robert_cringely
Columnist

The Geek in Review

analysis
Jun 8, 20073 mins

Between arguments over evolution, stock spam, and Google cams, we missed a few key tech events this week in Cringeville. Here's a recap. The Book of Jobs: Working from recently discovered texts, researchers have determined that The Rapture will occur at the end of this month. On June 29, the chosen few will be transported into heaven while fiery death rains down upon the rest of us sinners. However, the effect w

Between arguments over evolution, stock spam, and Google cams, we missed a few key tech events this week in Cringeville. Here’s a recap.

The Book of Jobs: Working from recently discovered texts, researchers have determined that The Rapture will occur at the end of this month. On June 29, the chosen few will be transported into heaven while fiery death rains down upon the rest of us sinners. However, the effect will be limited to Cupertino, California; anyone carrying an iPod or wearing jeans and a black turtleneck will be spared. And if the iPhone even comes close to matching all the hype (and those groovy-looking commercials), it could well be the second coming of Apple.

Surface tension: Last week Microsoft unveiled a new technology it’s been quietly working on for five years. Called Microsoft Surface, it’s a touchscreen embedded in a tabletop that lets your fingers do the walking in hotels, bars, and other public spaces where you need to navigate a map, order drinks, shop for shoes, or sync your handheld. Best of all, it looks nothing like Windows – at least, on the surface. A trimmed down version of Vista is humming under the hood. It looks wicked cool in the demos but then, so did Vista – until people tried to get it to work in the real world. And as Infoworld’s Victor Garza points out, do you really trust Microsoft to help you split the bar tab?

Estonia when you’re trying to be so good: Security wonks have determined that the Russian government was not behind the massive dDOS attacks that took out Estonia’s IT infrastructure, including several government agencies, news sites, and major banks, last month. The motive behind the attacks? The Estonians moved a statue of a Russian soldier. But experts downplay the likelihood that similar attacks could bring down the US cyber-infrastructure. For one thing, our statues are much harder to move.

Paris on ice: It seems Paris Hilton can leave her mark on the Internet even from the hoosegow. A day after the incarcerated heiress rejected the first orange jumpsuit she was offered as part of her prison wardrobe, it was up for auction on eBay (along with a cute little pair of matching shorts). Winning bid: $38. Next jailhouse item up for auction: Scooter Libby’s shower towel.

Got hot news I missed? Give us the scoop below or email me here. The tippiest may receive a Cringe bag not available on eBay.