Brian


Pants

I just saw this in the list of recommendations whilst browsing on Amazon.com

Customers who wear clothes also shop for:

Clean Underwear from Amazon’s Target Store

It raises two issues. Firstly, do they have a lot of customers that don’t wear clothes. Secondly, are they in the habit of selling dirty underwear? It strikes me as a bit of a niche market. At this point you’re thinking “he’s stupid, it’s a brand called Clean”. I followed the link and it wasn’t. They honestly seem to feel a need to specify that it’s clean underwear.


Four wheels good, two wheels bad

Three days of cycling to work and Ian’s hatred of cars and their drivers has returned. As a result I feel the need to balance things out by venting my completely rational hatred of mopeds. Which bright spark came up with the idea of a form of motorised transport for people who are too young or too crap to get a either full bike or car license? I’d like to know what part of the moped test tells them that weaving between rows of moving cars is a safe and normal practice. Why do their engines make that annoying buzzing sound? It sounds like the thing is powered by an aggravated bee and from their speed I think they might be. And finally, why don’t they just give up their stupid little suicycles and get the fucking bus until they can afford some grown-up transport.

Okay, I think I’m losing control of my anger. I feel a strong urge to buy an SUV and invade a country to get the oil required to run it. I think I should take a stress pill and lie down.


Happy new year Bill

If Microsoft thought that their legal woes were over (or at least easing up a bit) then they were wrong. Mobile phone manufacturer Sendo has filed against them over the Z100 Stinger smartphone. Regardless of the outcome of the case I suspect the discovery phase of this trial will be as entertaining (and as damaging to Microsoft’s reputation) as the anti-trust case. It was fun watching MS execs try to explain away phases like ‘knife the baby’ and ‘cut off their air supply’ from memos written about their competitors.


Unrestrained techno lust

Or a slight case of G.A.S.

Unlike Alan I do not have an irresistible urge to buy guitars and amps (the 2 amps, 3 guitars and 3 fx units I have are more than enough). However I do have a slight problem with high tech gadgets. So here’s my current techno lust wish list in order of increasing insanity:

I like the idea of remote contolled micro racers but I’ve received so much spam on the subject this month that I don’t think I’ll bother.

A USB Bluetooth dongle as I’m too lazy to connect my mobile phone to a computer using wires and IR is so last year.

Until I saw one I never knew I needed a remote contolled flying saucer but now I do.

In my opinion the Apple iPod is still the best MP3 player out there and now it will talk to Windows.

I need the new Nvidia GeForceFX graphics card. After seeing the Doom 3 demo I declared ‘We’re gonna need a bigger video card

I’ve received the letter asking for my ITV digital box back (or 40 quid). They can have the box. I want a DTV box with hard disk recording.

The prices for 3G mobile phones have been revealed. Pricey but a handheld video phone seems pretty cool.

Finally some extreme overclocking. It seems you can build a 4.1 GHz Pentium 4 PC using off the shelf parts.


Geeky tech stuff

Ian originally declared that I would be providing ‘cool tech reports’ and so far most of my posts have been odd news stories. So here goes with some vaguely tech stuff:

Gran Turismo on the PS2 has prompted Japanese sports car makers to start to market their wares outside Japan. As a result of the game the Subaru Impreza will be appearing in the US and the Mitsubishi Evo series and Nissan Skyline GT-R will be properly marketed in Europe and the US.

Oftel have released their latest complaints figures. To say BTOpenworld aren’t doing well would be a slight understatement.


Interesting times

George and co’s efforts to make everyone crap themselves over ‘weapons of mass destruction’ seem to be working. I just received the renewal documents for my home insurance. There are some amendments to my policy covering war and terrorism. I am no longer covered for:

damage to life or property by any means, including but not limited to nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological means when these activities are carried out wholly or partly for political, religious, ideological or similar reasons

When your insurers feel it’s worthwhile protecting themselves against claims for when your flat is nuked, then it’s time to worry.