stupidity
Peripherals
World’s Smallest Optical Mouse Proves Some Gadgets Don’t Need To Be Tinier
12:00AM John Mahoney | The Z-Nano mouse is claiming smallest optical mouse in the world: it’s about the size of the finger you will use to daintily stab at its buttons. See it in diminutive action.
Online
11:30AM Nick Broughall | Forget 12 Angry Men, Judge Judy and Ally McBeal – This is the courtroom-based entertainment I want to see. A program based on a true story – perhaps a comedy – where instead of following the explicit justice system rules that you cannot share details of any case, one particular juror goes home and runs a poll on Facebook asking friends for advice on whether the alleged criminals are guilty.
Imagine it: Each week the juror in question could have a separate case… One week it’s child abduction, another week it’s child rape (the two charges in the real-life case this imaginary show is based on). Of course, there are a few details to work out – like why the main character is always on jury duty – but that shouldn’t stand in the way of a good story.
But you would have to explain why they weren’t kicked off the jury each week as well, which is what does happen in real life. At least real life can give us a tagline for the show: “”I don’t know which way to go, so I’m holding a poll.” Yes, she actually said that, after disclosing all the confidential evidence of the trial.
(Insert canned laughter here.)
Fortunately, the real life trial continued without the advice-seeking juror.
[The Sun via Cnet via AllFacebook] More »
British Juror Asks Facebook For Advice
11:30AM Nick Broughall | Forget 12 Angry Men, Judge Judy and Ally McBeal – This is the courtroom-based entertainment I want to see. A program based on a true story – perhaps a comedy – where instead of following the explicit justice system rules that you cannot share details of any case, one particular juror goes home and runs a poll on Facebook asking friends for advice on whether the alleged criminals are guilty.
Imagine it: Each week the juror in question could have a separate case… One week it’s child abduction, another week it’s child rape (the two charges in the real-life case this imaginary show is based on). Of course, there are a few details to work out – like why the main character is always on jury duty – but that shouldn’t stand in the way of a good story.
But you would have to explain why they weren’t kicked off the jury each week as well, which is what does happen in real life. At least real life can give us a tagline for the show: “”I don’t know which way to go, so I’m holding a poll.” Yes, she actually said that, after disclosing all the confidential evidence of the trial.
(Insert canned laughter here.)
Fortunately, the real life trial continued without the advice-seeking juror.
[The Sun via Cnet via AllFacebook] More »
Phones
Giz Tip: Don’t Hire A Hit Man via Text Message
3:00AM Gizmodo US Edition | Oklahoma native and rebellious speller Tonia Mullins, in a spectacular act of self-incrimination, used text messages to contact a hit man to “take care” of her lover’s wife. Mullins conspired with her beau, Army soldier Michael Andrew Crawford, to have the poor Mrs. Crawford killed and her insurance money used to buy Mullins and her beau a nice house. Thankfully, Mullins was far too stupid to actually hurt anybody, and the text messages are absolutely priceless. More »
Games
3:30PM Nick Broughall | If you’re a gamer, you might want to get angry now: maybe put on some old-school Rage Against The Machine, crank the volume up, find a stress ball and pummel it mercilessly. Because according to Jason Hill over at Screenplay, SA Attorney General Michael Atkinson has withdrawn his support for a discussion paper and public consultation on the issue of an R18+ rating for games.
Back in March, he agreed in principle to the idea of a discussion paper and public consultation, which would provide a wide selection of research and opinions on the issue. While it wouldn’t actually mean the new rating would be introduced, it at least meant that the issue was on the table for discussion, and there was hope for adult gamers across the country. Now that hope has been dashed by Atkinson’s refusal to even support the research, meaning any official discussion has also been shelved.
Considering that all six of the other AGs support the discussion part, if not the introduction of the R18+ rating itself, how can we truly call ourselves a democracy when one narrow-minded, outdated man can ignore the facts and enforce his personal opinions on a nation? Especially when that opinion leaves us drowning in a tide of stupidity while the rest of the developed world looks down at us from the comfort of their deckchairs on the beach of common sense?
I don’t know enough about politics to understand what processes need to occur to bring it about, but the simple fact is that the system needs to change. No one man should have the power to hold the country to ransom.
[Screenplay via Kotaku] More »
The System Needs To Change: Atkinson Withdraws Support For Discussion Paper On R18+ Games
3:30PM Nick Broughall | If you’re a gamer, you might want to get angry now: maybe put on some old-school Rage Against The Machine, crank the volume up, find a stress ball and pummel it mercilessly. Because according to Jason Hill over at Screenplay, SA Attorney General Michael Atkinson has withdrawn his support for a discussion paper and public consultation on the issue of an R18+ rating for games.
Back in March, he agreed in principle to the idea of a discussion paper and public consultation, which would provide a wide selection of research and opinions on the issue. While it wouldn’t actually mean the new rating would be introduced, it at least meant that the issue was on the table for discussion, and there was hope for adult gamers across the country. Now that hope has been dashed by Atkinson’s refusal to even support the research, meaning any official discussion has also been shelved.
Considering that all six of the other AGs support the discussion part, if not the introduction of the R18+ rating itself, how can we truly call ourselves a democracy when one narrow-minded, outdated man can ignore the facts and enforce his personal opinions on a nation? Especially when that opinion leaves us drowning in a tide of stupidity while the rest of the developed world looks down at us from the comfort of their deckchairs on the beach of common sense?
I don’t know enough about politics to understand what processes need to occur to bring it about, but the simple fact is that the system needs to change. No one man should have the power to hold the country to ransom.
[Screenplay via Kotaku] More » 
