Peddling pirated goods to Goodwill, I've asked myself on many sleepless nights: is that charity, or just plain old thievery, once removed?

"So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery," he wrote in a series of five tweets, accusing Google of hosting pirated material and selling advertising against it.

So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery,

They've done it before, and ye know it's plain thievery and ought to be complained about.

His comments about "plain thievery" put the News Corporation boss at loggerheads with the multi-billion pound online company - which described them as "nonsense".

Reacting to the plans being watered down, Mr Murdoch wrote: "So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery."

Some newfangled gadgets are aimed at protecting travelers from old-fashioned risks like plain old thievery.