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Well, of course, it's the The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal defensive manuever.

Why aren't they developing Bistromathics further instead?

This guy kind of reminds me of Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, whose goal was to travel the universe and insult everyone in it, in alphabetical order.

Of course, he had a fantastically complicated on-board spaceship computer to help him figure out how.

This guy may think he's purpose in life is unattainable, but he's got nothing on Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged.

The way to do it is walk slow and make sure you see everyone before they see you. By doing this, you trigger a reflex in others to not see you.

White robots, programmable bats, exploding balls - even Kerry Packer would be on to a winner with that sort of sport!

...can we name it Rupert? I know, I know, it's extra-solar. But wouldn't it be fun?

That's easy to solve. Make all the windows out of peril-sensitive glass

Did anyone else read this interview and get the feeling that Anderer spoke a lot but didn't really say anything specific or all that relevant?

Yes. My favorite is:

"I helped build the channels for most of the products that corporate America is currently using and some they will be using soon."

So he builds "channels". To quote Benjy mouse "Sounds very significant without actually tying you down to meaning anything."

Who cares about Trillian? I want to know who's going to play Eccentrica Gallumbits the triple-breasted whore of Eroticon IV.
Eccentrica Gallumbits

ps: A google image search gives some interesting results...

This sounds like the kind of technology that Disaster Area could make use of.
Just figure a way of modulating it, plug it into the preamp, and let loose!

Forget lie detection. What I need is a pair of Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses so I can develop a relaxed attitude to danger (A working model of which can be found here).

It is just tantilizing that out there, in our solar system, is another ocean.
One in which you could actually swim (lack of oxygen aside and all)! geniune water, at a comfortable temperature...well, at least in a thin layer (below which is seething boiling death and above, vacuum-of-space freezing).
The chances that this moon harbors life seem high. After all, we are all familiar with deep oceanic hydro-thermal vents and the bleached beasties that find the lightless life appealing.
It is my dearest hope that someday a probe will melt down a few miles, pop into this blackened world, and turn on it's lights to discover mile-long whale-like creatures.
Of course, it's most likely we will only find bacteria and other single celled dudes. But complex organisms are so much more cool...and kinda freaky.
But sadly, as it is with this universe, I have the sinking suspicion that europa will ultimately yield nothing more than the biggest cache of sterile water known to man.
Let us not also forget, intelligent life evolving in an environment where the outside universe is completely obscured by miles and miles of pitch-black ice might not be ready for the rest of the universe just yet.

All it tells you is that MIT...

Which is training Americans to be software developers...

outsourced the development of some software to Sapient who did the work in India,

and that they used Gartner as a source of information when choosing the software platform.

A bastion of American software development is acting in a way that furthers neither America nor software development. No further criticism or comment is needed. In the immortal words of Hunter S. Thompson, res ipsa loquitur.

Some thoughts on the ideas presented in the article:

1) "Dump the Doodads, and Retrofit the Brain"

I'm all for brain implants, but I think a cell phone ringing in your head day after day would drive anyone insane. Hell, the cell phone in thier pocket drives some people to the brink as it is!

2) "Laptop, Butler and Virtual Mom"

I understand that this is probably an eggageration for humor's sake, but a laptop powered by the glow of it's own screen would be a perpetual motion device. Although otherwise this does seem to reflect a "fewer, more useful gadgets" concept that seems to be pretty common.

3) "Lies Exposed in Telltale Colors"

I like the concept a lot. The only problem is... who is in charge of the system that determines if it's a lie, spin or misperception?

4) I think Trump's telepathic zombie chips speak for themselves...

5) "Zap! The Form's Filled Out"

I don't think I'd want all my personal information, let alone the informatino of myself and my entire family, in a single, pocket sized device with WiFi download capability. I'd stick with a datebook and a pencil... at least they'd have to go through the trouble of confronting (read: Mugging) me to get the info!

6) "One Gizmo to Supplant 15"

Again, another uber-gadget to make for less things to carry around. It's also putting all your eggs in one basket sort of speak. Personal preference I guess.

7) "TiVo Replay Power, on the Road"

I suppose a quick-fix alternative would be a portable DVD player and a DVD-R device at home. But overall it's a good (but not very impressive) idea.

8) "The Ball Is In, or Out. Period."

I could've sworn they had this already... but the best inventions are usually the ones that seem the most obvious in retrospect :)

9) "Can Run, but He Can't Hide"

Get a dog!

10) "A High That Wouldn't Hurt"

It's hard for me to imagine that any drug (or anything, really) can be made so that it's 100% non addictive. Maybe not chemically adictive, but psychologically. Even so, I think the last thing society needs is another chemical diversion from Real Life(tm) no matter how mild. Best to accept your lemons and do your best to make lemonade than to try and hide from it... just my take on it, though.

11) "Memo to My Borsalino: Quiet!"

Anyone else reminded of Peril Sensitive Sunglasses? It's bad enough people turn a figurative blind eye to things they really don't want to be bothered with... but this is going a bit far.

Personally, I'd like to see a mix of #3 and #11... a device that, upon sensing that someone is full of shit, will bleep them out for everybody within range. I can see such a device being banned from political debates...
=Smidge=

Gravity works because we believe in it. Just stop believing in it and it will stop working.

Ah, you must be referring to flying:

There is an art, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. Pick a nice day and try it. All it requires is simply the ability to throw yourself forward with all your weight, and the willingness not to mind that it's going to hurt.

Joo Janta is making a new version of their Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses. The new version turns black when you are in danger of taking food out of Jack Valenti's mouth by seeing something that you haven't paid for.

The company announced that they will soon enter the audio products market with a pair of Peril-Sensitive Headphones, that pass through all sounds except when the wearer is in danger of depriving Hilary Rosen of a nickel by hearing something they haven't paid for-- then they react by cancelling out all sound until the danger to her income has passed.

~Philly

Reminds me a lot of the Total Perspective Vortex from Douglas Adams' The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Life imitating art (loosly). DNA, I think would have been plesantly amused to see this.