OUR OLD friends at Microsoft have been launching the Xbox games system round the world this month, following last November鈥檚 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鈥檚 spokespeople are told to give the press, is that 鈥渁fter moderate use, some discs may sustain small scratches on their outside edges. This is a natural occurrence created over time.鈥�
The spokespeople are also primed to explain that this isn鈥檛 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 鈥渘ormal occurrence鈥�. 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 鈥渨ill either repair or replace the disc鈥�.
We have asked how Microsoft Customer Care is going to 鈥渞epair鈥� damaged discs, and replace treasured recordings bought over 20 years. If we get an answer we鈥檒l 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鈥攂ut the Mobile Phone Protector to be found in the Tech & Electronics section of is described in such utter gibberish that it can鈥檛 go unrecorded.
Here鈥檚 what it says: 鈥淚t 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.鈥�
If anyone can tell us what that鈥檚 supposed to mean, we鈥檒l be glad to hear from them. Until then, we鈥檒l stick to our view that it鈥檚 total nonsense and wonder whatever happened to Britain鈥檚 Trades Description Act.
OH, AND while we鈥檙e on the subject of pseudoscientific gobbledegook, the Global Mind Sleep Booster featured in a novelty catalogue seen by reader Alan Craig 鈥減rovides a homeopathic-strength field similar to that emitted by the planets鈥�. This, apparently, helps establish a 鈥渘atural balance鈥� when we are 鈥渁ssaulted by surplus electromagnetic waves from, for example, bedside lamps, television sets or even alarm clocks鈥�. It costs 拢49.50 for those who choose to believe such tosh.
THERE ARE now well over 125 Web addresses containing the word 鈥渆nron鈥� according to a recent report on the IRE-L discussion group.
The names range from the benign 鈥�allaboutenron.com鈥�, 鈥�dailyenron.com鈥�, and 鈥�enron-case.net鈥� to the mildly amusing 鈥�allthepresidentsmenron.com鈥�, 鈥�enroncrumbles.com鈥�, and 鈥�enron-andersongate.com鈥�.
But, it is the downright scandalous 鈥�enroncoverup.com鈥�, 鈥�enroncrooks.com鈥�, and 鈥�enron-sucks.com鈥�, that caught Feedback鈥檚 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鈥檒l be able to sell them off as Enron continues to dominate the headlines?
DOES SANYO鈥橲 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 鈥渁 chemical sensor (which) contains a bovine-origin odor-binding protein鈥�.
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. 鈥淔etal distress鈥擫owest Prices on fetal distress at DealTime. Compare prices from 1000s of Stores and Save Instantly!鈥ook for fetal distress at eBay鈥擳he World鈥檚 Online Marketplace. Find it at eBay鈥擮ver 5 million items for sale! The most fun buying and selling on the web! Try it, you鈥檒l love it!鈥�
WHEN YOU type in a Web address that points to a missing page, a generic error message鈥攁 404鈥攏ormally appears. Evidently thought its visitors might be getting bored with the standard message, so after the regulation 鈥�404 File Not Found鈥� a haiku appears: 鈥淚 ate your Web page. Forgive me. It was juicy and tart on my tongue.鈥�
Make up a page address and try this yourself. Feedback鈥檚 was
FINALLY, it would seem that because of a lack of operating theatres, the British National Health Service has had to resort to using cinemas instead. A programme information email sent out by Showcase Cinemas in Peterborough states: 鈥淒ue to technical difficulties we encountered a delay in sending this week鈥檚 showtimes. We have made appropriate steps to remedy this delay. Thank you for your patients.鈥�