Buy your mobile from a machine

Buy your mobile from a machine: Chris Osuh

THE first mobile phone vending machines in Europe were launched in Manchester today.
Telecommunications giant Vodafone has put QuickPhone vending kiosks on trial in their Market Street and Trafford Centre branches.
A successful trial could result in machines being installed in places where travellers find themselves without a recharger or working mobile, like airports, train stations and motorway service stations."

mypetstop.com revived?

mypetstop.com



Jim and Toby plan to reassemble the team and rebuild MyPetStop our way. JP, Meeghn, you have budget? Oh right, you don't work there any more....

Teletubbies eat your heart out

When Emma is in the mood, she can be hilarious.

Listen to this message that Ana just left. Enough to forget that you're at work. For half a minute.

It actually makes sense. Kinda.

Boing Boing: Funny menu translation:

The menu at this Slovenian joint has three dessert selections: 'cake,' 'roll,' and 'different kind of cake.'
Link

A better way of putting it would be "Assorted Cakes" but this approach is much more comical.

Hilarious: Bush speechalist mockumentary

Boing Boing: Bush speechalist mockumentary: "Bush speechalist mockumentary
This mockumentary about GW Bush's 'Presidential Speechalist' is a real hoot. From the video:
'You have to understand one thing about the American people. They are not interested in a politician that speaks smoothly or insists on using 'real words.''

Link (Thanks, Bob Pescovitz!) "

John Battelle's Searchblog: base.google.com (Or...All Your Base Are Belong To Google)

base.google.com (Or...All Your Base Are Belong To Google)

Oh my. This will surely take some of the sting out of Microsoft's upcoming launch of SQL Server 2005. Although in no way an immediate threat, Google has been very successful in changing the way we operate. A free database for the masses. The start of Google's move to crush eBay, Amazon and the like?

State Dep't. OK's RFID Passports - Engadget - www.engadget.com

State Dep't. OK's RFID Passports - Engadget - www.engadget.com

"State Department officials promise that the tech jibes with guidelines set by the U.N.-affiliated International Civilian Aviation Organization, the body tasked with setting international machine-readable passport standards. Assuming the tests go as planned, and the ACLU remains placated, expect Uncle Sam to start issuing these high tech ID’s early next year."

This takes me back to one of my favourite films:

"What is the mark? Well the mark Brian, is the barcode. The ubitiqous barcode that you'll find on every bog roll, and every packet of johnny's and every poxie-pot pie. And every [expletive-removed] barcode is divided into two parts by three markers and those three markers are always represented by the number six. Six-six-six. Now what does it say? No one shall be able to buy or sell without that mark. And now what they're planning to do in order to eradicate all credit card fraud and in order to precipitate a totally cashless society. What they're planning to do; what they've already tested on the American troops; they're going to subcutaneously laser tattoo that mark onto your right hand or onto your forehead." (Naked, British movie, 1993, directed by Mike Leigh and starring David Thewlis) and Revelation 13:16-18 a little before that.

I love it - bring it on.

EFF: Is Your Printer Spying On You?

EFF: Is Your Printer Spying On You?

"Imagine that every time you printed a document, it automatically included a secret code that could be used to identify the printer - and potentially, the person who used it. Sounds like something from an episode of "Alias," right?

Unfortunately, the scenario isn't fictional. In a purported effort to identify counterfeiters, the US government has succeeded in persuading some color laser printer manufacturers to encode each page with identifying information. That means that without your knowledge or consent, an act you assume is private could become public. A communication tool you're using in everyday life could become a tool for government surveillance. And what's worse, there are no laws to prevent abuse."

Now why can't this type of technology be built into Digital Cameras so that child pornographers can be immediately tracked, found and castrated? Invasion of privacy for good?

WHAT BLOGS COST AMERICAN BUSINESS

WHAT BLOGS COST AMERICAN BUSINESS

"About 35 million workers -- one in four people in the labor force -- visit blogs and on average spend 3.5 hours, or 9%, of the work week engaged with them, according to Advertising Age’s analysis."

I wonder if America is the only nation to suffer this inhumane inefficiency... How can workers treat their employers so badly? Yet another reason to outsource all our work to the subcontinent - don't American workers know that life in a democracy is all about progress? How can a company move forward and compete in this day and age if people are allowed to enjoy themselves during their 50+ hour work week. My goodness, if I were a CEO I'd mandate that our over-generous 2 week vacation policy be slashed in half for anybody found visiting BoingBoing. Maybe a better idea is corporate censorship - take a page out of China's book and block all sites without approved business content.

Ooh I'm in a mood today, can you tell? Alex is being a complete rascal and we're not sure why. Teeth? Nothing worse than starting the day off on the wrong side of a 2 year old.

Kids are winning

Well its just about 4pm and I'm just about to shut down. My uncle and family are arriving tonight and there are preps still to make and supplies to buy. No plans to work over the weekend which frees up valuable time for 'bishing'.

Blogon 2005 - Copacabana

Blogon 2005 - Copacabana
Originally uploaded by toby.

Her name was Lola...

Good intent and some excellent participants helped Blogon 05 reach a passing grade. Lack of stable WiFi and some stereotypic Echoing had me reaching for the FF button. Next year I expect great things.

The dude is dead. Long live the dude

So although the site is still up, there are only ghosts of previous posters and tumbleweeds blowing by the front doors of dudecheckthisout. Last year's blog is there for now and we'll see how long it stays around now that people have moved on.