Slashback: Mutuality, Transport, Spyware

Slashback with more unintentionally odd clip art in Microsoft work for fire, Las Vegas monorail progress, the resolution of SonicBlue and TiVo's legal dispute, and more. Read on for the details.

Well, while we were switching things around here at the ad agency ... An anonymous reader writes "While looking around on Microsoft's site checking out the new Tablet PCs I noticed something very out of Place. In one of their Flash Demos for the Tablet PC there is an Apple Powerbook 1400! To see it for yourself, the flash is located here (then "Tablet PC Overview Demo," then "Tablet PC," then "Powerful") The first computer is really that Powerbook! Pic here."

What about to the legal brothels? Sacarino writes "Back in April, Slashdot ran a story about the Monorail project Las Vegas was embarking upon. It would appear that things are progressing nicely. "It's ugly" critics will be put to shame, the designers did a great job of making it non-obtrusive. (if that's possible in Vegas) Soon you too will pile off the airplane, trudge onto the monorail, then run into the casino to spend that money....ahh, Vegas."

Out of court, out of mind. Enry writes "SONICblue and TiVo have dropped the patent infringement lawsuits they filed against each other. The press release reads: "We believe our energies are better spent expanding the market for Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) rather than fighting each other. Both sides believe in the merits of their respective positions, but the overall success of the DVR category is what is most important to the companies at this time." Take that, AdAge!"

Sounds like a nice way to watch movies. For those intrigued by a 640x480, QWERTY-keyboard color, clamshell-case PDA as embodied by the Zaurus 5600, patrickoehlinger writes "Just found news and pictures about the new Sharp Zaurus SL-C700 released in Japan. With a 640 x 480 pixel display, a small design and a great keyboard! Golem.de has a article with pictures, but it's in German."

Would the BBC spy on you? An anonymous reader writes "The previous discussion on RedSheriff on slashdot was extremely confusing as well as mostly off-topic. The fact is, the BBC is downloading spyware to your machine when you surf their site. Very disappointing and surprising. I suggest e-mailing them to let them know what you think. The problem and remedies are covered in Google groups: "

Comments

Monorail Gamble

[greymond]

I'm all for that thing - Actually I think EVERY CITY IN THE WORLD should have a monorail and then we should have monorails connected by super fast trains - then I won;t have to fly anymore. I HATE flying, not because of terrorists - I just don't have wings and don;t like being flung around in a giant metal bird.

Re:Monorail Gamble

[ekrout]

So basically you can't stand to fly. You're not that naive, and are just out to find the better part of yourself.

It must not be easy being you.

Re:Monorail Gamble

[BitHive]

No, let's replace all public phone booths with transporter booths, that way we can go anywhere in the world for a few dollars! And then we can power our homes with fusion reactors and have picnics on the moon with Jesus!

Homer sez...

[ocie]

Hello, Vegas? Give me 100 bucks on red... D'oh! All right, I'll send you a check.

Re:PowerBook: isn't it obvious?

[ekrout]

Not quite.

The Apple PowerBook 1400 ships with a 133MHz proc., 16MB of DRAM, and a 750MB hard disk drive.

In the Flash movie on Microsoft's site, it's shown running Windows XP, which simply wouldn't happen on a box with such meager specs.

It Worked

[cscx]

Well, while we were switching things around here at the ad agency

And in doing so, it got a front-page link on Slashdot, direct to the Microsoft Tablet PC demo / info page. Thanks, Slashdot!

Re:Monorail!?

[Cyno01]

Mono! D'oh!

Re:Powermac too

[Dark Lord Seth]

Well, the MS marketing department obviously has no clue what they are doing then...

Marketing Manager: Look, give me some Microsoft notebooks and a Microsoft PC to use in our new flash on the double!
MicroSerf: Uhm, we don't make those, we only cripple them.
Marketing Manager: Damn it! What is the first, least expensive thing you can find?
MicroSerf: Uhm, this company we just bought out used "Macintosh" equipment, so called "Powerbooks" as wel as some sort of desktop system...
Marketing Manager: Excellent! We'll use those! Make sure the flash files include blue gradients.
MicroSerf: Blue gradients?
Marketing Manager: LOTS of blue gradients and a cheesy music that would make a Game Boy cry.
MicroSerf: Jawohl herr oberst!

Re:Downloading

[cpeterso]

That's like hiring a plumber that asks you what room the bathroom sink is in.


Actually, it's more like hiring a plumber who drinks from your toilet and pees in your sink.

Re:RedSherriff

[MoThugz]

Cool... first the BBC is downloading to my computer using some kind of unexplained supernatural forces.

Now, I learnt that I can actually unclick Java. Cool.

If these aren't News for Nerds... I don't know what stuff actually matters anymore.

Microsoft's Brilliant Strategy

[Stubtify]

Step 1: Create Tablet PC Flash Animation

Step 2: Insert random Apple Powerbook 1400

Step 3: Report "slip up" to Mac centered websites

Step 4: Report that "over 20% of page views on the new tablet PC pages are from Macintosh computers." to interested third party vendors.

So now they've got ammo for a real switch campain...