This is actually something I didn't realize until a few years after I quit. Now, the smell is pretty disgusting.

How long were you a smoker?

That's a pretty hardcore method of quitting, and it's great that you literally put yourself in a position where you confronted your urges up-front. Tremendous will-power, just like Batman!

I used to like smoking, too. There's something to be said about the act of smoking (especially while I was working on my artwork). It's something to do with your hands, it's social, and it feels therapeutic.

I started smoking at 16, and quit 3 years ago when I was 33 (17 years).

I actually don't get the "look and feel" comparison you mentioned. I feel that the stores have their own branded identity that embodies the direction that Microsoft is headed.

The problem with the top right toggle is that it keeps reverting back to the "Personal" default, which for people like me who do a lot of searches on a daily basis, would find annoying to click every single time I reopen a browser window. I'm really glad they gave us a way to set it permanently!

"However, I think the future of searching looks for more like Wolfram and a little less like Google."

I just found that you can opt out permanently:

I was going to say I, too am annoyed by it defaulting to personal results every time I go back to the google.com. Fortunately, I found out that I can permanently set the default at:

I just saw this episode for the first time during the holiday marathons!

I have one, too, and it's awesome!

I'm thinking most solar panels these days don't necessarily need to be in direct sunlight and can be charged off of in-door incandescent light (though it might not charge as quickly). If that's the case, you can just leave it under a lamp and pick it up the next morning.

I'm wondering if it grabs enough light from incandescent lights, as well? My solar-powered Logitech keyboard can charge with regular light to max capacity in 6 hours (supposedly lasts 3 months on one charge). Maybe it's the same solar-tech?

Gawker Media should do the same. With all your blogs combined, you guys could really help drive the point home.

Sometimes, I wonder if we have proof of intelligent life HERE...

Totally agree with your disagreeing. :)

Isn't it a little unfair to compare sales with the "peak flat screen years"? It was at its' peak at the time because everyone was making the jump to a totally new form factor from the ol' CRT TV's.

Actually, if Apple turned the Nano into a watch form factor, that would be pretty awesome. It's really sad that all these strap-ons have to have that same rectangular face. By running with a watch design, they could take it to the next step and actually design it to look like a cool wrist accessory. Getting the…

I haven't been following the Windows 8 developments, so excuse me if I'm not up to speed.