Couldn't resist: http://xkcd.com/927/

Doesn't fit 100% but 93%. At least.

I know, we're on /., but as I'm interested in this phone I broke /. rules and actually read the article and there it says:

That sounds to me like it has a physical keyboard.

A "scan on write" would definitely not be a solution. It really comes done to some kind of detection mechanism if a file that is being read has been checked before and is unchanged or not. If you plug in a new HD, it should detect that those file are unchecked. Obviously I don't pretend that a system like this is trivial, but I would expect it is possible.

Here is a question regarding the on-demand scanner: why isn't anti-virus software tracking which files are new to the system, i.e. need to be scanned, and which ones it has already scanned? Surely, it must be possible to do this to a high level of reliability and therefore reduce the performance bottleneck by scanning only new software. Or is this already being done? If yes, why is there still a major slow down?

It's not one podcast, it's all articles as individual mp3 files.

For the Economist, I (as a subscriber) can tell you why it worked for their subscribers: they offer fantastic value. I sing the praise for the Economist whenever I can, because I think that they are one of the few companies that get it. With my paper subscription I get:
1. Full access to the website including ALL past issues!
2. The current issue as an audio podcast (800MB!).
3. I can cancel my subscription whenever I want AND GET THE REMAINING MONEY BACK! (This is a big YES THEY GOT HOW TO TREAT THEIR CUSTOMERS.)
4. If there are problems with deliveries (e.g. a UK postal strike), they switched to hand deliveries to make sure the subscribers got their issues.

These are all added-value services that ensure I will subscribe to their magazine even though I manage to read it only occasional due to the volume of articles. Obviously, I also believe their articles are top-notch (they even get technology reasonably well).

I am not affiliated with the Economist in any way. Just a very happy customer.

There, I fixed it for you. The climate change nut jobs are just as dangerous as the there-is-no-climate-change nut jobs.

I normally don't write these comments, but this time I make an exception: that was hilarious! Thanks for that!

You made one mistake though. This is wrong:

It needs to be:

How about you leave a voice message just reading that text? What's the result? Maybe it's some kind of "encryption" like ROT-13 but for voice messages. ;-)

That's so true! I LOVE my N900 (even more open than Android), mainly because of the endless possibilities of what I can do with it. Freedom to do anything with your phone/computer rocks.

But in the current state of its software I would NEVER recommend it to my wife or family. They are so much better served by an iphone at the moment because it just works. Maybe once all the developers have fixed the missing features of the N900 it starts to get interesting for non-developers (probably in the 3rd generation N900 like with the iphone). To me the current software of N900 feels like KDE 4.0 felt. Ready for developers but really lacking for users.

The N900 is like a DIY set of a Ferrari. Not much use if you don't spend a lot of time putting it all together and fixing what needs fixed.

Oblig: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhwbxEfy7fg

Now, I understand that Windows 7 is quite good. But I would not go as far as calling it the best calculator for linux. It's also not free....

(In best /. tradition I'm not even reading the summary and misreading the headline... what? There is an article, too???)

Guys/ Gals, GET THIS:

Development of countries is fucking hard! NOBODY knows a solution so far!

So, it is useless to go on and on about how he should spend his money on X, Y or Z "because that will solve all problems". No, it WON'T! It might improve something or it might not.

There are hundreds of thousands of people working in the development sector trying to find a solution to help the poorer world develop. And many things have been tried and will be tried, but it is like democracy: there is no clear way how to develop it in a country, so that it works long term. Lots of ideas around, but no proven solution anywhere.

Therefore people like Gates giving his money (however wrong you think he got it) to help in a certain way (small or big) is GOOD. Or would you prefer him to keep it in his bank account and accumulate stupidly high interest each year? He should spend it as much as he can to spread it around.

</rant>

Heh... Yes, she will rue it. Rue it hard.