Silly/Odd News Stories from around the World

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Dealtalk: Google bid "pi" for Nortel patents and lost



Nice one Google. Those 6,000 patents aren't worth more pie than it should - good job at making other companies waste money.

I don't think Nortel Network's patents are worth that much : their last year's financial earnings are only 620m in revenue, so at most we can give it a 200% inflation to 1.24b. 4.5b is ridiculous.

Someone is an ace E-bay troll bidder and sublimely brilliant - especially if it so easily confused competitive bidders.

In other odd/silly news, the Pope put out his own "first tweet" - filmed of course for the news.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/tec...702-1gvyp.html

[ganbaru]

Boston tavern boss happy as clam with chowder title
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...07-03-21-11-13

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by Vexx

Someone is an ace E-bay troll bidder and sublimely brilliant - especially if it so easily confused competitive bidders.

Actually I think the numbers are a PR thing. And despite what analysts claim these patents are worth the money. Because patents are sort of a bargaining tool, especially for IT/tech related businesses.

If you hold patents that are essential for other businesses you can gain access to their patents (for cooperating businesses that means free technologies for the cooperating parties) if you wish or you could deny others access (this is what big corporation usually does in the case of rivals).

Technically that gives big corporation (who hold vast amounts of patents) a competitive advantage over smaller businesses or start ups that have to license every patent they need.

The patent market is not so much about money as it is about control over access to technologies. Its like technological imperialism.

[ganbaru]

Can Will and Kate reverse our declining attachment to the monarchy?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2083910/
In Quebec, it's even worse than in the Rest of Canada...

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Jinto

Actually I think the numbers are a PR thing. And despite what analysts claim these patents are worth the money. Because patents are sort of a bargaining tool, especially for IT/tech related businesses.

If you hold patents that are essential for other businesses you can gain access to their patents (for cooperating businesses that means free technologies for the cooperating parties) if you wish or you could deny others access (this is what big corporation usually does in the case of rivals).

Technically that gives big corporation (who hold vast amounts of patents) a competitive advantage over smaller businesses or start ups that have to license every patent they need.

The patent market is not so much about money as it is about control over access to technologies. Its like technological imperialism.

But the thing is that technology often outdates itself faster than we know. Who knows, in 10 years down the road we would have holophones and holonets and all these telephony systems will simply be sitting ducks in the next wave of technology revolution.

Unlike Microsoft which has a perpetual hold on the tech market through its OS, the lack of earnings meant that Nortel's patents had alternatives, so buying them wouldn't be much of future use as they might be relegated to being legacy devices in probably less than a decade or so.

Originally Posted by Vexx

Someone is an ace E-bay troll bidder and sublimely brilliant - especially if it so easily confused competitive bidders.

Actually I do bids in prime numbers when I seriously want an item from an auction. *runs*

[Ithekro]

I recall back in 2001 when I visited Scotland that people seemed to not all that much care about the Royality so much anymore. They all respected the Queen and her mother, but there was no respect for Prince Charles or anyone else in the family anymore. They were keeping an eye on William and Henry though, seemingly more out of respect for Diana than anything else. At the Stone of Scone they said they would ship it to London to crown the next monachy, but it would come back that day or the next. They also said if anything they would rather the crown skip Charles completely...and given the age of his mother and grandmother...it seemed very likely that would happen. That or get rid of that institution once Queen Elizabeth II dies.

But, the Commonwealth seems to have taken a fancy to Prince William. Maybe they won't just scrap the Monarchy just yet.

[ganbaru]

Let's just say than some of Prince Charle's excentricity aren't helping.

[Jinto]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

But the thing is that technology often outdates itself faster than we know. Who knows, in 10 years down the road we would have holophones and holonets and all these telephony systems will simply be sitting ducks in the next wave of technology revolution.

Its more like an evolutionary process most of the time. If you have patents for the basic stuff on which all the progress is made, than you have something quite future proof. Besides, if your current systems already use these patents, you would not want rivals to own them (you don't want to stop selling your products and redesign them, just because someone bought the patents and denied you a license - this would turn out much more expensive then the money that was paid).

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Can Will and Kate reverse our declining attachment to the monarchy?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2083910/
In Quebec, it's even worse than in the Rest of Canada...

I think they have a chance to "humanize" the monarchy, bring it down to earth -- making it something quaint and endearing, a symbol of the culture. (rather like some of the other remaining monarchy have been able to accomplish).

[Xellos-_^]

whats the point of being king if you can't order someone heads cut off?

[Ithekro]

I recall that from, what was it, Bloom Country, as a quote for toddler Prince William.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

whats the point of being king if you can't order someone heads cut off?

To be a symbol.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

To be a symbol.

As Ithreko noted, that [whats the point of being king if you can't order someone heads cut off?] is actually an old quote from a Bloom County comic strip where a toddler Prince William asked that question when daddy told him about the duties of a modern king.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

As Ithreko noted, that [whats the point of being king if you can't order someone heads cut off?] is actually an old quote from a Bloom County comic strip where a toddler Prince William asked that question when daddy told him about the duties of a modern king.

Well, the comic strip made a couple of mistakes :

1. You cannot be a king to order someone's head cut off, you have to be a queen.

2. Even if you are the queen, you have to be part of a poker deck - the Queen of Hearts.

[Khu]

Well, there you have it.

[Endless Soul]

NY motorcyclist dies on ride protesting helmet law

ONONDAGA, N.Y. (AP) — Police say a motorcyclist participating in a protest ride against helmet laws in upstate New York died after he flipped over the bike's handlebars and hit his head on the pavement.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon in the town of Onondaga, in central New York near Syracuse.

State troopers tell The Post-Standard of Syracuse that 55-year-old Philip A. Contos of Parish, N.Y., was driving a 1983 Harley Davidson with a group of bikers who were protesting helmet laws by not wearing helmets.

Troopers say Contos hit his brakes and the motorcycle fishtailed. The bike spun out of control, and Contos toppled over the handlebars. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Troopers say Contos would have likely survived if he had been wearing a helmet.

Oh, the irony.

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Endless Soul

NY motorcyclist dies on ride protesting helmet law



Oh, the irony.

Let's just say than he died because of his choice. It's alway better than dying because of somone else's choice.

[synaesthetic]

Originally Posted by Endless Soul

NY motorcyclist dies on ride protesting helmet law



Oh, the irony.

Poetic justice.

I love riding motorcycles, but you'll never see me on one without a helmet. I'm not so stupid that I'd want my head splattered all over the asphalt. A motorcycle isn't like a car, you are completely exposed and unprotected without a helmet.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Let's just say than he died because of his choice. It's alway better than dying because of somone else's choice.

Except that his death costs the *community* a fair sum of money. That's the problem here... no one is really an island. Their actions or inactions impact the people around them. There's always been a balance between individual freedom and the well-being of the community.

My mother and her community a few years ago had to fight a local idiot that wanted to make his property a toxic waste dump. Quite likely would have poisoned the water supply.

[MrTerrorist]

Potato chips — the other natural way to get stoned

Excuse me while i go buy a bag of chips.......