Skyping Penelope Cruz
“100% of the proceeds will benefit The Art of Elysium, a Los Angeles-based organization that encourages artists to dedicate their time and talent to under-served, at risk and hospitalised children…
“About Penelope Cruz: Penelope Cruz has proven herself to be one of the most versatile, young actresses by playing a variety of compelling characters…”
That’s the gist of an eBay auction we caught on 15th March. It ended that day, but worry not-you probably will still be able to Skype Ms Cruz (and other celebrities), because we found that a similar auction had ended 3 March. Google “Skype (celebrity name)”, and you just might have luck on your side.
One small hitch, though: you’ll never be able to find whether it’s for real, because you probably don’t have voice recognition software installed. But here’s an idea- involve your sister and create your own “Skype Aishwarya” auction!
We promise this will be the last piece in this space about the connection between The Faithful and the iPod. But here’s the latest: Pope Benedict XVI unwinds by listening to music on his iPod: he was gifted an iPod Nano by staff at Vatican Radio. Officials have, of course, loaded it with religious music, but there’s also pieces by Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin. Religious compositions such as the Missa Solemnis, we presume.
The Pope has been spotted around the Vatican using his iPod with its distinctive white earphones. A spokesman for the tabloid The Sun said: “He is very pleased with the iPod. The Holy Father likes to unwind listening to it and is of the opinion that this sort of technology is the future.”
Here’s an open letter to the Pope: Holy Father, we’d like to remind you the Walkman has been around for decades-you could have unwound just as easily using one of those! Please do tell us what this thing is about the iPod and The Faithful!
Guillermo Fariñas Hernández, a 41-year-old Cuban psychologist, wants to surf the Web without restrictions or censors. That’s easy for you and me, but the government in Cuba controls Internet access, and it is only possible to visit local sites. Hernández wants the government to respect his right to information, so he went on his first hunger strike on 31 January. He gave it up on 9 February, but resumed it later and has thus far done 20 of these fasts.
Pictures of Hernandez on the Internet show him in an emaciated condition, and there are even a couple of before-and-after pictures. There are several blogs that keep you updated on what’s happening, and a few that ask you to petition for him. Spare a thought for someone who can’t go Googling whenever, wherever!
In the US, it’s your right to face your accuser in court. Of course, but things get all topsy-turvy when that accuser is a piece of code.
Proving that American lawyers can uphold just about any case, they are now getting drunk drivers off charges by demanding to see the source code of the software used in alcohol breath tests. And they have a valid precedent: Timothy Muldowny had been driving drunk, and his lawyers asked to see the source code to the Intoxilyzer alcohol breath analysis machine-which was the police’s main evidence against him. The company, of course, did not want to hand over the code-and Muldowny’s case was chucked! Ever since then, DUI suspects in various parts of the US have had their cases thrown out or reduced to lesser offences.
Lawmakers are now considering bringing in new laws that will mean source code will not have to be produced for DUI defendants, but it’s going to be an uphill task-will open source come to the rescue?