Ignorance is truth. If George Orwell were alive today and working as a marketing wonk, he'd probably have a job at Microsoft. Case in point: MS's Aussie division is offering $15,000 in prizes to OEM channel partners who can dispel certain "misperceptions" about Windows Vista. To qualify for the grand prize you merely need to correctly answer a few "fact or fiction" questions. For example, "Windows Vista faces si Ignorance is truth. If George Orwell were alive today and working as a marketing wonk, he’d probably have a job at Microsoft. Case in point: MS’s Aussie division is offering $15,000 in prizes to OEM channel partners who can dispel certain “misperceptions” about Windows Vista. To qualify for the grand prize you merely need to correctly answer a few “fact or fiction” questions. For example, “Windows Vista faces significant compatibility issues with hardware devices.” Answer “Fiction,” and you move on to the next question. Answer “Fact” and the quiz gives you another chance to answer it correctly (and another, and another, and so on…), gently providing you with the “facts” to use in altering your perceptions. It’s impossible to complete the quiz without getting a perfect score – isn’t that fabulous? Other questions deal with software compatibility, reliability, popularity with business users, security improvements, and the like — proving that Microsoft truly does understand what’s wrong with Vista, they just refuse to acknowledge it. Wouldn’t it just be easier and less painful to strap on the rat cage and be done?The Spy who launched me. It seems the Navy managed to knock that misbehaving spy satellite out of the skies on its first try. Good show, mates. The cost of the take down: between $30 million and $60 million. The cost of the program from whence the broken satellite came? Upward of $10 billion, according to Wired. Even then, parts out of some spy satellites were made from tin, which deforms in space. Guess they must have run out of Saran Wrap and empty paper towel tubes. Please hold still while we Google your colon. It seems there is no place where Google fears to tread. Now the search behemoth is experimenting with storing medical records, starting with a Cleveland medical clinic. (In this instance it’s actually behind Microsoft, which launched its HealthVault service last fall.) Letting Google and MS play doctor with my PC is bad enough, but doing it to my actual body is just a bit beyond the pale. What’s next, ads for Preparation H next to the results from my proctology exams? Got hot tips or more Vista “facts”? Post them below or e-mail me here. Top tipsters qualify for fabulous prizes. Think you’ve got the right stuff to pass our tech quizzes? They’re not as easy as they look: • The InfoWorld News Quiz • Test Your Geek IQ • Test Your Network Security IQ Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business