BBC News
The good ole beeb has coverage of this one:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13624265
Posts by TFk
8 publicly visible posts • joined 10 Jun 2009
Stealth-cam software snaps laptop looter
Kid spanks a grand on Xbox using Mum's bank card
Wednesday 9th February 2011 16:02 GMT 
Blame to spread around
I like how most people seem to want to take one side or the other.
Tthe root problem is most definitely the lack of parental supervision and financial observation.
However, on the other hand there could be more safeguards (and better advertised safeguards) in place for parents with these systems. Restricting purchases by a pin number would be a good/simple idea. Having a default monthly spending limit would be nice (though I would imagine not popular with 'businesses'). There could be a 'family' set up option on first install which guides parents who are setting up the console with their kids through all of the parental control options (like financial restrictions).
Personally I think the fairest solution would be for Microsoft to refund the £350 for the past month's purchases (as the account as now been closed) and for the mother to be liable for the rest (as she has had reasonable time to question those purchases).
As for the people says that she's 'blaming everyone but her own kid' - She's probably given him the (verbal or otherwise) beating he deserves, but that doesn't exactly help her financial situation any, now does it?
Toshiba Portégé R700 13in notebook
Monday 15th November 2010 17:15 GMT 
Battery Life
That battery life looks really low compared to my R500 - One of the good things about the Ultralow voltage cpu's was I got a good 4-5 hours battery life, in a very light package.
Half the weight again and half the battery life? This new incarnation of the Portegé seems only half as good as the R500 series...
Light bulbs inspire boffins to find fast data transfer trick
Bada smartphone to debut H1 2010
India's Reva to pitch 'invisible' e-car reserve battery
Tuesday 8th September 2009 19:19 GMT
Compromise
Both sides of the argument make sense here - realistically, putting aside battery life issues for a second, this 'reserve' tank is kind of like having a gasoline can in the back of a normal car - you don't want to use it all the time, but it's there for emergencies - you have to go through the hassle of getting out the can and filling up the main tank.
They could do the same here - put the 'big red button' somewhere inconvenient and out of the way (under the hood, or in the back say), so that people aren't tempted to use it all the time, but can still get their car moving if their phone dies at the same time as their car......
Biting the hand that feeds IT
