puzzler314

I've recently switched Linux Mint as a result of Canonical's new focus on eye candy rather than functionality (I couldn't take the new interface in Ubuntu). Have others gone the same way or is there another distribution I should look at?

I use NoScript -- not sure if that counts as an ad blocker (it blocks all JavaScript) but it definitely gets rid of ads.

I'm not sure a nominal transaction tax would eliminate high frequency trading. HFT guys already pay fees to the exchanges and regulators. Either way, you're right, an increased fee would simply be passed to investors in the form of an increased spread.

When is someone going to develop a quality desktop 3D printer? I know I would be willing to pay many times the price of a Makerbot for a proper printer.

It looks exactly like Itty (since 2009, updated as recently as 2011): https://github.com/toastdriven/itty

The only differences I see are minor name changes. I'll have to compare the source code.

EDIT: It appears to be an unrelated codebase with a lot of improvements (for example, proper cookie support). Looks like I'll need to be updating my projects.

I love the idea of IdeaPaint. However, in practice, things aren't that simple: IdeaPaint just doesn't compare to a quality white board. A quality standard white board does better in almost every important aspect; a smoother surface, better erasing, no "burn in" (if we left something up on the wall for too long, it would become nigh impossible to erase). Sure, IdeaPaint is cheaper, but I find I'm never disappointed with quality, even if it costs a little more.