OT: Verizon — Oh no you di’nt!
It's rare that I clap for [watch] TV commercials. But Verizon just took AT&T to the mat -- er, map.
Technically, this is off-topic, but I think I can apply a little broad discretion when it comes to bad data -- That is, the data that every U.S. cell phone company uses to claim to be the best.
I know I spend a lot of time picking on Apple -- especially the the iPhone. But when something falls just short of great, it leaves room for criticism. That, however, doesn't describe Apple's choice of service partner. Verizon customers love their coverage. T-Mobile customers love their customer service. Sprint customers love their features (and free 3G roaming to Verizon). AT&T customers love their iPhones, and tolerate their service. Now Verizon is taking them to the map.
Watch and see what I mean.
“Blood in the Birdcage” (Forensics: You Decide, Discovery Channel)
One body. One suspect. Two theories. A laptop. A birdcage. A bloody crime scene. Two trials. Two hung juries. No convictions. One unsolved mystery.
From Investigation Discovery:
"When a beloved music professor -- David Stagg -- discovers the dead body of his long-time partner, Bill Jennings, he claims he's walked into the aftermath of a tragic suicide. But as investigators descend on the scene, they immediately realize that this reported suicide is clearly a homicide. Is it possible the professor is behind this vicious crime, or has he been falsely accused? The forensic experts on each side battle it out. Which side will you agree with?" (60 min. - First aired 9/14/2009 on Investigation Discovery / Discovery ID's "Forensics: You Decide)
Suicide letter, or coverup?
Friends from the couple's active social group were in total disbelief. Few could imagine David Stagg involved in the murder of his long-time partner. Forensic evidence was inconclusive. Though blood evidence was found throughout the crime scene, no blood or defensive wounds could be found on David Stagg. An unknown set of fingerprints were found at the scene. Computer evidence from Jennings' laptop showed--at least from Jennings' perspective--a tumultuous relationship. But, enough to justify a motive for murder?
There were also a series of suicidal emails and typed letters left by Jennings that charted a history of both love for Stagg, and deep emotional turmoil. And, one final letter--typed on April 24, 2004, the night of the murder--would become one of the most contested pieces of evidence that two juries would have to consider.
On one thing, both sides agreed: Bill Jennings did not take his own life. ... CONTINUE READING »
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Germany, you’ve been Punk’d!
You've been punked!!!
How German filmmakers hijacked part of California, stole its identity, and used it to scam an entire country.
I think I've finally figured out the origin of the expression, "If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you": Bluewater, California.
The "bridge" to which I refer crosses the Colorado River, and connects Bluewater, California with its sister-city, Bluewater, Arizona. According to the city's web site, downtown Bluewater offers a range of bars and restaurants where you can dine on seafood fished from local waters, get locally-grown produce from the Farmer's Market every Wednesday and Saturday, and enjoy summer poetry in the park.
Imagine the shock when KVPK7, Bluewater's own local news channel reported that the tiny city had become the target of an attempted suicide bombing ... CONTINUE READING »
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DNA hacking: the ultimate identity theft
Israeli scientists are declaring war on DNA evidence. According to a paper published today in the journal, Forensic Science International: Genetics, scientists in Tel Aviv have have demonstrated that it is in fact possible to fabricate DNA evidence, opening up an entirely new avenue of reasonable doubt.
As quoted to the New York Times by lead author, Dr. Dan Frumkin, “You can just engineer a crime scene. Any biology undergraduate could perform this.” ... CONTINUE READING »
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- Nucleix Researchers Discover DNA Evidence May Easily Be Falsified :: PR Newswire: Survey, Polls & Research
- DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show :: NYT > Science
- Future Problems For Criminal Justice? Individual DNA Can Now Be Replicated In A Lab :: Say Anything
- NO LONGER A GOLD STANDARD: DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show. The scientists fabri :: Instapundit
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Reality TV fans: This is your chance to be on TV’s Big Brother
CBS TV's Big Brother
OK, I'll admit it: I'm a reality TV junkie--including, but not limited to, CBS's Big Brother. (Go ahead, laugh, tease, ridicule. I can handle it.) And, now I come to find Big Brother is a fan of me!
Almost any night of the week, America tunes in to see good looking people who gave up their mundane lives and mediocre livelihoods for a chance have complete strangers watch their every move. If this has always been a dream of yours, I have great news:
Now, you can have complete strangers watch your every move! You don't have to be good looking, and you don't even have to give up your mundane life or mediocre livelihood.
What's the secret? It's called PrimeSense. PrimeSense is a revolutionary set-top box (STB) which, according to the company's web site, "allows a computer to perceive the world in 3D and derive an understanding of the world based on sight, just the way humans do. The device includes a sensor, which sees a user (including their complete surroundings), and a digital component, or 'brain' which learns and understands user movement within those surroundings."
George Orwell's "1984"
According to CableFAX, a cable industry publication, a "chip resides in a camera on the STB that provides something similar to thermal images, showing how many people are in front of the TV, etc."
PrimeSense was voted Best New Product Idea at CableLabs' Innovation Showcase in Denver, CO. CableLabs (Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.) is a non-profit research and development consortium founded in 1988 by cable operating companies. Votes were cast through informal polling of cable industry executives. Which is good news, if you were hoping to have complete strangers watching your every move. Because, it could be coming to a cable set-top box near you.
Via SlashDot (http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/08/11/2236252/Sensor-To-Monitor-TV-Watchers-Demoed-At-Cable-Labs?from=rss)
Join the conversation...
- As a LONG time Verizon customer I switched to the wonderful iPhone. Great device.Verizon's claims of great coverage doesn't apply to me. I didn't have enough bars to take or make calls and I live only 2.5 miles from downtown St Paul on the highest point within 10 miles.My AT&T coverage...
