Briefly About the Show

I found a story about Google setting up a free WiFi network in New York. I'm pretty sure I've heard of other such hotspots popping up, but I don't have any links to those stories.

So my take is a positive one. I think Google has a huge opportunity here to tap a market the way it should be tapped. Not to say there's a lack of WiFi hotspots in America, but there sure is a lack of freedom within the current network. You go to Coffee Bean, you get SBC WiFi - you go to Starbucks, you get T-mobile.

The bigger problem is that current major networks are not free. They operate on a subscription basis which runs $29.99 a month for unlimited access (for T-mobile). This is a bit much for me. I can't justify another $30 a month just to be able to go online IF I'm at Starbucks. Right now I share a friend's login for free :)

I like Google's approach much better. The connection and service is free and from what I hear they are going to fund it through advertising. However, I'm not sure what form that comes in. Do you get popups while connected? Do you have to install their connection software? Do you have to have a Gmail login?

It'll be interesting to see how it works. If you know or have used the service, I'd love to hear about it.

Posted by ZeroLogik at 7:26 AM | Permalink

Someone tipped me off that if you search for "failure" on Google, the top result is George W. Bush's biography. I don't think the search legitimately returns this link using its algorithm for search. Instead, I'd say Google's playing politics and voicing their displeasure with the president.

However, I will admit that his biography is also among the top results at Yahoo! and MSN too. It just seems odd that these search engines would consider his bio the most relevant result when the word failure doesn't appear a single time on the bio page.

Maybe search engines have become so advanced that they can actually search the minds of American citizens.

UPDATE: Apparently there is an explanation after all. A practice called Googlebombing can force links to the top of certain searches. It seems someone has used this technique to produce the results mentioned. Continued at Google...

I included a photo of the search just in case Google corrects this or it changes.

Posted by ZeroLogik at 11:39 PM | Permalink

Go to http://www.nesbuckle.com really quick and check out the new fashion trend... wearing belts with video game controllers acting as buckles.

Okay, come on. Who's actually going to buy one of these things and wear it? Can you really picture someone walking around with a NES control pad just above their crotch?

Please let me know if you've purchased one of these or seen someone wearing one on the street. I'd love to know if this ever makes it our of the novelty world and into the public realm.

Posted by ZeroLogik at 8:42 AM | Permalink

I kept hearing all this wonderful stuff about Overstock.com. "The prices are so low." - "They have really good quality stuff" - "If you click a certain link you can buy an Asian child on the black market" - Okay, maybe not that last one.

So I thought I'd give it a try since I recently moved and need furniture, dish-ware, you name it I need it. I browse for a while and find a great price on a bed frame and equally as good a deal on dishes and silverware. On top of that, they have $1 shipping on most orders right now, so I did it and was so excited.

That was 14 days ago. My credit card has been billed and according to the site the order hasn't shipped yet. So I call them up and ask "What's going on? Has my order shipped?" - their answer? They DON'T KNOW. I ask if they can find out if it's shipped. "No" is the answer. There was a glitch in their system and they have no idea if my order has shipped or not and there's no way to find out.

That's NOT good. It's been 2 weeks and I'm waiting for dishes so I can eat "food" which I value pretty highly in my life. Their last bit of advice... wait until Friday and if you haven't received it by then, we'll take care of it. Whatever that means.

So for now, they're Overstocked and Overestimated. Just beware.

UPDATE: As of (8/25) I received 2/3 of my order. My dishes and silverware arrived, but no bed. Guess what. The online order status shows all items still being processed. I guess in Oversucks mind, anything that has been ordered is being processed... forever apparently. Fuck yeah, Oversuck!

Posted by ZeroLogik at 7:23 AM | Permalink

At the Intel Digital Home PC Contest 2005 a new kind of PC emerged. The Sofa PC. I actually can't imagine anyone ever using anything like this in the "real" world, but it's pretty damn interesting to look at.

Here are some more interesting entries to the contest:
AVing Website

Posted by ZeroLogik at 7:57 AM | Permalink

I don't know about you, but I get at least 20 to 30 emails a day that are pure junk (AKA: Spam). Usually they're all cryptic with a link or a picture or whatever, but today I got one that I didn't quite understand. Here's how the email read:

sandwich mentioned end why speaking commit out whom gym prison

That's it. That's the entire email body. At first I thought to myself, "Self? There's a virus attached and the text was just to get by the spam filters." Nope, there was no attachment of any kind.

So the email now makes no sense to me. Why bother sending this thing out if there's no advertisement that I can understand. I guess I'm just suppose to feel inclined to talk to myself while eating a sandwich on my way to a prison gym?

Posted by ZeroLogik at 1:04 PM | Permalink