OMG WIRELESS EXTENSION CORDS!!! LOL!!!

True ChAoS writes "Using the latest in microwave energy transmission technology, the Wireless Extension Cords (WECs) 'beam' power right where you need it. Broadcasting in the 7.2GHz range, the WECs will not interfere with wireless networks, phones, or Bluetooth components. Be sure to heed all the warnings in the instruction manual; the microwaves used are relatively safe, but you don't want to cook your computer (or coworkers) by mistake." ThinkGeek is also owned by OSTG.

OMG!!!

[iced_773]

GURLZ HAVE INVADED TACO'S BRAIN!!!

Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING.

Nice to see the lameness filter is still normal.

Re:OMG!!!

[chrisatoremus]

a whole day of bad jokes...oh dear...

you have me worried that flowers will sprout out of my compy.

Re:OMG!!!

[G)-(ostly]

iF THE lAMENEss FILteR Is STill aroUNd, hOW do You EXPLain THe facT ThaT thEY'rE sTILl pOStIng apRIl fOOlS STOries?

pink on gray = blind MOFO!!!!!!!

[cheekyboy]

Seriously unless your on DVI LCD , ping on gray looks like utter crud

Get a clue on web design or at least color logic.

Gee.. how about a traditional 1983 green 0x00FF00 on black combo?

Re:OMG!!!

[Jugalator]

Nice to see the lameness filter is still normal.

Next time they may install an AOLifier [homestead.com] filter to all Slash posts though. Beware!

Re:OMG!!!

[werewolf1031]

iT'S FABULOUS!!! OMG!!!

Fixed your typographical error. You're welcome.

Re:I feel so pretty!

[cayenne8]

"But I'm having trouble with my girlfriend. She just wants to play video games all day, sit in front of the computer, and make sure I know the latest football scores."

Sounds like you might want to check her for an Adam's Apple before it gets more intimate....

:-)

This also just in..

[jamesjw]

Flying toasters sighted migrating south for the winter..

Yeah, right...

[Kelson]

Migrating south... for winter... in April?

Everyone knows toasters migrate north in April!

What do they teach in these schools?

That would be European toasters.

[CFD339]

Not African toasters, they could do it.

Re:That would be European toasters.

[AJWM]

Well, yes. But the African toaster is nonmigratory.

Re:That would be European toasters.

[a1cypher]

Speaking of flying toasters, does anybody know the average airspeed velocity of a flying toaster? African or European..

Re:Yeah, right...

[shadowbearer]

  Source? :SB

Re:Yeah, right...

[Kelson]

Consider: We know the toasters are migrating now. We also know they are migrating in response to the approach of winter. Therefore, they must be in the southern hemisphere. That means that in order to head for the tropics -- or for the summer in the opposite hemisphere -- they must migrate northward.

Re:Yeah, right...

[shadowbearer]

  I live in a previously tundral oasis, you insensitive clod. The Toasters here are still confused ;-)

SB

Re:Yeah, right...

[dodobh]

South is what big brother says it is. We have always been at war with Iraq.

Re:This also just in..

[smittyoneeach]

Rotate the screen 180 degrees: that'll confuse 'em.

Re:This also just in..

[glass_window]

This just in: It's not even April Fools Day yet.

Seriously, they couldn't wait a few hours? Now I get to go to bed with nightmares of pink slashdot pages.

Re:This also just in..

[stuffman64]

I think they start celebrating when it's 00:00 GMT...

Re:This also just in..

[sconeu]

This Just in... it's April 1st in places east of the US.

Re:This also just in..

[Hrodvitnir]

It's not April Fool's Day where YOU live, you insensitive clod!

Old technology

[Rojo^]

Bubs' Concession Stand has sold wireless extension cords [homestarrunner.com] for a long time.

Re:Old technology

[mesach]

Nikola Tesla tested this out even longer ago. I believe he has prior art.

Re:Old technology

[smokeslikeapoet]

Mod this up! Informative. Tesla actually invented radio and thought himself a failure because his intent was to broadcast power. This idea is nearly 100 years old.mi

Re:Old technology

[Rojo^]

I forgot to mention that Bubs' plugging his Wireless Extension Cords is an easter egg, appearing when you click the right side of Strongbad's screen_savior at the end.

Re:Old technology

[TommyBlack]

Didn't wireless electricity [april-fools.us] come out years ago?

That's all well and good

[rsilvergun]

if you've got a Bubs' in your neighborhood, but for use guys stuck out in the boondocks it's nice to finally be able to get them online.

Hmmm.

[Chrispy1000000 the 2]

I think this might be an april fools joke.

Re:Hmmm.

[Anonymous Coward]

I was about to say the same thing, but I saw this on think geek's site a few days ago, before april fools.

OMGz LOL

[bmecoli]

Now I can tranfer all of my My Little Pony MPGs from even further away! OMGOMGOMG i'M SO0OOO EXCITED XDXDXDXD 3

I liked last year's better

[winkydink]

the iCopulate, IIRC. And also, IIRC, it was annouced about 12 times.

I got tricked.

[Valdrax]

Not by this story, mind you, but I saw an ad for the iZilla earlier on Slashdot and for a good 30 seconds had to stare in disbelief before I figured out that it was April Fools.

I mean, it's actually plausible that someone would try to sell something that stupid for an iPod and the people would snap it up.

Re:I got tricked.

[Valdrax]

Alright, I'm changing my sig. You people win. I still firmly believe that typo should be pluralized in the same fashion as all other words that end in o (e.g. volcanoes, potatoes, tomatoes, heroes), but I'm sick of people commenting on it.

Yes, I know it's an abbreviation. However, it's an abbreviation that's been in use for well over 30 years. It's a legit word in its own right now and should follow standard English rules.

Whatever. Freaks.

This is good!

[mikerm19]

Finally, you know how long I've always wanted a wireless house? I mean, now I can have my padded walls without those pesky wall sockets getting in the way.

Re:This is good!

[mikerm19]

I hope that is just a phase. I'm sorry. I apologize for that horrible joke.

Awesome!

[Hamster Lover]

Now I can power my Rainbow Brite (tm) oven from across the room without a cord! I can't wait until the court order expires and I can tell all the girls at the elementary school!

Power Rating

[iamlucky13]

Maybe I missed it, but did anyone see a power rating (at least estimated for a particular distance)? I somehow doubt it will power a Rainbow Bright.

I know exactly what the answer will be.

[Valdrax]

"Hey, mister? Who's Rainbow Brite?"

-1 Talk to the mod, the user ain't listening

[Dante Shamest]

I'm modding the article using the new mod options [slashdot.org].

I mean, there's nothing in it about ponies!!! In fact it sounds more like news for nerds. =(

Just curious

[mattmacf]

Any chance this [slashdot.org] will be compatible?

That's hot!

[neo]

I wonder if I get like fifty of these and point them all at the guy next door that stole my toolbox if I could get ... um... his wife.

I know the perfect place to buy these

[scwizard]

BUBS' CONCES5ION STAND [imageshack.us]. The number one supplier of wireless extension cords since a few weeks ago or something.

To disable the CSS pink abortion

[linzeal]

Disable slashdot_fool.css. If I told you how to do that you wouldn't need google or be a geek, so blah!

Sucks

[Anonymous Coward]

I remember back in the day when April Fools news stories were discreet and you had to spend a couple of seconds/minutes looking at them to see whether they were fake or not.

Bring back the old days!

Not to say April Fools day sucks, because everyone thinks they're a comedian.

Re:Sucks

[Akaihiryuu]

Well, if you want to get technical, it is possible to use microwaves to beam power between two antennas. However, the things they show on that link are not the right shape to do it, nor would they be able to handle the amount of power they're talking about transferring. It would require a fairly high power microwave transmitter, and you'd have to align the two dishes together very precisely. It would also be very inefficient, the transmitter would use a lot more power than you could ever hope to recover

I'm always saddened by April Fools

[GuitarNeophyte]

It actually makes me a little bit sad for the first few posts of April 1st. I tend to be one of those idealistic people that just really want to believe people (until they give me reason not to), and so I hear about all these cool techs and stuff and then, I figure out that they're all not real. *sigh* I used to try that on a friend of mine though -- tell them a bunch of potentially-real-sounding things that turned out not to be true, and then tell them a true-but-not-real-sounding thing, and they'd just si

Re:Sucks

[CheeseTroll]

I remember the past few years where half the comments on Slashdot bitched and moaned about how stupid the whole concept of April Fools is (especially after getting suckered about one of the stories).

I, for one, welcome our completely over-the-top pink pony overlords! (for one day, anyway, and then they really have to go away)

NOOOOOOOO!!!

[OSDever]

OH GOD! WHERE WILL IT END!! I'd have more !s. Damn lameness filter...

Here, take some: !,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!

[HishamMuhammad]

You can pay me back next year.

Missing the point

[AC-x]

Is it just me, or has slashdot completely missed the point? Didn't April fools used to be about SUBTLEY making up BELIEVEABLE stories to try and trick people?

This pink color scheme isn't even funny and adding "aprilfools" to the articles is just defeating the point.

April fools used to be about clever wit, not just being as stupid as possible.

At least think geek have the vaguely right idea, tho have perhaps got a bit overexcited and again missed the subtlety part.

Re:Missing the point

[Atzanteol]

I'm just curious, do you look like this [google.com] too? Or just have the up-tight anal personality he has?

Worst. April Fools. Ever!!!!

[Kelson]

At least, that's what I'm imagining him saying...

Re:Missing the point

[AC-x]

Seriously tho, could this april fools BE any worse?

Re:Missing the point

[Jugalator]

I'm happier with this style. At least I know the story isn't fake, like last year when you had basically a dozen fakes. It became boring fast, even if they were supposed to be "subtle" and "funny". Now all I have to be bothered by is the color scheme and titles, not anything else, like the stories. At least not so far. I'm much happier with that.

Re:Missing the point

[Atzanteol]

It's one day of the year the /. guys have some fun with the site. Nothing to blow a gasket over. I can't believe how many nerds get so upset when /. decides to mess around a bit. Just have fun with it, or ignore the site for the day if it puts you off *that* much. Maybe even develop a sense of humor?

Re:Missing the point

[Jerf]

Yeah, and the TV shows that were on when I was a kid weren't like the brainless trash that kids of today put up with. Blah blah blah.

Same ole', same ole' selection bias: You only remember the good ones from the past. Oddly enough, no matter how far we progress, the best of the past is always better than the worst of today. Go figure.

Honestly, how many times does the Internet have to put up with this exact parent post?

Re:Missing the point

[evilviper]

Didn't April fools used to be about SUBTLEY making up BELIEVEABLE stories to try and trick people?

No.

You must be new here...

Re:Missing the point

[aXis100]

This one [whirlpool.net.au] got me for a while, even whilst laughing at other april fools stories. Note - they added the april fools label later.

if you had $23,000,000 would you care?

[cheekyboy]

Seriously, you think the slashdort crowd care? They are rolling in millions of $$$

Wardrobe requirements

[GaryOlson]

I suggest implementing protection [drct.com] before installation.

April Fool's and their Money are Soon Parted

[Derling Whirvish]

Wasn't that the old saying? Something like that anyway.

AF!

Tesla did it!

[cyber_rigger]

Nothing new to see here folks.

Move along.

oh dear (God|Linus), run and hide everyone!

[bigmaddog]

Sweet Fancy Moses, it's not quite April Fools yet and the internet's going shit-retarded already. Soon Oracle will buy MySQL, Microsoft will aquire Ubuntu, and Theo de Raadt will be seen playing footsies with Steve Jobs at a gay bar in San Francisco. Or something. Why-o-why does the entire internet have to turn into The Onion with such unmitigated predictability each and every year? Waaaaaah.

Re:oh dear (God|Linus), run and hide everyone!

[David_W]

Why-o-why does the entire internet have to turn into The Onion with such unmitigated predictability each and every year?

Uh, because it's the internet, duh. ;)

Re:oh dear (God|Linus), run and hide everyone!

[Scarletdown]

Speaking of The Onion, I just had a look and was surprised to see that they didn't post any real news stories for April Fools' Day.

It's not even April 1 yet...

[Angst Badger]

...but somehow, they've managed to make it annoying already.

Joy

[Lord_Dweomer]

And now after a great start to the big 04/01 with the color scheme and the Hemos bday dupe story the dumb joke stories begin. Come on, you guys, you're more clever than that....don't let this be a dupe of last year's lame April Fools stories.

Re:Joy

[Crizp]

1. Spam the front page with blatantly fake stories.
2. Insert real news items inbetween.

Watch as the one fake, but cunningly plausible april fools' story gets crammed in the mix.

OMG!!!! PONIES!!!1!!?!X#

tags

[Turn-X Alphonse]

Could we fix the tags please. I love the April fools stories, but the tags sort of ruin it. I know they are made so we can search but why not use an anagram instead? Something like "Parol's foil", maybe even do a story on how awesome Parol's latest foil is for tin foil hats.

Tomorrow you can switch all the tags for April fools, but today we should make them so blindly obvious we don't need them pointing out to us.

Hopefully the editors will read this and sort it out.

Re:tags

[Nimey]

Yeah. It's fairly obvious which stories are AF anyway.

OMG!

[devangm]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/other/looflirpa/tg -logo-tagline.gif [thinkgeek.com]

One-Up Mushrooms as well

[__aalnoi707]

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/1upmushroom.shtm l [thinkgeek.com]
craziness with Aprils fools

In other news...

[rdoger6424]

Netcraft is dying- BSD Confirms It!

Study: In Korea, Only The Very Old Use Hanja

Ballmer to Develop! Develop! Develop! Develop! Develop! Develop! Develop! Develop! a new ad campaign

Script Kiddies considered respectable hackers

Putin: In Soviet Russia, April fool YOU!

/. Dig at Digg

[Bob Cat - NYMPHS]

How long before a story is posted with the summary "Title says it all!"?

At least they could have faked some action shots..

[pennystinker]

Could you imagine the action shots that could be faked for this thing?

- Pointing the "transmitter" and "receiver" through a fish tank.
- "Cooking" co-workers through cubicle walls
- Powering my microwave with microwaves!
- Seeing how many metal surfaces you could bounce the microwaves off of and still power your Xbox.
- Turning on fluorescent lights in your neighbor's house.

What a day to have mod points

[MichaelSmith]

I can't even make out the text on half the screen.

OMG, LINUX TORVALDS IS SO CUTE!@!@#!@#)*

[merc]

*giggle*

[ Reply to This [localhost]]

Re:OMG, LINUX TORVALDS IS SO CUTE!@!@#!@#)*

[Jugalator]

OMG, SLAHSODT HAXED ME!! the reply link to my intanral webserv!!~

OMG WTF!!! I HATE TIS FUKED APAHCE!! ><

Cool!

[Perseid]

If I get a girl and put her in between two of these things I can make that superherpmutantgirl I've aways wanted. Now all I need is the girl.

...damn.

PtP or PtMP?

[nathana]

So, one question that the ThinkGeek site does not address is whether or not these units are Point-to-Point only, or if I can have multiple power satellite units talking to the main power access point, all being fed power at the same time?

Point-to-Point, or Point-to-Multipoint?

-- Nathan

P.S. -- Just play along, everybody. Okay?

OMG LOL

[jafac]

"Using the latest in microwave energy transmission technology,

awesome.

Cheers dude.

April Fools

[mageofchrisz]

This must be an April Fools posts, there's no typos!

Re:April Fools

[aXis100]

That is the funniest thing I have read on /. all day.

But why only 115V?

[Air-conditioned cowh]

I think it is very US-centric that these appliances only work at 115V.

115V is for wimps. 100V is for even deeper wimps, and 100V 50Hz and 100V 60Hz in one country is for confused wimps.

What would _really_ be cool is one of this gizmos you can hook up directly to 400KV hyper-grid power lines. With bamboo poles.

Maybe it can already but so far no one has lived long enough to say so.

It uses Zero-Point energy, so ...

[Jerry]

it can supply an infinate amount of power!!!

So, all of you using Cold Fusion can now make the switch to an Environmentaly Safe source of power!

I 3 April Fool's Day

[Dolly_Llama]

I 3 April Fool's Day.

It's like Christmas on /. Even the ads are funny.

A "Try AOL" ad??

now THAT is funny.

I was actually asked this in real life.

[affliction]

I know it's April Fools, but this story is no joke.

I was on site fixing someone's DSL when the lady asked me if there was any solution to her problem.

What problems?, I ask.

All those cables that go into the computer box, she replies.

I tell her that wireless routers are available and that I could purchase one for her.

No, no, she tells me, I meant those big blacks ones that plug into the wall, they really limit my ability to move the computer around.

My jaw drops to the floor. I tell her that they haven't made much progress in the last few years on Wireless Power Cords, it's been a tough problem to crack.

I watch the wheels in her head turn and she tells me: Well, maybe in a few years they will have figured it out, just look at my cell phone, it doesn't have any wires.

Of course, I tell her, the best and the brightest are studying day and night.

Re:I was actually asked this in real life.

[Scarblac]

She should get a laptop and some sort of docking station. No problem.

Don't be too quick to laugh

[davidwr]

Sure, consumer-grade wireless dozens-of-watts-or-more power transfer is too hazardous to be useful, but in certain industries this can be real.

A few years back, there was a project to use microwaves to transfer power from solar-power-collecting satellites to receiving antennas on earth.

RFID tags are a low-power version of power transfer, as were the crystal radio sets our great-great grandfathers used nearly a century ago.

In space, mirrors or lasers can send light to solar cells that are otherwise not illum

Happy April First Taco

[MrLinuxHead]

I know this is a big day for you.

Got a better idea

[arkhan_jg]

When I first saw this article title, I thought it was about leads you could use to extend your wireless connection.

Thinking about it, wouldn't that be a great idea? If your wireless network doesn't reach quite far enough - say you want to get wireless in the garden - you just run a really long extension lead from your laptop to the wireless router, and bingo, a network connection. We just need a name for them, maybe wifi network leads or something.

Re:OMG!

[Spy der Mann]

Pink hurts!!!111oneoneoneeleveneleven(10/9)

No kidding!!!11onemillionfourtyeightthousandfivehundr edseventyfiveinbinary

Three words:

[Kelson]

Greenwich. Mean. Time.

Re:Three words:

[cdrudge]

Unfortunatly using GMT or UTC for another poster probably doesn't guarantee that the April 1st nonsense ends "early" (check local listings for exact time).

Re:Three words:

[rob_squared]

But why do the people in grenich have to be mean?

Re:jumping the gun

[1000101]

Three even better words ... United States of America. read: /. home

Re:Nigger

[MikeFM]

I was a bit annoyed because I wanted to buy those wireless extension cords. Damn them!

1Up Mushroom

[StingRay02]

Never mind the wireless extension cords, I wanted the 1Up Mushroom. I nearly tried ordering one, but it was actually the wireless extension cords that gave the joke away.

Re:1Up Mushroom

[MikeFM]

That too. I would gladly have bought both if they were real products!

Re:Nigger

[MyLongNickName]

No. The rest of us are bright enough to realize that the best thing you can do is not respond. Mod it down to where it is not seen by many people, and then go about life. Giving a response simply encourages idiots to post, simple as that.