LOL, we still have AOS, SIS, GCSB, AVSEC and of relevance to this article, EQNZ.

But also bear in mind that the all the satellites over New Zealand (for example) will be wasted while we are asleep and at any given time a lot of satellites will be over empty ocean (sending 4K Netflix to cruise ships maybe).

I';; also counteract may own argument as to numbers with the idea that 16 million people could really mean 16 million households if they watch the movie together :-)

You'll get around that in your home by having the satellite module thing up on your roof and a cable to your wifi router.

What I don't understand about this though is the number of frequencies available to connect to all these satellites and how it might extend to ~300 million people (let alone a billion potentially).

I think they focus a beam on each user in turn and so don't need different frequencies.

I have started reading this after doing https://www.railstutorial.org/book to fill in some gaps in my own knowledge. It is very amusing (and very poignant). Full credit to the author. (Is it who I think it is?)

I have Windows Hello enabled on my phone (a 950) and it scans my iris with an infra-red camera/light. This means it still works in the dark and cant be fooled by a photo (or a 3d model I guess!)

Still wouldn't stop Wesley Snipes in Demolition Man :)

Can't one already run ad campaigns based on a users search history? What if a cancer foundation or similar organisation ran a targeted ad campaign?

Are you referring to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle? Of course, that still doesn't mean we're necessarily in a simulation!

If you know the range of numbers then I'd do a binary search. Get each server to count how many are higher or lower. Play the high low game. When the two totals are the same you're done. I think this covers the authors edge cases too. :-)

Also, I tend to move around while my desk stays still, so from my desks point of view I am not aging as fast.

I was very fortunate to get an Amstrad 6128 when I was 12. A big expense in New Zealand 29 years ago 8-). It came with a huge manual with lots of example programs to type in. Amstrad basic was a cool language with commands like move 0,0; draw 320,200; rem a line from corner to corner; and even while/wend.