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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Handy smart phone app records all audio all the time, just like the NSA


There is a new smart phone app called Heard that automatically records everything within range of the phone's microphone. It stores the audio in memory for five minutes and then erases it unless the user chooses to save it. Think of it as carrying around your own National Security Agency in your pocket.


I suggest using it while wearing a t-shirt that says, "This conversation may be recorded." That will give any government employee you interact with fair warning.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Try to compete in the business world, get sued by the government

A group of teens turned down opportunities to attend Harvard, Princeton, and MIT to open their own rental car company called FlightCar. Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? But these kids believed their business model was sure to out-compete even the big rental companies like Hertz and Avis, and that's all part of the American dream.

Here's how the business is described on FlightCar.com:
FlightCar lets people parking rent their vehicles out to other travelers. Every rental is insured up to $1 million, and every renter is pre-screened. Depending on the size and model year of the vehicle, you'll also make up to $10/day in cash! To get free parking, click on "List Your Car". Or, to rent a vehicle, use the menu above.

For owners:
  1. List your car on FlightCar. It's free! FlightCar runs a driving record check on every renter. Regardless of whether it's rented, you're guaranteed free parking for your trip.
  2. On departure day, give us a call 10-15 minutes before you reach the airport, and come to our lot to drop off your car. From there, we'll have a black car drop you off curbside at your terminal of departure or another location within a 10 minute radius.
  3. When you return, call us at 1-866-FLIGHTCAR (354-4482), and we'll send a black car to pick you up at the curb. If you'd like, you can even take a cab, and we'll refund you the fare. We'll even give you a check if your car is rented.
For renters:
  1. Search FlightCar to find a sweet vehicle you'd like to rent! Enter your driver information and you're ready to go.
  2. On arrival day, give us a call at 1-866-FLIGHTCAR (354-4482) when you land. A black car will pick you up right at the curb and take you to our location. A FlightCar team member will meet you there with your rental car.
  3. When your rental period is over, give us a call, and return the vehicle to our location. A FlightCar team member will greet you and help you with your bags. From there, we'll have a black car drop you off anywhere within a 10 minute radius.

The brilliance of this model is its simplicity. No high overhead. No fleet of cars to maintain. Just good service.

And too good to be true, it seems. San Francisco International Airport complained that FlightCar should have to pay the same extortion fees other rental car companies pay. The city is now suing FlightCar claiming that these three teenagers are in violation of California's Unfair Competition Law. Hey, at least they didn't try opening up a lemonade stand.

I will certainly be following this story. It will be interesting to see if it's possible to fight City Hall. If not, these kids will probably be forced out of business and consumers will have one less way to save money. Unfortunately, that's how we stifle the competitive spirit in America.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

The NSA no longer tries to hide its snooping

Now that the secret is out, the NSA no longer bothers trying to cover up the fact that it spies on everyone. Take a look:

Friday, June 14, 2013

Find a dirty bomb? Don't try to wash it!

But that's exactly what one woman in the U.K. did when she discovered an unexploded World War II bomb in her garden:
Photo: ALAMY
Carole Longhorn, 65, took a number of unusual safety stops after discovered the explosive - including putting a plastic chair on top of it - before bomb disposal experts took it away.

She hit the metal object with a spade while she was gardening at her home and when she looked closer realised it was in the shape of a shell.

The gardener then put a plastic seat on top of the bomb just in case it went off while she shouted for her husband Clive, 60.

Once she had dug it up she took it inside their house and left it on the coffee table, before Mr Longhorn heard a rattle and turned around to see his wife washing mud off the bomb in the sink.

Police were called and experts confirmed they believed that the bomb was still live. They took it to a nearby quarry where a controlled explosion was carried out.
Yikes!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

This plumbing commercial will crack you up

Here's the latest commercial from Rhett and Link. And yes, it's a real commercial for a real plumbing company:

Monday, June 10, 2013

Sushi restaurant delivers food on a flying tray

Why have a waitress carry your tray of sushi when you can have it flown to your table at speeds of up to 25 mph?


Famed for being the first Sushi chain in the UK to deliver food to customers on a conveyor belt, iconic Japanese restaurant YO! Sushi has gone one-step further with the introduction of the world's first flying tray to deliver their new range of Japanese rice burgers to customers.

The 'iTray', which is now being trialled in the flagship Poland Street restaurant in London with a view to rolling it out across the UK next year, is a high-tech flying platter custom built using the most advanced RC Drone quadicopter technology and is remote controlled through an on-board Wi-Fi system and iPad software.

Canadians trying to jump an above-ground pool with a Jeep

It's nice to know that America doesn't have a monopoly on stupidity. But at least they had sense enough to wear helmets.

Thursday, June 06, 2013

Handy site tells you if your favorite site is down


Having trouble with Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, or YouTube? You may want to check out DownRightNow.com:
You know the feeling: you're happily using one of your favorite web sites when, all of a sudden, you're interrupted by an error message. It can be frustrating. Is there a bug in the web site, or is your Internet provider acting up again? Where can you turn to find out if others are having the same problem?

downrightnow was created to tell you when popular web services are experiencing trouble. It pulls together information from several sources to determine when there's an outage or other disruption:

  • Reports from users who visit downrightnow
  • Public messages on Twitter from users who are having service trouble
  • Official company announcements and status reports
  • Other third-party web sites that monitor service status

    Just visit downrightnow to stay informed. You'll get real-time updates on the status of your favorite web services, both official and unofficial, all in one place. And don't forget to file a report whenever you notice a service issue -- it's easy and you'll let others know they aren't the only ones having trouble.

  • Of course, if DownRightNow.com happens to be down...well, then you're kind of on your own.

    Monday, June 03, 2013

    Universal Studios opens 'The Simpsons' Fast Food Boulevard

    Universal Studios Florida has expanded The Simpsons Ride area to include some of the more iconic locations from the popular TV show. Hungry customers can visit formerly fictional eateries like Krusty Burger, Cletus' Chicken Shack, the Frying Dutchman, and Luigi's Pizza. They can even stop by Moe's Tavern for a cold Duff Beer.





    Coming attractions include the Duff Brewery, Lard Lad, a statue of Jebediah Springfield, and Kang & Kodos' Twirl 'n' Hurl ride. They are still under construction and are set to open within the next couple of months.

    Saturday, June 01, 2013

    Dog's incontinence causes truck to crash into house

    From KRCR TV

    Nothing all that interesting here. Just your average "dog pees in truck, slips onto accelerator, causing truck to crash into house" story.

    Nanny Bloomberg hates movie trailers and social media

    You can always count on Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City's head nanny, for a good laugh. Known for his quixotic crusades against soda and salt, he discussed a couple of his latest pet peeves in a recent interview with M magazine:
    It was the second day of the last year of his mayoralty, and Mike Bloomberg was in a mood. He had spent a portion of New Year's Day watching Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried battling injustice in the streets of Paris. By early afternoon on January 2, he still was kvetching about his night at the movies.

    "Listen," he said. "I sat through an hour of trailers, and every one was stupider than the other. And then there were these ads for video games—for adults! And you want to know why we're dumbing down politics."
    Ah, yes. Those blasted movie trailers. I'm sure we can expect some sort of ban addressing that problem soon.

    Another thing that irks Nanny Bloomberg is social media:
    "The essence of good government is that voters hire people with the values you respect, then when they get into office, they make decisions by leading from the front," he said. "They convince legislators to go along with them, they pass bills and then make improvements so that, by the time the next election comes around, you show that it works or you get thrown out. But with social media, there is an instant referendum on everything. It's much harder to lead from the front. I'm worried how government can survive this."
    I admit that I worry about a lot of things. The survival of government isn't one of them.