay out of mainstream media.
There are many big problems for fusion, like plasma instabilites, neo-classical tearing modes, ELMs (as mentioned), ohmic heating in transformer coils. The list goes on, it's a complex subject. Thankfully with all countries signed up, and more than enough money for ITER's budget (even if America pulls out again), the politics can be minimised and the physics can continue.
Apologies for the second reply.
I forgot to ask how the issue of people being offended by French sandals would be fixed by opposing this domain type? Seemingly making the point irrelevant.
I would like to see some real, uninterpretted figures that show the exact percent of how much easier it will be to find pr0n on the internet will be if.xxx becomes available. I estimate, given how incredibly easy it already is, this figure would be less than a percent, most. By imposing age restrictions, and certifying top level domains it may actually make it harder. As in, you know it's there, but won't be able to see it.
What if we all embraced it, firefox included and allowed for, I don't know, something insanely as obvious as.xxx filtering on ones own browser, activated by default and requiring an admin password to change. Like, if that get's patented I came up with it first! But wouldn't parents active interest in their own child's activity be far better solution to this alleged problem..xxx domains will just make it easier for parents to do just that. Why is it being challenged?
If you did legitimize it, then you would be able to control it. By not doing so you are burying your head in the sand in the vain attempt the problem will go away. Unfeasable and unreasonable.
Let me just point out that you're right, it WILL encourage it. However, it will encourage it to be in a responsible environment with people held accountable for their actions. By not legislating it, you will only ENCOURAGE it to be irresponsible and underground, and as long as human beings get horny I don't see the second oldest profession dissappearing. The entire line of reasoning opposing this bill is inherently specious.
And, not trying to be condesending, but if bare ankles are offensive I don't think that person would be trying to buy sandals off a French website in the first place, moot point. I mean, what was he trying to do? Offend every one of his neighbours. Because if that's his game he probably wouldn't be too offended by the website in the first place. Talk about "people in glass houses...".
The Bernstein reference you speak of shows that after he won the case the government modified the previous changes, substantially loosening them. When he challenged this again in 2003 his case was thrown out.
The victory was temporary. He may have won a battle but certainly not the war.
BUSH: "Ya see, that's what the pr0n terr'ists want! They'd love us to just release this information. Can't you see people will get hurt! National security (of the children) is at stake here."
Suing the U.S. Government? Fair play, you got some balls and/or a lot of naivety. Good luck.
Also, if we don't want a.xxx domain then we should probably take the magazines down from the top shelves and put them with the rest.
Could the answer lie in a lot of what people have already said here?
We have already identified ways people can screw the system. As in, get their people to review their applications. To solve this all you would need is that whomever is reviewing... (I suggest listing credentials) is an independant party.
To ensure a high quality amount of people you will definitely need compensation. There are a slew of science and math (and others e.g. biochemistry) graduates and especially post-docs that may be willing to lend a hand if they can earn a small amount of ££ in the process.
Ultimately, the final decision to reward a patent needs to be left with the patent clerks, to ensure neutrality and fairness. The same can be said for rejecting a patent, however, independant peer reviewers will offer a much stronger case for dismissal or acceptance.
They will need perhaps an online course (Free!) you can take to get up to speed with the patent system, this will need to be examined so you will have a qualified bank of examiners who only look at patents based on their area of expertise.
The money issue is a tough one. Everyone complains that the patent system sucks and something needs to be done. But no-one is willing to fix it without being paid... wasn't that the problem in the first place? Perhaps if we could cure human greed first we wouldn't need this measure in the first place, but this point is more rhetorical. Unless you set this system up in a socialist country, perhaps.
There are a lot of people like that, but science tends to be more of an 'old-boys club'. It doesn't matter if you're rich, you just have to be an academic to get in. I am going to meet the top in fusion so I will ask him if he is more concerned with his budget than solving fusion.
As a quick example of to what I am referring. There is an equation that about 6 people in the world know and/or care about. It is unsolved analytically and has been for a long while. Solving it probably wouldn't make the world a much better place. But it is such a simple equation that these 6 guys can't believe it can't be solved analytically (ie not through computational and numerical iterative methods).
One of the fellows to which I refer happens to be the inventor of the hydrogen bomb, which was done sometimes in the 60's. This is not the behaviour of people who care about budgets. Yes they are essential (and sadly so) but the guys at the top, especially in fusion, just want to do physics. I know one guy who took fusion although he had been offered more money from an oil company. He's also one of the head fusion-maestros.
We have fusion bombs, have had for a long while. Also there are better neutron sources from a type of fusion known as sonoluminescence and you don't require much but alcohol (acetate) and sound. I'm sure it's a bit more complicated but for a time was known as 'desktop fusion' or 'fusion in a cup'. It cannot be used for a sustainable reaction so it's not too much use other than as a cheap neutron source. Which was your worry.
Everytime I read any Fusion based posts it really allows me to see how ignorant a LOT of people are. Some seem pretty close, but get caught out as being bulls-hitters somewhere in their post
K, I am doing a PhD in Fusion in one of the best fusion plasma groups in the world. I would be happy to answer any questions.
Not having a go at any random posts, but just a few mistakes I didn't see get checked. 1. Yes Fusion is safe, very safe, super safe. Safe!! You can ask me why, but no-one ever seems to pay attention, or even understand.
2. Fusion weapons have been around since at least the 1960's! Hydrogen bombs. Kinda like 50 years too late to be scared about that one.
3. Would you like to know why fusion isn't here yet? It's very difficult! It's not an oil conspiracy!! The people in fusion are academics and believe me when I say they don't generally give a crap about money. They are smart people concerned with the environment.
4. Why is it difficult? You can't switch JET or MAST on for too long because of Ohmic heating. It basically implies that super conducting (very $$$!) coils are needed to get around this problem. ITER will be one of the first reactors to have all superconducting coils.
6. Anything else? Yes, actually. We are literally making it up as we go along. How many people know exactly what a plasma is? I mean what defines it? It's Debeye length? Collisionless? Quasi-neutrality? What do any of these terms mean? If you don't know you probably aren't qualified to talk on fusion. Plasma physics is relatively to the rest of science an incredibly new and young field and it is extremely varied.
There's lots and lots going on in fusion. I apologise for the lack of links but i'm typing quickly and don't have time. Suffice to say, everyone in the fusion community is very enthusiastic about it. It is getting more and more (international) money all the time. The Chinese and Japanese are involved, not to mention India and the most of the West.
On an interesting side note. The thing that mainly held fusion back was can you guess? AMERICA!! Constantly pulling in and out of the project. However, now that the Indians are involved the funding is about 110% of what is required. So if the yanks pull out again then they will fall behind because no-one else cares anymore and we'll have enough money to, and we will, continue.
So Apple have something to hide... they must being doing something wrong!
Isn't that why all citizens are being wiretapped and endlessly monitored? Don't kid yourselves it is ALL of you!
Why are corporations the only ones who are allowed privacy? I declare myself as a corporation. Don't talk to me, go through my company. Hey, if that dies, i'll just start another. Don't blame or prosecute ME, it was the COMPANY!
The internet is a democracy because you can say whatever the hell you want! As soon as that stops in ANY way, bye-bye democratic internet. Why does everyone just lie down and take it in the ass? You should resist EVERY step.
And here's another thing. It's called Catch-22:
IF bloggers =/ journalists.
Then surely they are effectively just telling their 'friends' and anyone in earshot something they know. If they are not going to be granted the same RIGHTS as journalists, then they shouldn't be expected to hold any of the RESPONSIBILITY of journalists!! Hence: NO F**KING CASE!!
Apple has always been essentially no-one, except to Apple enthusiasts, but now they're taking off in such a big way this is just witnessing the begininning of a growing company getting drunk on it's own lust for power.
I know this will get flamed to hell by all those who know better, but if you can follow the idea/intent and not so much the specifics....
So here's my idea, extremely shorten the life of a patent! (Say 5 years.)
Reasoning: A company or person spends some time, some money, thinks about it and comes up with this great innovative thing. As a reward for this they are allowed to do whatever the hell they want with it for the time period to establish themselves as a brand, develop the technology etc... If they're innovative (and they'll have to be now to survive) then they'll always stay ahead of the game and hence will keep getting paid (a 5 year headstart is a lot in technology). If they sit back just to collect bucks then it will be finite and still run out.
This way they can charge companies who want to use up-to-the-minute technology and when the idea becomes out of date, or commonplace/practice (e.g. MP4 !FU2BELL!) then it's anyone's game.
There are i'm sure a lot of dissadvantages to this, i'm not saying it's perfect, but even this is a shit load better than what is already in place.
I guess to cut it short there needs to be a patent system that 1) REWARDS INNOVATION 2) PUNISHES TROLLS
If you're 5 years ahead of the game before the competition can even start developing that technology, get in.
Maybe not even make it free, but say reduce it's costs to like a 1/3 of the price. I'm rambling and typing quickly, apologies.
Slashdot Mirror
Fox isn't news, it's not, and I believe it entirely possible to sue them for false advertisement. Will everybody in America please do this now?!
The thing with science, and i'm a scientist, is that although it is ALL about the strict classification of things in order for pursuit of the truth; we love tradition. There are things in science that are so pointlessly carried becuase of tradition. Here's the thing: We ALL learned Pluto was a planet. Well, that's just a label, and whether we call it a planet or the newly invented term "Gubla" which I shall go with (Pluto is a Gubla), is entirely irrelevant to Pluto. It changes absolutely nothing about anything, because no matter what you clasify it as, it will always be Pluto.
It's not like we Holiday there. People love nostalgia, scientists especially. I think if we reclassify Pluto, but call it an 'Honourary Planet', then scientists and people of the world will love it regardless. In fact, I never heard anyone once step up to Pluto's defence until this: "Oh, it's not a planet anymore" BS came about, so why do we love it now.
I guess, ultimately, this entire thing can be viewed from the lesson of how people are willing to defend whatever they believe in, no matter whether it is right or wrong... Think about that!
From TFA "...building a business model that allows them to profit directly from piracy."
So if there's a business model that DIRECTLY profits from piracy AND the RIAA acknowledge this, more than that it's their entire argument, then why isn't the music industry adopting this well-defined business model that gives them money DIRECTLY from piracy?
Hypocritical, one might say, but they are anyway.
Hey, way to suck the fun out of this with 'the cheese' joke in the description.
"When deep space exploration ramps up, it'll be the corporations that name everything, the IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks." ;)
- Fight Club
It's bad enough now with the Telco's thinking they own the internet. So NASA will lease them for some of the time, what about the rest of the time...? Does the company get to use it's own gear to put up satellites and what not?
To be objective, I guess someone's got to pay for it. But space travel and the means to do so should not be patented away, preventing anyone else the means to get to space should they wish to build their own machine and get off this rock; perhaps assurances against something like this will be needed?
(Toungue-in-cheek throughout.)
LMFAO. You'd think the 'RF' part of RFID would have maybe given the game away.
The Japanese are the contractors, they are pretty well renowned for their efficiency. So I think building time may be reduced.
More work needs to be done on the spherical Tokamaks such as START and MAST. Which are showing increasingly promising results. I know from an inside source that more attention is being given to the spherical Tokamak. Especially now that in nearly all the participating countries there is at least a single toroidal tokamak.
From TFA:
"However, environmental groups have criticised the project, saying there was no guarantee that the billions of euros would result in a commercially viable energy source."
This baffles me, just whose side are the environmentalists on again? It doesn't matter that there is no gaurantee. The likelyhood of it being a comercially viable energy source is very high.
Also, bear in mind that everybody knows that fusion will be "along in 20 years" and has been this way for the past 60. However, most countries in the world are producing larger plasma departments at universities and there is a much greater influx of fusion scientists. Many hands make light work. And it has already been mentioned that there are many tokamaks in the world, Russia, China, Japan and America have multiple. The UK has the current largest, Jet, and it also has the spherical tokamaks as stated.
Peace out, baby.
The goverment has some room for improval, but I love the Chinese people.
I initially read that headline as people got hold of the movie and were going to chop out some of more 'hammier' scenes. Shame.
Mod me down, I don't have any relevant comment, this isnt' news.
Saying that developing countries need food is actually stupid for two reasons.
Reason one: Ya think? Reason two: Giving food won't solve the famine, it will only increase the number of people the famine can sustain, hence causing a larger problem. This has been proven and demonstrated time and again.
Education is the key. These kids need to learn a better way of doing things, they need to learn to think for themselves. They need education so they can learn enough about their problems to be able to solve them. The internet is the best tool for learning since sliced trees. Education teaches them how to be resourceful and build their own farming equipment. Teach them to dig down for water. Teach them to irrigate. Education first, solution will follow, it isn't an immediate fix, but just giving food is no fix at all, it only adds to the problem.
On a jokey sort of note, I wonder how long before Africa gets targetted by the RIAA...?
Maybe you don't have to buy stuff with DRM in it... yet.
Any encroachment on any freedom should always be fought against.
At least they did go out there and protest. Arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics....
/.
It doesn't matter what the protestors are wearing, it's the point they're protesting and it's the number of them.
If you are against DRM then you shouldn't criticise these people if the only protesting you have done is posting on
I do not exclude myself from this rant, fair play to those people. It's something, not nothing.
This is too far down for anyone to really see...pity.
Disclaimer: I am a fusion scientist.
The result mentioned in the article has been around for about a year in the fusion community. It is very good work, and opens up further areas of study. However, it is specific to a single Tokamak, and so far has not yet been repeated. Furthermore, the result has not yet been fully understood. (This is linked to it not being repeated.)
This may be sensational news, but it shouldn't be, due to claiming to solve a problem, which so far they haven't fully done. Don't take anything away from the guys who did this. Like I said, excellent work. But until the result is confirmed and understood it should stay out of mainstream media.
There are many big problems for fusion, like plasma instabilites, neo-classical tearing modes, ELMs (as mentioned), ohmic heating in transformer coils. The list goes on, it's a complex subject. Thankfully with all countries signed up, and more than enough money for ITER's budget (even if America pulls out again), the politics can be minimised and the physics can continue.
Apologies for the second reply.
I forgot to ask how the issue of people being offended by French sandals would be fixed by opposing this domain type? Seemingly making the point irrelevant.
Well, isn't that the case in real life?
.xxx becomes available. I estimate, given how incredibly easy it already is, this figure would be less than a percent, most. By imposing age restrictions, and certifying top level domains it may actually make it harder. As in, you know it's there, but won't be able to see it.
.xxx filtering on ones own browser, activated by default and requiring an admin password to change. Like, if that get's patented I came up with it first! But wouldn't parents active interest in their own child's activity be far better solution to this alleged problem. .xxx domains will just make it easier for parents to do just that. Why is it being challenged?
I would like to see some real, uninterpretted figures that show the exact percent of how much easier it will be to find pr0n on the internet will be if
What if we all embraced it, firefox included and allowed for, I don't know, something insanely as obvious as
If you did legitimize it, then you would be able to control it. By not doing so you are burying your head in the sand in the vain attempt the problem will go away. Unfeasable and unreasonable.
Let me just point out that you're right, it WILL encourage it. However, it will encourage it to be in a responsible environment with people held accountable for their actions. By not legislating it, you will only ENCOURAGE it to be irresponsible and underground, and as long as human beings get horny I don't see the second oldest profession dissappearing. The entire line of reasoning opposing this bill is inherently specious.
And, not trying to be condesending, but if bare ankles are offensive I don't think that person would be trying to buy sandals off a French website in the first place, moot point. I mean, what was he trying to do? Offend every one of his neighbours. Because if that's his game he probably wouldn't be too offended by the website in the first place. Talk about "people in glass houses...".
The Bernstein reference you speak of shows that after he won the case the government modified the previous changes, substantially loosening them. When he challenged this again in 2003 his case was thrown out.
The victory was temporary. He may have won a battle but certainly not the war.
BUSH: "Ya see, that's what the pr0n terr'ists want! They'd love us to just release this information. Can't you see people will get hurt! National security (of the children) is at stake here."
.xxx domain then we should probably take the magazines down from the top shelves and put them with the rest.
Suing the U.S. Government? Fair play, you got some balls and/or a lot of naivety. Good luck.
Also, if we don't want a
Just a thought
Could the answer lie in a lot of what people have already said here?
We have already identified ways people can screw the system. As in, get their people to review their applications. To solve this all you would need is that whomever is reviewing... (I suggest listing credentials) is an independant party.
To ensure a high quality amount of people you will definitely need compensation. There are a slew of science and math (and others e.g. biochemistry) graduates and especially post-docs that may be willing to lend a hand if they can earn a small amount of ££ in the process.
Ultimately, the final decision to reward a patent needs to be left with the patent clerks, to ensure neutrality and fairness. The same can be said for rejecting a patent, however, independant peer reviewers will offer a much stronger case for dismissal or acceptance.
They will need perhaps an online course (Free!) you can take to get up to speed with the patent system, this will need to be examined so you will have a qualified bank of examiners who only look at patents based on their area of expertise.
The money issue is a tough one. Everyone complains that the patent system sucks and something needs to be done. But no-one is willing to fix it without being paid... wasn't that the problem in the first place? Perhaps if we could cure human greed first we wouldn't need this measure in the first place, but this point is more rhetorical. Unless you set this system up in a socialist country, perhaps.
I am f**king astounded!!
To PTO: Ya think?
There are a lot of people like that, but science tends to be more of an 'old-boys club'. It doesn't matter if you're rich, you just have to be an academic to get in. I am going to meet the top in fusion so I will ask him if he is more concerned with his budget than solving fusion.
As a quick example of to what I am referring. There is an equation that about 6 people in the world know and/or care about. It is unsolved analytically and has been for a long while. Solving it probably wouldn't make the world a much better place. But it is such a simple equation that these 6 guys can't believe it can't be solved analytically (ie not through computational and numerical iterative methods).
One of the fellows to which I refer happens to be the inventor of the hydrogen bomb, which was done sometimes in the 60's. This is not the behaviour of people who care about budgets. Yes they are essential (and sadly so) but the guys at the top, especially in fusion, just want to do physics. I know one guy who took fusion although he had been offered more money from an oil company. He's also one of the head fusion-maestros.
We have fusion bombs, have had for a long while. Also there are better neutron sources from a type of fusion known as sonoluminescence and you don't require much but alcohol (acetate) and sound. I'm sure it's a bit more complicated but for a time was known as 'desktop fusion' or 'fusion in a cup'. It cannot be used for a sustainable reaction so it's not too much use other than as a cheap neutron source. Which was your worry.
Everytime I read any Fusion based posts it really allows me to see how ignorant a LOT of people are. Some seem pretty close, but get caught out as being bulls-hitters somewhere in their post
K, I am doing a PhD in Fusion in one of the best fusion plasma groups in the world. I would be happy to answer any questions.
Not having a go at any random posts, but just a few mistakes I didn't see get checked. 1. Yes Fusion is safe, very safe, super safe. Safe!! You can ask me why, but no-one ever seems to pay attention, or even understand.
2. Fusion weapons have been around since at least the 1960's! Hydrogen bombs. Kinda like 50 years too late to be scared about that one.
3. Would you like to know why fusion isn't here yet? It's very difficult! It's not an oil conspiracy!! The people in fusion are academics and believe me when I say they don't generally give a crap about money. They are smart people concerned with the environment.
4. Why is it difficult? You can't switch JET or MAST on for too long because of Ohmic heating. It basically implies that super conducting (very $$$!) coils are needed to get around this problem. ITER will be one of the first reactors to have all superconducting coils.
6. Anything else? Yes, actually. We are literally making it up as we go along. How many people know exactly what a plasma is? I mean what defines it? It's Debeye length? Collisionless? Quasi-neutrality? What do any of these terms mean? If you don't know you probably aren't qualified to talk on fusion. Plasma physics is relatively to the rest of science an incredibly new and young field and it is extremely varied.
There's lots and lots going on in fusion. I apologise for the lack of links but i'm typing quickly and don't have time. Suffice to say, everyone in the fusion community is very enthusiastic about it. It is getting more and more (international) money all the time. The Chinese and Japanese are involved, not to mention India and the most of the West.
On an interesting side note. The thing that mainly held fusion back was
can you guess?
AMERICA!! Constantly pulling in and out of the project. However, now that the Indians are involved the funding is about 110% of what is required. So if the yanks pull out again then they will fall behind because no-one else cares anymore and we'll have enough money to, and we will, continue.
So Apple have something to hide... they must being doing something wrong! Isn't that why all citizens are being wiretapped and endlessly monitored? Don't kid yourselves it is ALL of you! Why are corporations the only ones who are allowed privacy? I declare myself as a corporation. Don't talk to me, go through my company. Hey, if that dies, i'll just start another. Don't blame or prosecute ME, it was the COMPANY! The internet is a democracy because you can say whatever the hell you want! As soon as that stops in ANY way, bye-bye democratic internet. Why does everyone just lie down and take it in the ass? You should resist EVERY step. And here's another thing. It's called Catch-22: IF bloggers =/ journalists. Then surely they are effectively just telling their 'friends' and anyone in earshot something they know. If they are not going to be granted the same RIGHTS as journalists, then they shouldn't be expected to hold any of the RESPONSIBILITY of journalists!! Hence: NO F**KING CASE!! Apple has always been essentially no-one, except to Apple enthusiasts, but now they're taking off in such a big way this is just witnessing the begininning of a growing company getting drunk on it's own lust for power.
I know this will get flamed to hell by all those who know better, but if you can follow the idea/intent and not so much the specifics....
So here's my idea, extremely shorten the life of a patent! (Say 5 years.)
Reasoning: A company or person spends some time, some money, thinks about it and comes up with this great innovative thing. As a reward for this they are allowed to do whatever the hell they want with it for the time period to establish themselves as a brand, develop the technology etc... If they're innovative (and they'll have to be now to survive) then they'll always stay ahead of the game and hence will keep getting paid (a 5 year headstart is a lot in technology). If they sit back just to collect bucks then it will be finite and still run out.
This way they can charge companies who want to use up-to-the-minute technology and when the idea becomes out of date, or commonplace/practice (e.g. MP4 !FU2BELL!) then it's anyone's game.
There are i'm sure a lot of dissadvantages to this, i'm not saying it's perfect, but even this is a shit load better than what is already in place.
I guess to cut it short there needs to be a patent system that
1) REWARDS INNOVATION
2) PUNISHES TROLLS
If you're 5 years ahead of the game before the competition can even start developing that technology, get in.
Maybe not even make it free, but say reduce it's costs to like a 1/3 of the price. I'm rambling and typing quickly, apologies.