You Decide - The Art of the Prank

March 30, 2009December 15, 2023

A Mutating April Fools’ Day Joke?

Giant Internet worm set to change tactics April 1
by Jordan Robertson
1010WINS
March 27, 2009

computer_worm-200 San Francisco (AP) — The fast-moving Conficker computer worm, a scourge of the Internet that has infected at least 3 million PCs, is set to spring to life in a new way on Wednesday – April Fools’ Day.

That’s when many of the poisoned machines will get more aggressive about “phoning home” to the worm’s creators over the Internet. When that happens, the bad guys behind the worm will be able to trigger the program to send spam, spread more infections, clog networks with traffic, or try and bring down Web sites.

Technically, this could cause havoc, from massive network outages to the creation of a cyberweapon of mass destruction that attacks government computers. But researchers who have been tracking Conficker say the date will probably come and go quietly.

More likely, these researchers say, the programming change that goes into effect April 1 is partly symbolic – an April Fools’ Day tweaking of Conficker’s pursuers, who for now have been able to prevent the worm from doing significant damage. Read the rest of the story here.

image: neoseeker.com

March 27, 2009December 15, 2023

Sat Nav Lemmings

Man follows sat nav to cliff edge
BBC News
25 March 2009

switched_cliff-200 A car was left teetering on a cliff edge after the driver followed sat nav directions down a Pennine footpath.

Robert Jones continued to follow the instructions when they told him the narrow, steep path he was driving on in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, was a road.

Mr Jones, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, only stopped when his BMW hit a fence above Gauxholme railway bridge on Sunday morning. Read the rest of this story and watch the video here.

via Switched.com

March 12, 2009December 15, 2023

Total Bull Shit?

Cow farts taxed in Denmark
by David Masters
Fairhome.co.uk
February 13, 2009

bull-shit-200 Farmers in Denmark could end up being taxed for the greenhouse gas emissions produced by their cows and pigs following new proposals from the country”s tax authorities.

The Denmark Tax Commission estimates that each cow produces around 4 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year – 1.3 tonnes more than the average passenger car.

Cows release methane from their stomach gases via burps and flatulence – a gas that is over 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the earth”s atmosphere.

Danish farmers, however, aren”t too impressed at the proposals.

Steen Nà¸rgaard, a farmer near Holstebro in Jutland, said the tax would increase his costs by one million Danish kronor every year.

“Cows burp and emit gas from the other end irrespective of whether there is a tax or not,” Nà¸rgaard said. Continue reading “Total Bull Shit?”

February 3, 2009January 15, 2019

Magical Phone?

From Jennifer Rose Emick: BBC reporter gets owned!

Zumba Phone: the Steorn Orbo of cellphones?
by Thomas Ricker
Engadget.com
January 30, 2009

zumba-phone-ia-technology-200 Ready for this? The BBC is reporting on a “top-secret phone” developed by a 40-person strong ejector-seat technology company–IA Technology–from Hereford England. The Beeb calls it, “the world’s first fully accurate voice recognition system for mobile phones.” A bold claim (to say the least) from seemingly nowhere. The report starts with a dramatic lead-in, “It’s a secret world, much of which we can’t film,” before introducing us to the Zumba phone. A phone so secret that the BBC can’t even show us how it works. They do manage to demonstrate how it’s worn. A retro slug-on-the-ear type earpiece is removed from a thin slab sporting a display and circular dialer reminiscent of Bang & Olufsen fashionphones. The device relies upon a “100% secure” connection to an “Internet portal” (apparently called Zumba Lumba) that holds all your contacts. If the phone is lost or stolen “it is instantly useless to anyone else.” A lot of hype to be sure, especially with plans to deliver the Zumba to shops before Christmas. Hit the read link for the video and let us know what you think.

[Watch the video here.]

Update: Ha! The zumbalumba.com site just lit up with an unreadable, elementary school design and no detail other than a whispy concept called “Natural Connecting.” Some sleuthing and cross-referencing by our readers, however, seems to link Zumba CEO, Dean McEvoy, to a group of party promoters. Good luck with this Dean, the whole internet is about to be up in your shiznit.

January 7, 2009January 15, 2019

Weird Smell in NYC – Aunt Jemima Suspected

Update from Marcy LaViollette, February 5, 2009:

Apparently they finally think they’ve solved the maple syrup mystery!

From Gothamist, January 5, 2009:

The Maple Syrup Smell… is Back for 2009!

maplesyrupmap

In the past hour, we’ve received five emails alerting us to the alarming news: The sticky sweet scent of maple syrup has made its 2009 debut! So far, the smell appears to concentrated on the Upper West Side, but please let us know if you’ve suddenly gotten hungry for pancakes because the scent of breakfast has been so overpowering. Email us at tips(at)gothamist(dot)com.

Previous maple syrup incidents: October 2005, March 2006, November 2006, November 2007, and May 2008. Plus a November 2007 cameo on 30 Rock. Continue reading “Weird Smell in NYC – Aunt Jemima Suspected”