This is spot on. They just pulled down tons of content and channels—then 1) have the audacity to spin it like this, and 2) journo and sites have the audacity to repub the headline, uncontextualized, like it is a true statement.

“You saw a complex, philanthropic telecommunications satellite... ...co-venture between Global One and Facebook!
Designed to help six poverty-stricken countries in the Pacific Rim. Now teenagers in Equatorial New Guinea can't meet and date because of you!”

What most people don't realize is that the usage ban on electronics is NOT based on signals interference. Regulators don't want you using devices because take-off and landing is the most dangerous time of the flight – highest risk of crashing or massive turbulence.

If you're paying attention to some device, and the flight has a huge dip from turbulence, *you need your wits about you* to react in the best interest of your safety (and possibly the safety of your children).

Historically, this kind of info was deemed to be (itself) a danger to the safety of the flight cabin – since if people knew these were the high-risk times, then a) any small danger could mentally be inflated and someone could throw a riot (hysteria), or b) someone looking to cause a problem would realize that this is the best time to make danger.

. :( deal_with_it.gif

Did you ever hear that there was any health consideration? - meaning that maybe it would be bad for you, like crisco / hydrogenated oil, because it too would have a higher melting point than much of the body temperature, and therefore clog-up the body channels

"640K of memory should be enough for anybody"

I once had a quick-link to a paper on the topic – but there is a fringe of geologists that speculate how water could from from liberated oxygen and hydrogen deep within the mantle. Basically, the earth 'sweating' water from the core, outward.

It hard to imagine (statistically) that all of earth's water... such a huge volume, was from icy balls (comets) striking the planet.....

Great chance for the FBI to use a new budget to test equipment, and smell like roses in the public

If SMS, BBM, and FB blocked messaging when a phone was traveling on a road then lots of the problem could go away. Road GPS routes can be determined without much difficultly at the network level, and data like from the UAE shows that it will save lives.

Only audio interfaces should be permissible for drivers. I can safely use the phone with hands free voice dial and a headset while driving. I slow or pull over if it's business and I need to focus heavily on the discussion. Otherwise, I'm just sending notes or scheduling tasks. An audio UI for email nav, dictation, and TTS would be a killer killer app. no one will make it, though, except the big email providers because every other business model is DOA. Google, why you no do shit people want?

I don't think anyone considering the safety of human lives (in the air) can properly be considered a wet blanket

pony up, Mouth

The real question is whether the Slashdot crew will finally have the dot.dot domain?

Why so silent? ;>

Nice job, agent.

Anyone who can read and research knows that there exists lots of corroboration, when looking at the timeline of information.

incoming warheads, too? Or is the laster too weak? (officially)

You think that's bad? Imagine when camera pics are all meta-labeled with GPS data AND compass bearing, allowing for GigaPan and others to build semi-seamless, time-segmented, 3D maps of the world. MMOs will be someplace called 'civic infrastructure.'

I think few people today get what social media really is.......