"Unfortunately, this has often resulted in sexual offences being subjected to a different and, in reality, more rigorous test than that applied to other crimes, " he added.

BBC: Jimmy Savile with his motor home in 1969

Revealed in the Windows Logo Program Newsletter is the sad reality that the ability to test TV tuners and remotes is no longer included in Windows Hardware Certification Kit.

ENGADGET: Two more nails in the coffin for Media Center, start-up options and tuner certification

That requires a sound strategic test, against a consumer-centric reality, and not just a laugh track.

FORBES: Brand Time-Out

Fortunately, we have enough real-world tornado data to test how well the competing predictions match up with reality.

FORBES: Alarmists Offer A Perfect Global Warming Challenge

This kind of test may even find its way in an augmented-reality device like Google Glass by tracking eye movements as an image moves across the field of view, as a recently uncovered patent suggests.

FORBES: Artificial Intelligence Will Defeat CAPTCHA -- How Will We Prove We're Human Then?

But an important by-product will be that researchers working on the psychiatric drugs of the future will be able to test them in genetically engineered animal models that more closely resemble human reality.

ECONOMIST: Psychiatric diagnosis

The current reality is that most schools are evaluated and funded based on reaching state standards and test scores.

FORBES: Teaching Empathy: The Ancient Way Is Now Cutting-Edge

The casual nature of that relationship is reflected in Valve's attitude about releasing the new mode -- Team Fortress 2's VR-enabling update in the coming weeks is essentially a giant beta test in which Valve will measure and analyze the way TF2 players interact with virtual reality hardware.

ENGADGET: Valve's Joe Ludwig on the uncertain future of virtual reality and partnering with Oculus

The setback is an ominous sign for an economy already facing a severe test in 2011, as the government's fiscal retrenchment moves from plans in Whitehall to reality on the ground.

ECONOMIST: The surprise fall in GDP