Humor

In the mid-1990's, 14 million homes in France had a government-sponsored microcomputer called The Minitel. The Minitel left much to be desired in terms of technological capabilities, as the system offered a black-and-white screen with slow ... connection speeds. The system was eventually replaced in favor of the forthcoming Internet. A French Internet service provider, Neuf Cegetel, has taken their inspiration from the Minitel and developed a brand-new computer based on a similar low-cost model. The new computer will be aimed directly at those who are unwilling or unable to purchase a high-end ... (view more)

22-year-old Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to create the social networking phenomenon. Judging from his recent comments, Zuckerberg probably didn't attend any age discrimination or public relations classes during his ... short stay at the ivy league school. Zuckerberg, in a recent event at Stanford University, has made it clear that he doesn't think experience is important; rather, it's being young that's an asset. "I want to stress the importance of being young and technical," he said, explaining that start-ups should only employ the young and technologically- ... (view more)

Blogging over the course of the first 24 hours of April can be a dangerous game. As if it isn't hard enough to pick apart the rumors from the reality in our tech world, some sources simply throw curveball after curveball on the morning of April ... Fools Day. The most blatant piece of goofery may be a recent Nvidia story, whereby the popular video card manufacturer has allegedly admitted a serious problem with its wares and is ready to replace or even upgrade them at no charge. According to reports -- some of which try their best to keep a "straight face" -- Nvidia's GeForce 8800 GTX and GTS ... (view more)

The past few weeks, I started following a news story that raises my ire! No, it isn't about Microsoft and Vista -- it's about a substitute school teacher that has been caught in what is termed a ... well, we'll call it an adult-oriented Pop-up Trap ... (if you know what I mean). To begin with, a 'Pop-up' Trap (or a 'Mouse' Trap) is when an Internet surfer clicks on a web site and is treated to a cascade of pop-ups, usually advertising offensive material geared toward twisted individuals. These ads come in at such a high rate of speed, the user cannot keep up with them. The content is also rather ... (view more)

We have all seen them: the Apple Mac versus Microsoft Windows PC. Some times they're funny, and sometimes they're scary -- but they always leave the lingering question in the back of our minds as to which is truly better. I must admit, I do not own ... a Mac. I do own a number of Windows and UNIX/Linux based PCs, though. And of the systems I own, many of them are from spare parts. They all run reliable and efficiently, and are updated regularly. With that being said, I stumbled upon a blog the other day that stated Bill Gates had voiced distaste for one of the newest of the aforementioned ... (view more)

One of the media's most prominent seniors, Larry King, of Larry King Live, recently informed the world on his show that he has never used the Internet. In an on-air interview with popular female comedian and (former) star Roseanne Barr, King told ... his guest and viewers that "I've never done it, never gone searching." For those who have criticized King for his cultural ignorance for years, it's only an affirmation of his age. But, is age the real factor? Studies show that senior usage of the Internet on the rise, making King look... not so good. It's Larry King's 49th year in broadcasting. It ... (view more)

Do you use regularly use email to keep in touch your friends and co-workers? I know I do! Well, according to a new study conducted by Parks Associates, that makes us old folks. Less than one-fifth of the 13-17 year olds who took the survey use email ... to communicate with their buddies, whereas 40 percent of adults between 25 and 54 rely on email to contact their friends. One-third of teens indicate that they contact their pals through instant messaging -- a big jump from adults, who number only 11 percent. Family, however, is a different story. There's "still a lot of face-to-face communication ... (view more)

Scott Adams has been the writer and illustrator of the popular and successful "Dilbert" comic strip since 1989. Eighteen months ago, Adams permanently lost his own voice. Yes, you're reading that correctly. It's a condition called Spasmodic ... Dysphonia. On the official Dilbert blog, Adams wrote: "I asked my doctor -- a specialist for this condition -- how many people have ever gotten better. Answer: zero." According to Adams, a "breathy and weak" voice can be achieved with "painful Botox injections through the front of the neck and into the vocal cords." And so a long and painful journey began ... (view more)

The coffee powerhouse Starbucks was recently slapped with a $114 million lawsuit after they pulled their e-mail-based free drink offer. Starbucks sent out an e-mail on August 23rd to select employees offering the coupon and requesting that they ... forward it to their families and friends. The coupon offered a free Grande drink, valid until September 30th. (Source: yahoo.com ) Not surprisingly, the forwarded coupons multiplied. Shortly after, Starbucks rescinded the offer when "it had been redistributed beyond its original intent." (Source: bbc.com ) The lawsuit was initiated after a customer in ... (view more)

Searching for comedy on the Internet is not always easy. However, the task just got a lot easier thanks to Rooftop Comedy. Rather than having to scour the Internet -- or even general video websites like YouTube -- Rooftop Comedy provides a single ... place that houses over one hundred clips from various comedians. And unlike what you may find on television, clips on Rooftop Comedy are uncensored. (Source: rooftopcomedy.com ) Rooftop Comedy states that their website was founded by "one comic, some Internet geeks, and former broadcasters." It offers a free membership which users can join to receive ... (view more)