Apple’s mean-spirited new ad campaign.

Seth Stevenson of Slate provides a pointed review of Apple’s current “switch” ads (they can be seen online for non-US folks) which attempt to persuade PC users to move over to the Mac by means of a a series of sketches involving a so-called cool, young guy (who is supposed to represent a Mac), and a nerdy older guy (who somehow represents a PC).

His point about the ineffectiveness of the ads as an incentive for PC users to move to the Mac is well observed:

“Mr. Mac comes off as a smug little twit, who (in the spot titled “WSJ”) just happens to carry around a newspaper that has a great review of himself inside. (Even Norman Mailer usually refrains from such crassness.)”

Hitler cats

YouTube has the full version of The Bees’ Chicken Payback video, and a 1979 film by Pixar director John Lasseter, called Lady and the Lamp, which appears to have been his inspiration for Luxo Jr. the jumping lamp which can be seen at the start of any Pixar movie like The Incredibles or Monsters Inc.

John Boileau applied for the job as manager of Middlesbrough football club, citing his skills on Football Manager 2005, and got a fantastic response from Steve Gibons, the chairman of the club.

Extortr: online blackmail for the masses.

Step 1: Upload a scandalous photo or video.

Step 2: Set a price, then email an anonymous threat.

Step 3: If they don’t pay, your upload goes public.

(Please note: This isn’t actually a genuine web site. It’s just a joke).

Of the AFI’s Top 100 Inspirational movies of all time, I’ve seen 51.

I did this four years ago, and predicted Germany to reach the final of the World Cup.

Here’s my stats for 2006:

- There have been 17 World Cup Finals – 7 in the American continent, 9 in the European continent, 1 in Asia.

- Only 7 nations have ever won the trophy – 4 from Europe, and 3 from the Americas

- 4 nations account for 14 of the 17 trophies

- The host nation has won the trophy 6 times out of 17 tournaments

- Of the 7 nations who have won the trophy, Brazil are the only side not to have done so on their own soil.

- Brazil have featured in 7 of the final matches and have won the trophy 5 times. Germany have also featured in 7 finals, but have won only 3.

- Brazil are the only country to have won the trophy outside of their own continent (Sweden in 1958, Japan and South Korea in 2002)

- Brazil are the only team to have featured in every single World Cup Final tournament

- Only 11 nations have ever reached the final match of the tournament

- Only 4 nations have reached the final match without winning the trophy (Holland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Sweden)

- England, Uruguay and France have only won the trophy once each

- Holland and Hungary have reached the final match twice each, but have never won the trophy.

- Of the 11 nations who have reached the final match, Brazil and Germany have reached it 7 times out of the 17 finals, whilst Italy have reached it 5 times

- The forthcoming tournament in Germany is the first time the previous winners have not automatically qualified for the finals.

- Germany, as hosts, are the only side to have automatically qualified for this tournament.

- Brazil and Italy were finalists challenging for their 3rd cup in 1970 and for their 4th cup in 1994. In both matches, Brazil won.

- The final match has only ever been contested between South American and European sides.

- South America has won 9 titles, Europe 8.

- Only three South American countries have won the tournament, but four European sides have won it.

- The last four final matches have featured the losing side not scoring in open play. No other final matches in the tournament have ended with one of the sides not scoring.

- The highest total number of goals scored in a final match is 7 (Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 in 1958)

- The highest number of goals scored by a winning side in the final match is 5, when Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 in 1958

- The highest number of goals scored by a losing side in the final match is 2

- No country has ever won the final match by more than 3 goals

- Out of all 17 final matches, the winning side has scored 3 goals in only 5 of the matches

- Only one final match has ended with a single goal – when Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in 1990.

- Brazil drew against Italy in the USA final in 1994, and the tournament was decided on penalties for the first and only time so far in its history

- England’s Geoff Hurst is the only player ever to score a hat-trick in the final match – when England beat Germany 4-2 in 1966

- Given the statistics of the finalists, the final match is likely to include at least two of the following teams:

Argentina
Italy
Brazil
Germany
England
Spain
Sweden
Holland
France
Serbia and Montenegro
Mexico

Given the additional statistics about continental bias, host nations and country ranking/performance, it is more likely that a European side which has already won the trophy will win the forthcoming tournament in Germany, by a margin of no more than 2 goals in the final match.

Therefore, one of the following teams are likely to be the winner:

Italy
or
Germany

- Both sides have won the trophy 3 times each. Italy have lost 2 finals, Germany 3.

- Both have previously won the tournament on their home soil.

- Italy have beaten Germany once in the final match.

The statto prediction for the 2002 World Cup winners?

Germany.

According to some research conducted by Nokia, mobile phones could replace cameras as the main gadget people take pictures with.

The study also found that MP3 players could diminish in popularity, with 67% of those questioned in the study saying they expected their phone to replace their portable music player.