Gizmodo Australia » stupidity

World’s Smallest Optical Mouse Proves Some Gadgets Don’t Need To Be Tinier

John Mahoney — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:00:00 +0000

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.

Yes, it is clear that the threshold of practicality here has been violated. [TechEBlog via BBG]

British Juror Asks Facebook For Advice

Nick Broughall — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:30:47 +0000

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]

Giz Tip: Don’t Hire A Hit Man via Text Message

Gizmodo US Edition — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000

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.

The texts are written in a hybrid of English, texting shorthand, and whatever English-like language they speak in Oklahoma, so I can’t 100% translate all of them. I can say that they are way less subtle than you’d expect from somebody trying to hire an assassin. This exchange I particularly don’t understand:

Co-conspirator Robin Berry: “Well maybe I can het friend n trade something he owes me big favours anyway”
Tonia Mullins: “If I can do ne thang let me know. Robin I swear I will give the $us when it comes n … that is n no way a problem … as long as accident I.”

Mullins had asked her friend, Robin Berry, to help her contact a hit man, and the two got no further than discussing price between themselves before the police were tipped off and the whole silly enterprise ended. An undercover agent with the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation arrested Mullins and her co-conspirators easily, and the deliciously inept plotters plead guilty earlier this month. [Wired]

The System Needs To Change: Atkinson Withdraws Support For Discussion Paper On R18+ Games

Nick Broughall — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:30:37 +0000

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]