Author: Adam

Bord Gáis Muppets

Since nobody else has asked yet:

What in fuck’s name was that data doing on a laptop?

Some 75,000 Bord Gais customers have been warned to monitor their bank accounts for suspicious transactions after a laptop computer containing their account details was stolen.

The office of the data protection commissioner told those affected that fraudsters could potentially use their information to withdraw money from their accounts or take out loans in their name.

“The risk may be low but there is a risk,” said deputy data protection commissioner Gary Davis.

Four laptops were stolen from Bord Gáis offices on Foley St in Dublin’s north inner city in the early hours of June 5th.

One of the computers, containing the banking details of around 75,000 people, was not encrypted.

The laptop contains details such as account numbers, home addresses and branch details of people who had recently switched from the ESB as part of Bord Gais’s “big switch” campaign.

via The Irish Times

QDB: Prejudice

<beser> Today my History class took a feild trip to the Museum of Tolerance. Its a museum showing kids not to be prejudice and all that good stuff.
<beser> Anyways, one exhibit is two doors next to each other. One door has a sign hanging over it saying “Those with prejudice walk through this door” The other door’s sign said “Those without prejudice walk through this door”. Obviously the door for people without prejudice isn’t openable because as the tour guide says “Everyone has prejudice”.
<beser> So, I start tugging on the door and say “What the hell is wrong with this damn door, did some damn Jew make this?” and the tour guide kicked me out and i had to sit in the bus for 15 minutes

via QDB: Quote #349135.

QDB: Skipping

<DemonEater> wtf
<DemonEater> ESPN is showing 2003 national jump rope championship
<DemonEater> who the hell watches jump rope competiti— ooh bouncy

via QDB: Quote #146497.

Opera Unite

While I won’t assign it the “reinvention of the web” tag others are giving it quite yet, Opera Unite is something new in a space where we really don’t see truly fresh things very often. In a nutshell, it’s a mashup of “traditional” web services, peer-to-peer, and your browser; in more detail, it’s locally hosted file sharing and communications, with the following services out of the box:

  • Media Sharing / Player
  • File Sharing
  • Web Server
  • Photo Sharing
  • Messaging (“Fridge”)
  • Chat (“Lounge”)

Yes, we can install all those services on our own computers – many of us have done for years – but the social aspect makes them all much more accessible. It’s a bit clunky now, but in time – particularly if they hook up with Facebook Connect or similar – you’ll be able to find people and help people find you, and take complete control of your services.

I like this. I won’t use it right now because I couldn’t possibly move away from the browser I’ve created out of Firefox, but  when it comes out of beta I could well switch over. I like control over my data, and Unite gives it to me.

QDB: Metallica

<SRG> Metallica sold out in 45 mins :/
<NotOneOfUs> Yeah I know.
<NotOneOfUs> Oh wait
<NotOneOfUs> You mean, like, a concert?
<SRG> yes

via QDB: Quote #197845.

QDB: Linguistics

<Malagmyr> This linguistics professor was lecturing the class.
<Malagmyr> “In English,” he explained, “a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative.”
<Malagmyr> “However,” the professor continued, “there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative.”
<Malagmyr> Immediately, a voice from the back of the room piped up: “Yeah….. right….”

via QDB: Quote #734797.

QDB: Lions

<samsim> I heard about this guy who broke into a lion’s den at the zoo
<samsim> and got mauled
<samsim> and people were talking about how there should have been better defences put up to prevent people getting into the cage
<samsim> a friend of mine suggested setting up some kind of deterrent
<samsim> for example, putting some sort of fierce animal in the cage, which would attack anybody who climbed in

via QDB: Quote #628630.

Rumour: Koenigsegg to buy Saab

Fingers crossed someone in Saab kept the plans for the 900 Turbo. Surely be to god if anyone can get Saab back where they belong, it’s Koenigsegg?

Autoblog: We don’t have much to go on yet, but Swedish television is reportedly claiming that Koenigsegg, makers of ultra high-performance exotic supercars, and a group of Norwegian investors have signed a letter of intent with Saab to take over the brand from General Motors. Final negotiations will reportedly take place in the coming months.