WOW. A prototype phone running Microsoft’s new Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system was reported stolen. This has to be the craziest article that I’ve read recently.

Link:  http://www.dailytech.com/Windows+Mobile+65+Prototype+Phone+Stolen/article14327.htm

Mere days after it was unveiled to the public for the first time, a phone loaded with an upcoming version of Microsoft’s operating system for “Windows Phones” was stolen right out of the pocket of a Telstra executive.  The prototype HTC smartphone was loaded with Windows Mobile 6.5, which features an improved user interface and a much friendlier user experience.  DailyTech covered it earlier this week, and it has since met with a generally positive welcome.

The theft took place at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2009, which was held at Barcelona this week.  The MWC is an annual convention where the latest mobile and wireless products and trends are being showcased by device makers and Telcos.  Other handsets shown with Windows Mobile 6.5 at the MWC include devices from phone maker LG.  It is not known whether the pinched device is an HTC Touch Diamond 2 or the Touch Pro 2.

The stolen phone belonged to Telstra chief executive Sol Trujillo, who was testing the device before its release at the end of the year.  It is understood, however, that the device was in the possession of another unnamed Telstra executive at the time of the theft, which has since been confirmed by a spokesperson for the Australian telecommunications company.

New smartphones are typically given out to high-level Telco executives for testing prior to their actual launch.

Microsoft has played down the implications of the theft in the meantime.  A spokesman said, “Although we regret that the prototype given to Telstra was misplaced, we don’t envisage the loss of one Windows Mobile 6.5 phone in Barcelona as impacting Microsoft in any way.”

The MWC this year was apparently marred by various pick pocketing, theft and street crime that took place during the congress.  According to The Inquirer, the problem was so bad that GSMA told the mayor of Barcelona that the venue would be moved if the level of theft did not improve.

There were reports of other participants that had their mobile phone stolen while at least one participant was admitted at a Barcelona hospital after being stabbed.

Indeed, a journalist who lost a rucksack containing all her possessions recapped her experience at the local police station.  She said, “There were about 10 of us at the police station, and the victims … were from different countries and race groups, representing a wide spectrum of ICT companies, all attending the Mobile World Congress.”

Assuming they don’t appear on eBay earlier, smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.5 should be released soon.

Damn, I can’t believe it….Phelps gets caught smoking pot.  Wow.  If your going to do it, and you’re someone like Phelps, don’t let someone take a picture of you doing it.  It seems like everyone and their mother smokes weed nowadays.  It might as well be legalized at this point.  Link to news article:  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gav61lYnY-W3nlJteKSkTVKT6buAD962TVMG1

Haven’t updated in a while….been extremely busy with work, Inauguration Weekend, holiday partying, and vital life functions such as eating and sleeping.  I’ve just received a “new toy” in the mail yesterday, so that is going to keep my busy for a little bit longer…will update after I’m done playing with that.  For now, just read this comic and LYAO.

Wow, so Apple isn’t going to do Macworld anymore.  I just had a chat with my buddy the other night about that.  From the Apple Website:

CUPERTINO, California—December 16, 2008—Apple® today announced that this year is the last year the company will exhibit at Macworld Expo. Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the opening keynote for this year’s Macworld Conference & Expo, and it will be Apple’s last keynote at the show. The keynote address will be held at Moscone West on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. Macworld will be held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center January 5-9, 2009.

Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.

Apple has been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

From Engadget:

Microsoft long ago fessed up that the Xbox 360 was capable of scratching discs, and it even offered a (somewhat limited) exchange program for damaged games, but some recently unsealed documents from an ongoing lawsuit now suggest that the company was well aware of the issue for about as long as the console has been around. According to The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Microsoft first discovered the problem in September or October of 2005, and it even went so far as to send a “team of engineers” to stores across the US to determine the best course of action. Apparently, they came up with three options, two of which proved to be impractical, and one of which (installing small bumpers in each and every console) proved to be too expensive, leading Microsoft to offer the disc exchange instead. What’s more, the documents apparently also revealed that some Microsoft employees thought that the warning labels on the console were insufficient, and that the company has received complaints about the problem from more than 55,000 customers as of April 30th of this year. No word on any movement just yet in the lawsuits themselves just yet but one of them, filed back in July of 2007, is seeking class-action status on behalf of everyone that’s bought an Xbox 360.

Link to article:  http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/15/documents-suggest-microsoft-knew-xbox-360-could-damage-discs-all/

Good day the interwebs are fast at my house.  The series of tubes that deliver the internets to my house are torn wide open from all of the internets that I’ve been ramming through the holes of said tubes.  The service was a little sketchy at first, but I stretched those tubes out by ramming them nonstop at full force, now they can handle my loads with no problem.  As promised, Ryan:  Pic delivered and link sent to your IM and Twitter.

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Man, I met up with my brother right after he had finished filming this.  He said it was probably the saddest thing he’s ever had to film.

Hahahahaha!

If this doesn’t qualify as awesome….  From their Website:

Learn how a SIM card works (the small card inside GSM cell phones) make a SIM card reader, view deleted messages, phone book entries and clone/crack a SIM card.

Modify a “retired” payphone so it can be used as a home telephone and for VoIP (Skype). Then learn how to modify the hacked payphone so it accepts quarters – and lastly, use a Redbox to make “free phone” calls from the modified coin-accepting payphone.

Definitely a good watch if anything else.