Search for ‘Search’ on www.google.com and click on I am feeling lucky…

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What do you see? Irony?

It takes you to Live Search!

Update: March 3rd 2007, It now takes you to www.google.com. So google did correct it’s error.

Parents with kids who use Messenger like it’s some sort of life support system never fear - you will soon (very soon as a matter of fact) be able to choke your kids with the virtual rope of the Internet and the Windows Live Family Safety program - maybe not the most apt of descriptions but you see where I’m coming from.

To put this clearly - the parent’s Windows Live ID will oversee the child’s Windows Live ID (as the Family Safety product does anyway), but now parents will be able to approve and decline contacts to the child’s Windows Live Messenger view. Parents will be able to view information on the person who’s about to be added, view their Space, check ages etc.

How brilliant - this will really reduce the amount of abuse in Windows Live Messenger. Finally I can say, go Microsoft

This is what the abstract of the patent says:

“An amusement apparatus including a user-operated and controlled apparatus for self-infliction of repetitive blows to the user’s buttons by a plurality of elongated arms bearing a flexible extensions that rotate under the user’s control.”

erm.. seriously, wtf!? 

Wait! you have to see the diagram of this g*mp machine!:

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Source : European Patent Office

Thanks to Matt for ‘Hey check this out!’

Bill Gates appeared on The Daily Show prior to the Vista Launch in Europe. At the end of the show he left in a bit of a hurry. Jon Stewart the show host explains the real reason why Bill Gates left in such a hurry…

Another beta goes, another one is in the works. Windows Live Messenger 8.1 has been around now for around 6 months and a few days, and now it’s time the doors were shut. There were 3,009 registered users on the beta, a total of 1,010 bugs and 456 suggestions in total spanning the 6 months the product was in beta, and the newsgroups had over 6,000 posts. That’s quite something.

There are no final prizes for testers this time round, and work on Windows Live Messenger 9.0 has already begun (there will be no more interim releases, or at least if there are, there won’t be any beta programs for it). Current testers of Windows Live Messenger 8.1 who have access to the Microsoft Connect pages will be automatically transferred to the next beta (9.0) so don’t you worry - plenty more to come.

Download the final Windows Live Messenger 8.1 here!

There is a possibility I might meet Bill Gates in the near future and being the sarcastic, dry Brit that I am, I want to do something outrageous and totally off the wall. I want to totally snub him and do what nobody else has the guts to do, but I need your help!

Imagine this, he’ll walk up after shaking lots of hands and spouting crap to people, then it’ll my turn to shake his hand and say something odd to him. The person I choose to use their line I will pay them £20 (around $39) for their help.

Some lines I have come up with include:

• Can I call you Willy?
• Could you possibly lend me a tenner? I heard you’re loaded.
• Can you lend me my Tube fare home?
• On hi, nice to meet you too. I’ll have a lager and my friend will have a Coke - he’s driving by the way.
• Who are you?!?
• So… you’re a geek then?
• Oh cool, you shop at Topshop too? I’ve got that very same jumper!
• Haha! You may be the richest man in the world but you’ve still got a boss!!
• Hmmm… so what do you do again?
• Are you related to Gareth by any chance?
• Is your wife just after your money, because you really are a moose.
• Nice combover
• Do you use Firefox or Internet Explorer?
• Hi there. I’m the richest guy in the world (I’d like to see what he says at that)
• Do you know when that jackass Bill Gates will come along? I’d love to kick his ass.
• Wow, your skin is really pasty… you must not get out much.
• Haha! Specky-four eyes!
• Woaahh there Billy Boy! Get a fresh mint - your bloody breath stinks!

Bet his wife was really pissed off when she saw this in The Seattle Times…

Microsoft AdCenter (the home of Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions) has displayed a few interesting statistics on their website. They seem a bit off to me, after spending time with Microsoft I know of the figures then but not as such now… so they may be for the world or certain parts - I think they’re for worldwide…

MSN Hotmail
33,170,000 unique users

MSN.com
46,268,000 unique users

Windows Live Messenger
28,055,000 unique users

Microsoft Office Live Online
18,113,000 unique users

Source: Neilsen NetRatings December 2006

Goolge has made a slight update to it’s Image search. It’s not clear how much else of the search engine they’ve updated if at all, but now offers an AJAX’d up (as everything seems to be nowadays) interface where you hover over an image you like and it displays information for it. Check it out - http://images.google.com and type something in.

I found on a Microsoft employee’s PowerPoint presentation a really old concept idea for Flip3D which we all know now is finalised, but it’s interesting to see a bit of nostalgia It’s obviously from the “Longhorn” days from the graphics, but I thought it’d still rather nice to post it. Enjoy!

Click the screenshot to enlarge it.