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Fishing for Ideas
FyreWyr writes "Whether Microsoft is searching for new ideas, or supporting inventors outright is up for grabs, but they're stabbing at it with $300,000 for 12 spanking ideas (that's $25k each). But as with everything Microsoft, the devil's in the details, or rather, the fine print. At first, you'd swear it was "Brought to you by VISA" - the logo is ubiquitous - but the very last statement in the contest rules reads: "The sponsor...is Microsoft ... VISA...have not sponsored or offered this contest in any way". They also retain a spectrum of rights, and responsibily suggest that you go out and patent really good ideas first. Okay, how much does that cost again? (see end of this article)."
It's not "think up some software ideas". If you look at the video, that guy wants to go to sicily. Did you even follow the links? All he has to do is sell himself. I mean maybe if they came up with "MS FLIGHT SIM TO SICILY" but I doubt it.
Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
By entering, each entrant forfeits to Sponsor all rights to content of his/her entry (including the essay) and the concepts embodied therein. Entrant unconditionally assigns and transfers to Sponsor all rights, title, interest and claim, which it now has or may in the future have to the entries or any element(s) thereafter including, without limitation, the copyright therein. Sponsor shall have right to use, alter, assign or dispose of such entries however it sees fit without approval of entrants. Permission is also granted for Sponsor to publish entry in perpetuity in any medium it may see fit including, but not limited to, website, television, radio and/or printed materials. Entrants shall not receive any compensation or credit for use of entries, other than that disclosed in these rules. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules.
The idea must be new and unpublished, but at the same time, all your rights are belong to Microsoft. So, even if you own a patent or trademark on it, by entering, you are:
What a concept! Win by losing! That's the Microsoft way!
"Eustace? Eustace? Are you there? Are you there?" = John Leeming
Dr. evil (from austin powers), of course! heh. see the obvious correlation...?
Sorry, SHAD0W, it's an Austin Powers reference. All that Dr. Evil wants (besides ONE MILLION DOLLARS -- pinky to mouth) is some sharks with some frickin <FINGERQUOTES>"Lasers"</FINGERQUOTES> attached to their heads.
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Forgetting the smarmy PR department faux extemporaneous nature of all of the videos, the fact that most of the are holding the same microphone kinda gives it away.