Monthly Archives: May 2007


Midwest Mob Announces New Scam

The Iowa and Kansas lotteries announced a joint effort to fleece folks of $3.12 million: an instant-scratch lottery game called Midwest Millions. 1.2 million scratch tickets will be sold for $10 each:


Click image to enlarge.

What are your chances? 64.7% of the tickets will get nothing. The other 35.3 % will share the 74%, $8.8 million, payout. The mob rakes in a cool $3.12 million.

Hey, if this isn’t theft or fraud perhaps we should set up a private business to operate a few of these upstanding scratch ticket games?


Virtual Street Walking

No, I’m not talking about something you might do in Second Life.
Rather, check out Google Map’s new Street View capability for parts of San Francisco, Denver, New York, Las Vegas and Miami.
For instance, go to 76 Broadway, New York, click on the new Street View button in the upper right of the map and then click on the small human icon on the map: up pops a street view of that locaton. Drag the icon to a different location for another view or expand the Street View image for a more detailed look.
If Street View is not available for an area the Street View button will not appear on the map.
Definitely a nifty upgrade though some of the images are a bit fuzzy.
The map wars are heating up. This is a neat response to Microsoft’s 3D maps and does not require you to load extra software to use.

Via Primate Labs Blog.


Price Gouging Quote of the Day

On the critters who passed the price gouging legislation:

We are not dealing with “men of common intelligence.” We are dealing with politicians. That’s precisely the problem.

Kip explains why the bill should be considered unconstitutional and has plenty of links to discussions of the broken price gouging bill that just passed in the house of republican party and democratic party representatives.

Yes, they represent their parties and only pretend to represent their local electorates.


Try On This Display

Well, you can’t try it on just yet but Sony has just announced:

…a razor-thin display that bends like paper while showing full-color video.

capt.tok10505250445.japan_sony_thin_display_tok105.jpg

“In the future, it could get wrapped around a lamppost or a person’s wrist, even worn as clothing,” said Sony spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa. “Perhaps it can be put up like wallpaper.”

I like the wallpaper idea! “Repainting” becomes as easy as changing the wallpaper on your computer monitor.

If they can form this into a durable enough material you might be able to dramatically reduce the size of your dressers and closets. Imagine how difficult this could make deciding what to wear to the party tonight. You could have millions or billions of complex image choices. On the other hand, you will probably be able to load most if not all of them into the terabyte compact flash that you slide into the outfits network connector.