OUR OLD friends at Microsoft have been launching the Xbox games system round the world this month, following last November’s launch in the US. As well as games, the console can play music CDs and movie DVDs. But some users have found it scratches their discs. So we asked Microsoft why.
The official line, which the company’s spokespeople are told to give the press, is that “after moderate use, some discs may sustain small scratches on their outside edges. This is a natural occurrence created over time.”
The spokespeople are also primed to explain that this isn’t a problem because CDs and DVDs do not have recorded material right out to the edge.
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Well, Feedback has been playing CDs for almost 20 years, and DVDs for five, and edge scratching has never been a “normal occurrence”. Also CDs can now store 80 minutes of music, or 700 megabytes of data, and this pushes the vulnerable recording area right out to the edge. Quizzed on this, Microsoft has another answer ready: Microsoft Customer Care “will either repair or replace the disc”.
We have asked how Microsoft Customer Care is going to “repair” damaged discs, and replace treasured recordings bought over 20 years. If we get an answer we’ll pass it on, so watch this space.
SADLY, we could run examples of dubious product claims every week. We decided not to do it for a while—but the Mobile Phone Protector to be found in the Tech & Electronics section of is described in such utter gibberish that it can’t go unrecorded.
Here’s what it says: “It is clear that a new form of protection is needed against the adverse non-thermal influences of emissions from mobile phones. This Tecno AO provides protection in the form of electromagnetic biocompatibilty. This new tiny device, can be attached to the outside of most mobile phones. It works in 2 ways: 1 it maintains the integrity of the biological alpha rhythm: 2 Its magnetic signal helps to maintain ion protein links. In effect the mobile protectors ultra low magnetic induction intensity provides a coherent, continuous and corrective signal which compensates for the electromagnetic field of mobile phones.”
If anyone can tell us what that’s supposed to mean, we’ll be glad to hear from them. Until then, we’ll stick to our view that it’s total nonsense and wonder whatever happened to Britain’s Trades Description Act.
OH, AND while we’re on the subject of pseudoscientific gobbledegook, the Global Mind Sleep Booster featured in a novelty catalogue seen by reader Alan Craig “provides a homeopathic-strength field similar to that emitted by the planets”. This, apparently, helps establish a “natural balance” when we are “assaulted by surplus electromagnetic waves from, for example, bedside lamps, television sets or even alarm clocks”. It costs £49.50 for those who choose to believe such tosh.
THERE ARE now well over 125 Web addresses containing the word “enron” according to a recent report on the IRE-L discussion group.
The names range from the benign “allaboutenron.com“, “dailyenron.com“, and “enron-case.net” to the mildly amusing “allthepresidentsmenron.com“, “enroncrumbles.com“, and “enron-andersongate.com“.
But, it is the downright scandalous “enroncoverup.com“, “enroncrooks.com“, and “enron-sucks.com“, that caught Feedback’s eye.
Most of these sites have yet to be constructed. We wonder whether disgruntled ex-employees are about to flood cyberspace with a wave of legally dubious websites, or whether, as in the case of Philip Morris/Altria (see Feedback, 1 December, 2001), the lawyers are tying up loose ends. Or is it that someone is registering every Enron site name they can think of in the hope that they’ll be able to sell them off as Enron continues to dominate the headlines?
DOES SANYO’S legal department in Japan have a mischievous sense of humour?
Peter Steele, who specialises in searching out obscure patents, noticed international application 02/16915, filed by Sanyo Electric. An air inlet, light source and fluorescent chemical signal when a particular gas is present. Look closely at the abstract, Steele suggests.
We did. The patent is for “a chemical sensor (which) contains a bovine-origin odor-binding protein”.
Feedback could do with one of these detectors when sifting through some of the press releases which government departments and big companies put out.
READER Cathy Watson was searching for articles on fetal distress and was somewhat surprised by the following, which came up at search.freefind. “Fetal distress—Lowest Prices on fetal distress at DealTime. Compare prices from 1000s of Stores and Save Instantly!…Look for fetal distress at eBay—The World’s Online Marketplace. Find it at eBay—Over 5 million items for sale! The most fun buying and selling on the web! Try it, you’ll love it!”
WHEN YOU type in a Web address that points to a missing page, a generic error message—a 404—normally appears. Evidently thought its visitors might be getting bored with the standard message, so after the regulation “404 File Not Found” a haiku appears: “I ate your Web page. Forgive me. It was juicy and tart on my tongue.”
Make up a page address and try this yourself. Feedback’s was
FINALLY, it would seem that because of a lack of operating theatres, the British National 91ɫƬ Service has had to resort to using cinemas instead. A programme information email sent out by Showcase Cinemas in Peterborough states: “Due to technical difficulties we encountered a delay in sending this week’s showtimes. We have made appropriate steps to remedy this delay. Thank you for your patients.”
