Journal Journal: Bread and OCD 2
So I've got this loaf of bread that proclaims itself to be "great for sandwiches!"
It has an odd number of slices...
Apple Newton vs Samsung Q1 UMPC 226
An anonymous reader writes "CNET has run a comparison between the 1997 Apple Newton and a modern Windows ultra mobile PC, the Samsung Q1. Remarkably, the Newton comes off as the winner. From the article: 'An operating system designed for a desktop computer will rarely shoehorn well into a portable device, yet that is exactly what Samsung has tried to do with the Q1. Very little consideration has been given to the differing priorities of desktop and small-form computer users. Windows is a one-size-fits-all solution, whereas the Newton OS is very specifically built for the efficient use of a small screen and stylus.'"
Journal Journal: [GROAN] Looting 1
Police in the Israeli port city of Haifa were searching for a man suspected of breaking into a number of businesses in the downtown area. The suspect, named Joseph, is believed to have occasionally worked as a farmer in the area. He has been seen playing the flute on city street corners, and is the son of a German father and a former nun from Spain.
In other words: He's a Haifa-lootin', flutin' Teuton, son of a nun from Barcelona, part-time plowboy Joe.
Journal Journal: From the "Wish I had that much time" Department...
Journal Journal: Elephants
A man was on holiday in Kenya. While he was walking through the bush, he came across an elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed so the man approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot. There was a large thorn deeply embedded in the bottom of the foot.
Journal Journal: Hours to go Before I Sleep
Whose grounds these are I think I knew.
His pot is in the maker, true;
He will not see me pouring here
To watch my mug fill up with brew.
My little cup must think it's queer
To drink without some sugar near
Instead of cream and Coffee Mate
The darkest coffee of the year.
I give my caffeine drink a taste
My sleepiness to be erased.
The only other sound's the hiss
Of easy drips and steam displaced.
Microsoft To Release 'iPod Killer' at Christmas? 614
ShellFish writes "According to a report from Engadget, Microsoft is poised to finally take on the Apple iPod this holiday season. Tired of uninspiring offerings from its hardware partners, Microsoft is getting into the ring itself. The new media player from Microsoft will feature a bigger screen than the iPod Video, have built-in WiFi for downloading music without a PC, and Microsoft will work with music and TV content providers to build an iTunes Music Store competitor. In what may be the crucial competitive stroke, Microsoft will also allow you to download from its store any song that you've purchased from Apple, unlocking users from iPod's vendor lock-in."
Journal Journal: Evil Overlords 1
Enron's Kenneth Lay Dies 868
Don420 writes "This morning the biggest corporate criminal in modern history, Kenneth Lay, died of a massive coronary before he could receive his sentence. Lay was found guilty of being in charge of the scheme that had many lose their live-savings through a scheme of complex offshore holdings and is to thank for our having to live with Sarbanes-Oxely." From the article: "Enron filed for bankruptcy in December 2001 after investigators found it had used partnerships to conceal more than $1 billion in debt and inflate profits. Enron's downfall cost 4,000 employees their jobs and many of them their life savings, and led to billions of dollars of losses for investors."
Your Favorite Support Anecdote 1177
Most of us have had the unfortunate opportunity to have worked tech support at some point, whether it was for a paycheck or for a relative. The Register has offered up a vote for several of their favorite support stories but I'm sure there are many more out there to be had. My favorite horror story was while working a tech support call for a governmental employee, when asked to take her mouse and click on the "start" button all I could hear over the phone is what I later found out was the user banging her mouse against the monitor. What other horror stories have people seen from the trenches?
Journal Journal: How many Pakistani inmates does it take...
Journal Journal: Mosquito Ring Tone - Can you Hear It? 8
I remember this story from awhile back, and I recently found a copy of the MP3 which I uploaded to my phone. I can hear it, but I think if I had it as my regular ringtone, I probably wouldn't notice it in a noisy room.
U.S. Gov't Spent $30M On Citizens' Personal Info 181
infosec_spaz writes "According to a news story on Yahoo! News, the U.S. Government has spent US$30 million in the last year on buying citizens' personal phone records from online brokers...The very ones who Congress is trying to put out of business." From the Article:"Congressional investigators estimated the U.S. government spent $30 million last year buying personal data from private brokers. But that number likely understates the breadth of transactions, since brokers said they rarely charge law enforcement agencies any price." "So...who is getting all of BellSouth, SBC(AT&T) and other phone records?"
Chinese Students' Cheating Techniques - Don't Try at Home 555
corbettw writes "According to a wire report on Yahoo! news, competition for university admissions in China are so intense that people are coming up with new, and sometimes dangerous, ways to cheat. The methods include microscopic earphones and wireless devices. In some cases, students are required surgery to recover from their cheating attempts. If there are that many people that desperate to get into a university, the obvious question would be, why don't they just open more schools?"
Journal Journal: abcdefghiTunes 2
I did this all off the iPod screen, so it was tough to go back and forth and compare songs. I only have one song starting with "X" and it's from the original Wipeout PS game that I ripped the BGM to MP3s. I've got quite the mix of stuff...
