Humor

Google Wi-Fi Via Your Toilet

April 1, 2007

This has to be the funniest Google April Fool’s Day joke yet:

Google TiSP (BETA) is a fully functional, end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access [...] via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines.

[...]

With professional installation service, you can also have your Google Checkout purchases delivered directly through the sewage network into your bathroom.

[...]

We’re actively developing a higher-performance version of TiSP specifically tailored to small and medium-sized businesses, including 24-hour, on-site technical support in the event of backup problems, brownouts and data wipes.

Hilarious!

They even, uh, use the location of this WiFi access to provide uncanny monitoring:

Your FREE TiSP service includes a Google Toolbar-based analysis of your dietary habits and genetic predispositions, along with recommendations for healthier living.

[...]

To offset the cost of providing the TiSP service, we use information gathered by discreet DNA sequencing of your personal bodily output to display online ads that are contextually relevant to your culinary preferences, current health status and likelihood of developing particular medical conditions going forward.

Read more at Google TiSP (haven’t figured out what it stands for yet…).

Update: it appears that TiSP stands for “Toilet Internet Service Provider.” Makes sense.

What I Found in My Junk Mail

January 9, 2007

I recently found a message from my ISP in my Junk Mail folder, with the subject “Spam – How It’s Growing and What We’re Doing About It.”

Oh, the irony.

What’s for Sale on eBay These Days…

July 31, 2005

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You’ve probably noticed that when you search on Google or another search engine, usually at least one of the ads on the side or top of the page is advertising eBay. Here are some eBay ads I’ve found during my online searching expeditions.

Bananas

[Click here for another ad screenshot]

Apparantly, eBay is the first company to get into the “fresh-produce-ordered-online” business. Well, maybe not fresh produce, but…

So that’s what happened to the League of Nations!

Starfish
This is verification of Peach’s claim on Finding Nemo.

Earwax
I had always wondered what the “e” in “eBay” stood for…

Spyware from Microsoft?

July 25, 2005

I read an article from Microsoft Watch that read:

The beta refresh also will include support for longer descriptions of spyware from Microsoft, Bryan said.

Of course, this is just a writing mistake, but still…

Google Moon

July 20, 2005

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When I went to visit the Google homepage today, they had a “Google Moon” logo and a sentence that read:

See what the astronauts saw on July 20, 1969. Try Google Moon.

If you follow the link to moon.google.com, you’ll get a version of Google Maps that shows satellite imagery from the moon, along with information about the various lunar landings. Also check out the Google Moon FAQ, where they mention their G.C.H.E.E.S.E. research center that was announced on April Fool’s Day of 2004.

And when you’re looking at the Google Moon maps, just remember – don’t zoom in too close.

PC Magazine Boo-Boos

July 15, 2005

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In the July 2005 issue of PC Magazine, I found three big “boo-boos” within eight pages. All three errors were within an article about notebooks written by Bill Howard, Sean Carroll, and Cisco Cheng (just so we know who to blame ).

Page 90: A review of the Apple PowerBook G4 showed a screenshot of the notebook running… Office PowerPoint 2003?!
Page 93: In the “Notebook Accessories” side section, there is a review of the “Etymotic ER6″ earphones that reads, “These great sounding phones form a snug fit in the ear canal using foam or silicone tips and reduce outside noise by about 30 dB. Just make sure to carry spare tips with you because these detach easily.”
Page 98: In a review of the Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513, the writer said, “The 48-Wh battery, on the other hand, lasted a dissapointing 1 minute 59 seconds.”