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"Bionic" goose happy to have new leg, disappointed by lack of retractable laser cannon
Not wanting to let Betty the gosling goose meet an untimely fate, a UK vet outfitted the anatidae with a bionic leg, allegedly the first operation of its kind in the world (not counting Robot Chicken, of course). She's currently learning to walk again at nearby Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital at Buckinghamshire. Does she now possess super speed, the ability to make large vaults without using her wings, or a super powerful kick? All signs point to no, but a new lease on life has gotta count for something, right?
UK ATMs set to offer WiFi access, free for BT and iPhone users
BT Broadband customers and O2 iPhone owners, rejoice -- some 2,500 ATM machines near you will soon be converted to serve as free WiFi hotspots, courtesy of BT Openzone and Cashbox, perhaps the most mismatched pair of commercial metaphors ever put together. The initial rollout starts with 10 machines this week and numbers are expected to steadily increase. Non-BT users and iPhone heretics wanting to join in the fun will have to shell out £5.88 ($10) for 90 minutes or a more reasonable £9.79 ($16) for 24 hours.[Via Tech Digest]
Asus Eee PC T91 reviewed in the UK: "genuinely moves things forwards" for netbook market
Asus' Eee PC T91 has gotten its first review ahead of the reported late May / early June UK launch, and those cats at TechRadar seem quite smitten with the swivel-proficient touchscreen netbook. Battery life is said to be solid, though points are deducted for not being replaceable. Some issues with the resistive touchscreen also plagued the pre-production model, and while the company assures those kinks are being worked out, we can't help but worry they'll invariably still find their way into the finished product, and that glossy display will no doubt keep the memories of fingerprints long after you want it to. Despite these concerns, the review gives much love for the overall performance, video playback, build quality, and keyboard. At £449 ($688), it ain't the cheapest option on the market, but we do appreciate Asus straying a bit from its tried and true netbook formula. Now how about news on a stateside release, eh?
Angry British villagers block Google Street View car, incident captured on CCTV
Look we understand demands for privacy. We just find it ironic that citizens of Broughton (pronunciation: bak-wərd), a small village in a nation where CCTV cameras look, evaluate behavior, and sometimes speak at virtually every intersection, would block a Google Street View car on grounds of invasion of privacy. Seems to us that they've given up on that right a long, long time ago. Though the police were called, the villagers eventually let Google's contractor pass peacefully -- presumably after assurances were given that cameras can not, in fact, steal your soul.
British children surveyed: "poor children don't have mobile phones"
Researchers in England recently polled children about their views on poverty, and in their eyes, what signs indicated that another child was poor. The children ages ranged from seven to sixteen, and surprisingly one in five kids reported that not having a mobile phone was a sign that other children were poor -- the highest response among all the indicators. The study was used to demonstrate that school-age children are paying close attention to the most obvious signs of wealth among their peers, while ignoring the more damaging indicators like being unable to pay for food or being without a safe place to go after school. We're not even sure a six year old should know what a cellphone is let alone make snap judgments about a person's wealth based on it, but if you think age six is too young for British kids to have mobile phones, another country has them beat.[Via textually.org and SMS Text News]
ELSPA: Manhunt ban is good. Us: WTF?
ELSPA Director General Paul Jackson has issued a statement praising the BBFC's recent decision to deny classification for Rockstar's Manhunt 2, effectively banning the game from sale in Great Britain. Jackson said the decision "demonstrates that we have a games ratings system in the UK that is effective" and emphasized that the arrangement "works and works well."Frankly, we're a bit shocked that an organization whose stated mission is to "protect, promote and provide for the interests of all its members" would support state-sponsored censorship of one of its member's products. The point of ratings, at least as we see it, is to inform the public about the content of a game before they buy it, so they're not surprised by any objectionable materials contained within. The whole idea is that informed consumers can make the best choices for themselves and their families. The BBFC's decision goes against this ideal by effectively telling British adults they're not mature enough to decide whether or not they can handle this game. How is that an "effective" system?Jackson's statement does not address BBFC Director David Cooke's unsupported assertion that the game's availability would "involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors ... [that] would be unacceptable to the public." Does ELSPA really agree that the mere availability of a game to adults can damage a society so badly that its distribution must be stopped? If so, is that a message ELSPA's member organizations are willing to get behind as well?In his statement, Jackson stresses that games "appeal to all kinds of people across the country, young and old, male and female." What about the people Manhunt 2 appeals to? Apparently, they're just out of luck, as far as ELSPA's concerned.[Via GameStooge]
