That's a long "go" list. It felt like they were reeling off the credits of Avatar.

Meanwhile, next door to Farm Co. , the locals are running out of water.

Question#12:

Braking distance - 5km.

Pretty sure nobody else is reading this thread anymore. We could chat about walruses and no one would notice.

I think protection for a user interface comes in the form of a design patent not a software patent.

This. Yes it is theoretically possible to do HDR with a single camera using this technique. There are two problems, the first is you ideally need the raw unadjusted CCD array responses, which most cameras don't provide an interface for (pretty sure you don't have this level of control on the iPhone camera). The…

NDAs aren't that common in the software industry, at least I've not seen any in my experience. Most software companies don't have any need for any protection above that afforded to them by copyright. Generally, the value in software companies in their code base and their workforce. The only time NDAs are obviously…

Also, I was going to mention that your scenario wasn't a good one as it never happens. There aren't software developers out there scraping the Internet for original software on people's PCs in the hope of finding a new product. It simply doesn't happen.

You still have copyright protection, just as you would if you were on the verge of selling a novel. You don't need a patent to protect you.

Even with sorting algorithms, like Quick Sort, Insertion Sort, Bubble, Merge, etc, it's very hard to draw a line around them and define what they are exactly.

There's nothing obvious about the need for software patents. They don't exist in Europe, for example.

I like to think I have written a few novel computer algorithms in my time. The thought of patenting them appalls me. Algorithms on their own are just a means to an end, it is only when they are applied to a particular problem that they show value. It strikes me that those that seek to patent algorithms do so because…

@brijazz: Ha ha yes. Protective gloves might have been a better choice of safety wear. The goggles though, they add to the crazy scientist vibe.

@brijazz: I thought the law against sawn off shotguns was due to their easy concealment. I'd like to see someone hide this contraption in their pants.

Hmm, this seems a little simplistic. It stands to reason that extended electrical activity is a requirement for memory formation, but it doesn't follow that it is sufficient. A similar comparison might be made for consciousness - we know electrical activity is a requirement, but simply sending electricity through dead…

Of course, we only need true accountability for people that publish information on the Internet. I don't think we should ever put limits on what content we are legally allowed to download or view.

For people wondering why choose iPads over e-readers or other tablets - I'm certain it's all about the PR generated by this announcement- not due to the technical requirements.

@fughedaboudit: I don't see why e-readers would have any problem with images, they use pixels like anything else. The rest is just software.

Aw, big furry kitty needs a hug!