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Comments: 461   What Does Google Suggest Suggest About Humanity? on Friday November 06, @02:40PM Comments: 461

Posted by samzenpus on Friday November 06, @02:40PM
from the fire-makes-things-hot dept.
CNETNate writes "You'll laugh, but mostly you'll cry. Some of the questions Google gets asked to deliver results for is beyond worrying. 'Can you put peroxide in your ear?', 'Why would a pregnancy test be negative?', and 'Why can't I own a Canadian?' being just a selection of the truly baffling — and disturbing — questions Google is regularly forced to answer."

*

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+-   Exam brute-forced by world's worst test taker[->] on Saturday November 07, @02:09AM unixan

Submitted by unixan on Saturday November 07, @02:09AM
idle
unixan writes "What can you do with $4,200, and a lot of time on your hands? Why not brute force a written exam, the old fashion way?

The exam consisted of 50 multi-choice questions, and required a 60 percent score to pass. The would-be student, now a likely nominee for an Iggy, required 950 attempts to raise a score that started in the 30 percent range.

How about it, Slashdotters: assuming 50 questions with 5 choices each, could you program a brute force script (with learning capability based on final score) and beat the worlds worst test taker?"
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Comments: 3 +-   Woman gets driver's license after 950 tries[->] on Friday November 06, @04:25PM mr crypto

Submitted by mr crypto on Friday November 06, @04:25PM
idle
mr crypto writes "Maybe some things should just not be. They were not totally explicit as to whether she failed the written or the practical. South Korea does have a practical ... right?"
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Comments: 1 +-   Fans attempt to buy the Terminator Franchise on Thursday November 05, @06:17PM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 05, @06:17PM
idle
An anonymous reader writes "Fans are attempting to make the Terminator Franchise into a FANchise. They plan to pool funding and collectively control the future of the franchise. Sounds like they would need about a million fans each contributing 45 dollars...but then you only have 1 in a million say on the future of terminator...then again...that is a lot more than you have now. The site is here: www.terminatorfanchise.com"
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Comments: 2 +-   Casino Denies Man $166 Million Jackpot[->] on Thursday November 05, @11:34AM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 05, @11:34AM
idle
An anonymous reader writes "After having played on the slot machine for over 30 minutes, Bill Seebeck was ecstatic when the slot machine he was playing on Sunday hit the jackpot—$166 million.

However, The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa was less than enthusiastic, telling Seeback his win was a mistake because the machine malfunctioned. Thus, the casino refused to pay Seebeck his prize as the machine was only suppose to have a maximum pay out of $99K. Currently, the casino refuses to even pay out that amount."
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+-   What does Google Suggest suggest about humanity?[->] on Thursday November 05, @08:19AM CNETNate

Submitted by CNETNate on Thursday November 05, @08:19AM
idle
CNETNate writes "You'll laugh, but mostly you'll cry. Some of the questions Google gets asked to deliver results for is beyond worrying. 'Can you put peroxide in your ear?', 'Why would a pregnancy test be negative?', and 'Why can't I own a Canadian?' being just a selection of the truly baffling — and disturbing — questions Google is regularly forced to answer."
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+-   Low-Energy Laser Etching May Replace Fruit Labels[->] on Wednesday November 04, @01:10PM MikeChino

Submitted by MikeChino on Wednesday November 04, @01:10PM
idle
MikeChino writes "How many times have you bit into a piece of fruit only to find that you’re also chomping on a sticker label? The small sticky labels have long been the bane of waste-conscious fruit and vegetable eaters, but that might all change thanks to new technology that uses a low-energy carbon dioxide laser beam to etch information directly onto produce. No more peeling those annoying labels! So far the technology is being used on a number of fruits and vegetables in New Zealand, Australia, and Pacific Rim countries, and it's currently going through the final stages of review by the FDA. Once the technology is approved in the U.S., researchers from the University of Florida and the USDA Agricultural Research Service hope that it will be used in Florida’s massive grapefruit industry."
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+-   Man Denied Right to Vote Because He Hates Computer[->] on Wednesday November 04, @12:53PM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 04, @12:53PM
idle
An anonymous reader writes "A Houston man wasn't allowed to vote in yesterday's mayoral election because he refuses to use computers and there were no other options available. No paper ballots? Skynet is taking over."
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Comments: 1 +-   Iranian NATSEC: Magic? Science? Who cares! on Wednesday November 04, @12:40PM jggimi

Submitted by jggimi on Wednesday November 04, @12:40PM
idle
jggimi writes "In yesterday's New York Times, Iraq Swears by Bomb Detector U.S. Sees as Useless reports of sales of fifteen hundred remote sensing devices to Iran's Ministry of the Interior, at prices ranging from $16,500 to $60,000 each. Used for bomb and weapon detection at checkpoints, these devices, that have no battery or other power source, are waved about "'...on the same principle as a Ouija board — the power of suggestion — said a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, who described the wand as nothing more than an explosives divining rod."

Debunked by the US Military, the US Department of Justice, and even Sandia National Laboratories, the Iranians are thrilled with the devices. "'Whether it's magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs,' said Maj. Gen. Jehad al-Jabiri, head of the Ministry of the Interior's General Directorate for Combating Explosives."

Last year, the James Randi Educational Foundation offered a $1 Million prize to "...any of the manufacturers, distributors, vendors, advertisers, or retailers of the ... device....Such test can be performed by anyone, anywhere, under your conditions, by you or by any appointed person or persons, in direct satisfaction of any or all of the provisions [in their promotional material]."

No one has taken the foundation up on its offer."
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+-   Odd Organizations & Movements that only Thrive[->] on Tuesday November 03, @06:25AM digitalfever

Submitted by digitalfever on Tuesday November 03, @06:25AM
idle
digitalfever writes "One of the most celebrated functions of the Internet is an unprecedented ability for people to connect. This has led to social networks, online dating, and, it turns out, a lot of people connecting over really strange things. Here are some of the more interesting clubs that the internet has helped give life to."
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+-   Lost and found: could GPS keep tabs on your pets?[->] on Tuesday November 03, @01:14AM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 03, @01:14AM
idle
An anonymous reader writes "Google Latitude has already made headlines for allowing phone users to locate their friends, and there are countless other iPhone and Android phone apps already designed to transmit your location — but could pets be the next big thing in GPS tracking? A number of device manufacturers are marketing GPS technology as a futuristic tool for tracking your cat or dog, and even discovering exactly where they've been. These devices are sold under a number of names and brands, including Sportdog, LoCATor, RoamEO, Petcell, Zoombak and Pettrack."
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+-   Fruit bats have oral sex too[->] on Saturday October 31, @09:21AM sciencehabit

Submitted by sciencehabit on Saturday October 31, @09:21AM
idle
sciencehabit writes "Researchers at Guangdong Entomological Institute in Guangzhou, China, have observed oral sex for the first time in a non-primate. During intercourse, female short-nosed fruit bats lick the genitals of their partner, a possible ploy to increase copulation time. The discovery suggests there may be a biological advantage to fellatio. Science carries the story, along with a video. Blog coverage also at BoingBoing and Not Exactly Rocket Science."
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+-   Secretarial mistake costs $1.26 billion to Pepsi[->] on Thursday October 29, @08:08PM 9gezegen

Submitted by 9gezegen on Thursday October 29, @08:08PM
idle
9gezegen writes "Pepsi learned that if it needs to continue "Refresh Everything"TM, it needs an extra $1.26 billion. It looks like one of the secretaries forget to inform company lawyers about a a trade secrets case in a Wisconsin state court. When nobody arrived to court, the judge gave $1.26 billion default judgement According to Pepsi lawyers, they were not properly served because the secretary was "so busy preparing for a board meeting." One may think she was working on the refreshments. Perhaps Pepsi should learn more about Spamhaus case."
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+-   "Dead" Facebook User Gets Better[->] on Thursday October 29, @05:27AM Two9A

Submitted by Two9A on Thursday October 29, @05:27AM
idle
Two9A writes "With the recent introduction of memorial accounts on Facebook, the potential arises for hilarity and abuse. Simon Thulbourn's Facebook page has been marked as "in memorial", on the word of a report submitted by one of his friends; unfortunately, the closest the report gets to Simon is that the funeral service in question was officiated by "Revd Simon Thorburn", which seems to be enough for Facebook to mark an unrelated user's profile as dead. Questions have previously been raised about the standard of proof required by Facebook for this service; it seems that those questions were pertinent, if the lax attention paid to these reports by Facebook staff continues."
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Comments: 1 +-   Family Guy proves too un-PC for Microsoft[->] on Wednesday October 28, @11:55AM Barence

Submitted by Barence on Wednesday October 28, @11:55AM
idle
Barence writes "Two weeks after announcing its sponsorship of a special episode of Fox's edgy animated sitcom Family Guy, the computer giant has pulled out, saying the programme is "not a fit with the Windows brand". Quite why Microsoft thought Family Guy would complement their brand is anyone's guess — the Family Guy special that was to be sponsored by Microsoft was recorded on October 16 and reportedly features jokes about deaf people, the Holocaust, feminine hygiene and incest. Fox plans to air the show on November 8, as scheduled, partnered with a new, as-yet undisclosed, "integrated" sponsor."
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Comments: 1 +-   Schwarzenegger Flips Off Lawmakers on Wednesday October 28, @11:24AM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 28, @11:24AM
idle
An anonymous reader writes "Here is something for idle to chew on. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is ticked off.

He’s tired of signing bills that don’t address the pet causes he deems important. So when another unworthy bill crossed his desk recently for signing — addressing funding issues for the Port of San Francisco — the guv vetoed it and sent lawmakers a little note saying why. Only the note said a little more than lawmakers were expecting.

A shortcut to the letter supposedly sent by the Govenator can be found here. If you are still stumped, this should clear it up.

I have to admit, I never expected him to be this cleaver."
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+-   The Monrovian Analog Blogger[->] on Tuesday October 27, @04:50PM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 27, @04:50PM
idle
An anonymous reader writes "Motherboard.TV writes:

"In Monrovia, Liberia, there’s a guy taking the matter of a lopsided, state-run media and reshaping it into a free-of-charge, independent news-aggregator—all accomplished with dry-erase board and couple markers. (Sorry, internet!) Each morning, at 10:45 AM, Alfred Sirleaf wakes up and heads down to his bulletin board to post the day’s news, culling together a slate of stories his countrymen might otherwise never see. Grateful readers line up in droves, on foot and in cars, to read these updates, in what has been described as the country’s—and probably the world’s—only analog blog."

Full video (under 5 minutes) here: http://www.motherboard.tv/2009/10/27/monrovian-analog-blogger"
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+-   Facebook to preserve accounts of the dead [->] on Tuesday October 27, @03:37AM Barence

Submitted by Barence on Tuesday October 27, @03:37AM
idle
Barence writes "Social-networking site Facebook is planning to preserve the accounts of dead members. The new "memorialized" accounts will continue to display photos and wall posts, but remove "senstive information" such as status updates and contact information. Friends or family who want to report the death of a Facebook member are encouraged to fill out the site's Deceased form. The form asks for proof of death, such as an obituary or news article, although it's not clear how Facebook can validate the death of a member if neither of those pieces of information is published on the internet. How long before someone snuffs it on Facebook before their time?"
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+-   Yahoo! apologizes for Hiring Strippers[->] on Wednesday October 21, @11:45AM endikos

Submitted by endikos on Wednesday October 21, @11:45AM
idle
endikos writes "Yahoo! has apologized for hiring strippers to perform at its Taiwan Open Hack Day, where Yahoo! APIs and technologies are explored."
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+-   Singer in grocery store ordered to pay royalties[->] on Wednesday October 21, @11:39AM yog

Submitted by yog on Wednesday October 21, @11:39AM
idle
yog writes "An assistant at a grocery store in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, was ordered by the Performing Right Society (PRS) to obtain a performer's license and to pay royalties because she was informally singing popular songs while stocking groceries. The PRS later backed down and apologized. This after the same store had turned off the radio after a warning from the PRS. We have entered an era where music is no longer an art for all to enjoy, but rather a form of private property that must be regulated and taxed like alcohol. "Music to the ears" has become "dollars in the bank"."
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+-   Meteorite hits SUV[->] on Friday October 16, @04:02PM someyob

Submitted by someyob on Friday October 16, @04:02PM
idle
someyob writes "First of all, no one was hurt. With that out of the way, (a) do we need more proof SUVs are too big, and/or (b) is this a message of some kind?"
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What Does Google Suggest Suggest About Humanity?
Casino Denies Man $166 Million Jackpot
Louisville Ranks No. 1 In Online Porn Searches
Terrorists Ban Musical Ringtones

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