Google videos nixed, Sony seeks a fix

Here’s more proof corporate America has lost its marbles: Web designer Paul Dell is being sued over the domain Dellwebsites.com by you know who. It’s the second time Dell has sued Dell in the past five years. Next up: lawsuits against Dell Publishing, the Farmer in the Dell, and the city of Dell Rapids, S.D.

Google’s China Syndrome? Apparently the Chinese are not the only folks getting less than the Full Monty from Google. When U.S. citizen Bill O. used Google video search to check out footage of an explosion in Iraq, he received a “This video is not playable in your country” message, even though Netizens in Canada and the U.K. can watch the “Big Boom” just fine. But Google isn’t to blame for this one; whoever uploads a video can block any country from viewing it. In this case the videohead appears to be a member of U.S. coalition forces, and doesn’t want (or isn’t allowed) to let American viewers watch things go boom.

Don’t Fource It: Microsoft has been reduced to using Lego-like action figures to attract developers. Sign up for a Microsoft Developer Network Webcast, and you could win a Source Fource action figure such as “Visual Studio Guy.” (Thanks to reader Brian S. for that tidbit.) I understand they originally tried to make an action figure of Steve Ballmer, but it kept exploding.

Vaio Con Dios: Sony calls its Vaio VGX-XL1 a Digital Living System, but Digital Dying System might be more accurate for Cringester Chuck P., who can’t get his $2,000 Windows Media Center PC to wake up from standby mode or recognize disc changers. He’s not alone. Sony says it’s aware of the problems and is working on a fix, which should be available in the next two weeks. Sony better move quickly if it expects anyone to buy the VGX-XL100, its first home media center based on Intel’s Viiv (rhymes with “It’s Alive!”).

From Bad to Verse: Apple has embedded a “poetic” warning that pops up when pirated versions of OS X run on non-Apple machines. That ought to do the trick — we all know how much OS thieves hate bad poetry.

Got hot tips or bad rhymes? Send them to cringe@infoworld.com and you may receive a nifty Cringe bag.