Posts by Sean Aaron

Why cooperate on Mars but not Luna?

I don't get that. Are US interests in Mars different from the Moon?

Looks legit on the surface...

If this guy can prove that the process he invented and later patented is being used by Sony without licensing, then he's got a legit claim. Without reading the patent itself, the description posted earlier makes it sound like a detailed process of engineering the media and not a piss-take as someone later tried to characterise it. The US patent system does have problems, but this doesn't look like an example of one (pending further details, natch).

Unlike trademarks, you don't have to file the patent prior to use to get it enforced, so unless Sony filed this patent first they're on the hook for a bunch of dosh.

not quite enough.

The ability to put a satellite into orbit does not equate with ICBM capability, i.e. the ability to nuke anywhere on earth. For that you need proven ability to successfully orbit a vehical and guide it to re-entry.

Thus far there are only three powers that have demonstrated this capability: The US, Russia and now China. Given a sufficient launch vehicle the UK and France could presumably carry out this feat, but given that neither has bothered with a manned space programme we don't have real evidence that this is the case. Ditto for India/Pakistan.

Why the EU would want ICBMs is quite beyond me, although they need not be nuclear to be a deterrent force. Which begs the question of why the UK needs to replace Trident. Surely having the ability to deliver conventional explosives via Trident, etc. anywhere in the world would be sufficient?

Love the large trackpad; hate the wintel ones...

The extra real estate is brilliant as is the superior precision and two-finger scrolling which beats hands-down any crappy wintel laptop I've ever had the misfortune to use in Windows land.

It's true...

I made one or two mix-tapes for paramours, but mainly did them for myself. I was of the LP is reference; tape is for listening crowd.

I've since moved on to MD. I'm sure some company somewhere will make them for some time. I'm sure you can still by recording reels, so the demise of the cassette is definitely premature, although I haven't used one myself for over a decade.