The Awful Forums: Oops.
Long story short: this thread was started by a kid wanting to know about getting a shotgun. This thread is where the forum realizes that the kid – after getting advice on how to buy a shotgun – shot some people near his home three days later.
Just a PSA to remind Internet users that there’s a human behind the keyboard: we sometimes forget this while reading blogs, forums, and chat rooms.
I popped over to the store during lunch yesterday to pick up Age of Empires III and it’s left me feeling a little strange. After all, the Xbox 360 comes out in under 20 days now. That’s a non-trivial upgrade, so I should be conserving energies – and money – for it. I’m slated to pop to Fry’s this weekend with Steve: that will result in the purchase of Star Wars Battlefront II and a fist full of DVDs. There is a question about Battlefront II: get the Xbox or PSP version? Or both? I don’t know yet, but my feet itch buying a game for an “older” console days before it’s upgraded, yet I use my Xbox more than I do my PSP right now… either way, why would I bother to pick up a new PC game?
Because it was shiny.
Continue reading To All Things Shiny
I’m watching a couple of guys replace all of the blinds in my house, at the moment, while keeping up with the post-shipping activities in the office. Guy says to me, “So which division of Microsoft are you in?” Seems the well connected nature of the house screams “Tech Worker” and just by the odds alone, he guessed at the company. We talked a bit about how MS is good for the local economy and how all the Penguin Heads can forget that a large company has a bigger impact in the Real World than just in technology.
He seemed surprised that an IT Geek was able to hang one of the vertical blind on his own; I told him it was already up there and was just a replacement, so it was easy… I then mentioned how the painters had painted over the brackets, that my refrigerator was originally installed off balanced, that my washer has to be repaired, and that I might have to get a guy out here to look at the Pergo floor that might be separating… I followed that with how SDET’s never seem to be able to turn off the defect finding, analytical dissection thought process that we seem to fling at anything we encounter, once we get into that mindset.
My installers don’t look as happy as they did when they first got here, but I can’t figure out why.
Gizmodo: See, as a woman, I knew there was a reason I learned about technology. Not so I can report on all the fabulous things going on in the industry, but because now I can enjoy things like a Bluetooth vibrator called The Toy that, incidentally, is linked to your cellphone and controlled by SMS messages.
Anyone want to guess as to how long it’ll take the wireless carriers to add an additional Sex-Themed Surcharge for their SMS messages? I mean they already charge an obscene amount of money, if you don’t have a text-messaging plan, but I know carriers… they’ll try to find a way to make more cash outta this than the base charge.
Of course, this puts a more subtle spin on phone sex, now that people won’t have to shove the entire [vibrating] phone into their skivvies while talking to their beloved…
Ah, the joy of technology.
Random work related entry.
What is a Software Development Engineer in Test [SDET]? In it’s most abstract form, an SDET is a developer that writes software with the purpose of testing other software. In ‘softie terms, if SDE writes software with the focus of producing a product, an SDET writes software to test the SDE’s product. It’s what I’ve been doing for the last 16 months, and for the most part it’s been a satisfying experience, although there have been a hiccup or two recently… but the question I that of role: “what does an SDET do” for a product.
Continue reading What is an SDET?
Yet another post spawned from a FurryGoat IM window.
I said it a long time ago… one of the reasons why I like blogs is because I can skim articles. And I like newspapers and books online so I can skim and search across the entire article or volume. So this notion of Podcasting means naught to me. In fact, all of the hype around it drives me up the freakin’ wall. Screw audio. In most cases, Geeks should be read and not heard.
Now we have video Podcasting. Unless porn is involved – and I mean porn by professionals – it’s a complete abuse of technology. I mean it. Think about it this way: the old cliché runs that most radio DJ’s are DJ’s because they have a great voices but might not look good enough for video. We’ve got Geeks that be read rather than heard and what? We’re going to give them a video camera for video Podcasting on an iPod?
I think not.
FurryGoat: This might seem like a silly question, but for the life of me I can’t find the answer anywhere. Does anyone know if you can search USENET via MSN Search?
It’s a simple question and a valid one… having seen the comments posted, well, um… I wouldn’t be surprised if the ‘Goat turns off commenting.
Continue reading Maybe Comments Aren’t A Good Idea…
For those of you that don’t have a Windows 2000 or XP but have an iPod, well, frankly? Upgrade your box. XP is over five years old now, so what’s the deal? Jeesh.
Anyway, it looks like there’s a new plug-in for WinAMP5 that interfaces with iPods… I personally think that Xplay from MediaFour is a better way to go for the 95/98/Me crowd, but I thought I’d pass this along anyway…
PhoneScoop: Sony and SanDisk today announced Memory Stick Micro, yet another new ultra-small memory card format. The new format will compete with microSD (formerly TransFlash) and MMCmicro (formerly S-Card), which are all roughly similar in size and capability, yet incompatible.
WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!
c|net: Google’s strategy […] Create a custom version of Linux, lets call it, gOS, so that lay man users can use it to check email, surf the web, include some office s/ware, a generic media player etc. This sums up about 90% of the features required by the typical OS user.
Oh for fuck’s sake… enough with this 90% bullshit.
Continue reading Why Is It Always About 90%?
Shawn’s Thoughts: While I’ve never met Kevin Schofield, I really like him – or at least what he writes. It’s become quite fashionable to kick the crap our of Microsoft lately. Some pretty high-profile folks have left. Our stock sucks. Yada Yada Yada. Kevin’s the highest-ranking person I’ve seen standing up for Microsoft, and it feels pretty good to read.
Yeah. What he said.
Apple fans give me gout.
First it was the banter about the Office12 demo that irked me a good deal. Now it’s all of the crybabies in Cupertino that have gone further and truly pissed me off with their babble about Widgets versus Gadgets, and their “errr! Microsoft copies Apple again!”
One word summary: Scoreboard.
Continue reading Lo! I Want To Eat An Apple!
TUAW: Honestly, I’m trying to get past that old “they’re ripping Apple off!” complaint, but then stuff like this shows up and just gets my blood boiling again. You’re looking at the recently unveiled interface of Microsoft’s forthcoming Office 12. […] In my opinion: sad.
Yes, you’re right it’s sad. Sad that you can take one screenshot completely out of context, pile on your own spin and call it a story.
Continue reading Indeed It’s Sad
Let’s get this out of the way: Google didn’t invent instant messaging.
It hasn’t been out for 24 hours yet and I’m already sick to death of it – can we get out of the afterglow already?
Continue reading Oi… IM Edition
I cannot believe I actually took the time to pluck a grey hair off the top of my head this morning. The three that have continuously grown back in my goatee are easily dealt with, since they’re right there, but still, this somehow felt completely ridiculous.
And what the hell is the point of hair that grows out of your hair lob and on the outside of your ear?
Aging. Feh.