ChunderBlog

Mar 01 2002 - Jul 31 2002 [PREV] [NEXT] [Creepy Eye]

Have iPod, Will Secretly Bootleg ... Cool article from wired. It may turn out to be an urban myth but it is certainly not unreasonable, and probably being imitated as we speak. Dude rocks into CompUSA and plugs his iPod into a firewire slot on a Mac and copies "Microsoft's new Office for OS X suite, which retails for $500" as well as god-knows-what-else onto its 5G drive. And then just shuffles on out of the store. I trust he got PhotoShop too.

The iPod is a newish small mp3 player with a 5G drive and a firewire connection. It's essentially Mac-centric - instantly recognized and icon-friendly when plugged into a Mac - and allegedly it's software prevents direct song swapping. But you can also simply copy files to and fro - or in this case the Easy Steal packaging of Office (just a drag and drop). This is much easier than previously reported stunts (like finding a machine connected to a 802.11 net and copying a CD image to a laptop in the car lot). The story is a bit smelly as he was allegedly spotted and reported ... but never let the truth get in the way of a good story!

What's the bet CompUSA has its Firewire ports taped up by now?

Turing's treatise on the enigma ... I was offered one of the machines in the late 90s in France for US$1500 - and even considered it. I played with one that belonged to Fred a little later and learnt it was worth 10 times the maybe-real one I was offered. Read all about it!

Historical Bondi?

Sure looks like Bondi. So who is he? A footie star from my younger days I think. Tell me! I lived up on the hill, Chez Ben Buckler, in more extravagant times. Fine hound too!

Nostalgia Update!

I bought a most excellent copy of the self titled Snotty Scotty and the Hankies album and had a very nostalgic weekend digitally remastering it. Check out www.californiaalbums.com for all your vinyl needs and maybe listen to a snippet. I'd love to sell CDs of this fine work for $5.19 ($5 to the band and .19c for the media) - someone contact me!

Correspondence:

brucee: Not sure you went to any of the parties where this song caused major neighbour annoyance and police intervention.
chuckee: I seem to remember most parties ended up that way....

And it's Harbour Bridge week. It wasn't finished when my mother's parents and a sister or two first arrived in Sydney Harbour to settle in Sydney's southern suburbs. I was on the bridge 20 years ago with a zillion other happy mates and sheilas for the 50th. We weren't dressed like that! The Hankies do Tha Bridge.

I guess you all read the Aftonbladet. I was marginally unaware of it until Letterman got such a cool award from them. Boyd will report back to me I'm sure.

And if that isn't strange enough ... how about this e-mail I got this week ...

What is chgundre. I ahve always associuated it with vomit.

Wake up and smell the sidewalk-pizza, Andrew. Yeah I know how tough those AZERTY keyboards are. And maybe read Kenny's Chicken Page or about Bacchus' Beer Scooter.

I've discovered Netcraft ... it's lotsa fun. Find out lotsa cool stuff, like www.linux64.com is running Windows and what sorta security a site is using for https. And that the Vatican runs Tru64 - yes 32 bits ain't enough for the big boy. And Mark V. Shaney has some comments from another big boy.

April 26, 2002 8:24 am EST

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A student who was suspended from Juneau high school after displaying a banner that urged "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" sued the principal and local school board Thursday, saying they had violated his right to free speech.

...

The banner's message -- a popular expression among snowboarders, who have developed their own slang -- was "intended to be silly, but provocative-silly," said Jennifer Rudinger, the union's executive director. A bong is a pipe used to smoke marijuana.