Mac fan’s dream comes true
There’s a reason people love Apple. Actually, there’s lots of reasons, but one reason is that Apple can pull off publicity stunts like this. According to Wired, Apple fan Nick Haley created his own iPod touch ad and posted in on YouTube. Apple, always keen to support its fans (unless they happen to be early adopters of the iPhone), offered to fly Nick out to L.A. to reshoot his ad for broadcast quality.
No doubt Apple will make a huge meal out of the fact that Nick did this on his own time, and presumably with a Mac, but why shouldn’t they? The curmudgeon in me wants to spit all over this, but it’s hard to see a downside. Apple gets a neat fan-based ad. Fan gets to tell stories of Apple fandom to anyone who’ll listen. The only down side I can see is there’s an ad exec somewhere skipping a $200 lunch because he’s missing a pay cheque.
Robots don’t shoot back
It’s a tough world out there, especially if you’re a robot. Not only are you expected you build our automobiles, vacuum our floors and entertain us in third rate sci-fi movies, now you have to take a bullet in a hostage situation.A bomb disposal robot was sent in by police in Fort Myers, Fla., to capture videotape of a man who was holding his neighbour at gunpoint. The man, who has clearly seen his own fair share of cheesy sci-fi movies, shot out the robot’s camera eye. It was at that point that police moved in, presumably because someone yelled out “Robot officer down!” (just like in the movies). The man is now in hospital and undergoing a psychiatric examination.
Faster food
Not content to wait 35 seconds for a Quarter Pounder? Well, that may change soon. Fast Food chains are adopting artificial intelligence to better predict ordering patterns so they have a better inventory of unhealthy beef products. The most recent chain to purchase the software, from a developer of call centre applications called Exit 41, is none other than Swiss Chalet. Let’s face it, when you need a quarter chicken dinner, you need it pronto, not five minutes from now. Is it lunch time yet?
