 
Matt
Quitting Caffeine - Argh
Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC | Also I have also seen this pop up on various sites this morning and so far I'm finding it hard to believe. | |
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MemphisPCGuy
Senior Systems Engineer
Premium
join:2004-05-09
Memphis, TN
 ·Comcast
| Re: Also It must be based on something similar to FLASH being able to monitor the microphone without user intervention... if you have never right clicked a flash movie/banner etc. try it ... you may be surprised!
--
»www.specmiata.com
»www.roofseek.com | |
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KF6HCD
Kindly Shut Your Noise Hole.
Premium
join:2003-01-31
Yucaipa, CA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Also said by MemphisPCGuy  :It must be based on something similar to FLASH being able to monitor the microphone without user intervention... if you have never right clicked a flash movie/banner etc. try it ... you may be surprised! I took my USB webcam down... just in case. But in all candor, nothing salacious ever happens in my dining room(yet)...
Meanwhile...
"Bau Bau Chikka Chikka Bau Bau..." *Sound effect from an episode of "Friends" wherein the guys "got" free porn on cable TV and they were afraid to turn off the TV for fear of losing it forever...*
Time to turn off the boxen(or the mic...hmmm...) and give it a well-deserved break... Don't want the rest of the internet having some audio from the boudoir at the other end of the house...
Hmmm... Early morning; kids are still asleep; wifey-poo is looking pretty good; Flash has been effectively banished from the mix... If you'll excuse me-there's a dining room table that needs to be broken in... 
"Bau Bau Chikka Chikka Bau Bau..."
--
"Gimme a 'C'! A bouncy 'C'! There once was a boy from Nantucket whos 'Da Da Da Dee Dee Dee' whatever the hell else you want..." | |
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koma3504
Advocate
Premium
join:2004-06-22
North Richland Hills, TX
| 
Simple |
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jwardl
join:2000-08-12
Spring, TX
| Call me paranoid, but I've never been willing to leave a mic (or camera) plugged in for this very reason -- that some hacker and/or malware might turn them on and be listening (and/or watching) at any time without my knowledge.
So far, pulling the plug is pretty hard to beat. | |
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richk_1957
If ..Then..Else
Premium
join:2001-04-11
Minas Tirith
| Re: Also said by jwardl :Call me paranoid, but I've never been willing to leave a mic (or camera) plugged in for this very reason -- that some hacker and/or malware might turn them on and be listening (and/or watching) at any time without my knowledge. So far, pulling the plug is pretty hard to beat. Be kind of hard to do on a laptop. | |
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jwardl
join:2000-08-12
Spring, TX
| Re: Also said by richk_1957 :said by jwardl :Call me paranoid, but I've never been willing to leave a mic (or camera) plugged in for this very reason -- that some hacker and/or malware might turn them on and be listening (and/or watching) at any time without my knowledge. So far, pulling the plug is pretty hard to beat. Be kind of hard to do on a laptop. That's what tape and farts are for. | |
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asdfjklghi
@cox.net
| The feds wanted the mics with o star turned on all the time too. I will never get a car with o star for that reason. It looks like I will be taking off my webcam after I use it. At least my webcam has a green light when it turns on. We should chant *UCK google and laugh to see what ads come up after that  Thank god for my dell side usb ports on the monitor. What a sweet feature. Every monitor should have that. | |
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| | shashinka
join:2000-09-16
West Boylston, MA
| Re: Also Well if you get in an accident I can see these being enabled and calling the onstar service center for safety but when driving around? Are the feds picking up the cellular bill? Because what you're saying is that they would be listening in on you all the time? COME ON | |
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shane349
Premium
join:2005-03-21
Delta, OH | more google than ever? seems that they are very busy lately? | |
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| cbrain
join:2000-05-21
Silver Spring, MD | Re: Google the Good turning into Orwell's 1984 I don't sweat it. I just plug my mic into the feed from one of my neighbors homes and fool them. | |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
Albany, NY
| I wouldn't worry about this just yet. What details there are about this indicate that there is a conversion done on the PC that reduces the sound to a 4KB "fingerprint" and that the fingerprint can't be reverse engineered into the original sound. (Kind of like MD5 hashing the audio data.) The fingerprint is transmitted and the ads are shown based on that. Given Google's past performance, this program would likely be strictly voluntary and easy to get out of once you've opted in.
They might not even have a specific product in mind. This could just be one of those projects that the Google engineers use their "20% time" ( »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google#.22···.22_time ) working on. | |
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KF6HCD
Kindly Shut Your Noise Hole.
Premium
join:2003-01-31
Yucaipa, CA
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: Google the Good turning into Orwell's 1984 said by Jason Levine :I wouldn't worry about this just yet. What details there are about this indicate that there is a conversion done on the PC that reduces the sound to a 4KB "fingerprint" and that the fingerprint can't be reverse engineered into the original sound. (Kind of like MD5 hashing the audio data.) The fingerprint is transmitted and the ads are shown based on that. Given Google's past performance, this program would likely be strictly voluntary and easy to get out of once you've opted in. They might not even have a specific product in mind. This could just be one of those projects that the Google engineers use their "20% time" ( » en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google#.22···.22_time ) working on. You might be one of "Them..."
Note to others: "Be afraid! Be VERY afraid!"
--
"Gimme a 'C'! A bouncy 'C'! There once was a boy from Nantucket whos 'Da Da Da Dee Dee Dee' whatever the hell else you want..." | |
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a
@rr.com
| >> What details there are about this indicate that there is a conversion done on the PC that reduces the sound to a 4KB "fingerprint" and that the fingerprint can't be reverse engineered into the original sound.
So, how then can Google send targeted ads if they dont know what is said? The entire point of a targeted ad is that they pertain to what the conversation is about.
No matter how the fingerprint is represented (4-bytes according to google), it will be used as a lookup into a database to decipher what those 4-bytes represent. 4-bytes is enough storage to represent 4.3 billion different things. Whatever those things may represent is limitless in Google's databases.
To put this into perspective, a 4-byte fingerprint could easily represent the last 171,798 detected words in a conversation (based on a 25,000 word english vocabulary).
Use your brain. | |
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KF6HCD
Kindly Shut Your Noise Hole.
Premium
join:2003-01-31
Yucaipa, CA
·Verizon FIOS
| said by LiamJunket :Looks like Google the Good is turning into Google the spy. Can George Orwell's 1984 nightmare world be far off if Google continues to expand their tentacles into the home. LOL, and people worry about the NSA and AT&T. So look at who the real threat may be. "Don't suspect your friends... report them..."
Now, where did I put that report pad for sheeple who have figured out more than is good for them and/or society...?
Where did my friends go?
"Google! Oh, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGLE! Come here, boy! Hey! Where ya goin', boy? Go get 'em, boy! Hey! UNG!!! Let go of me! I didn't do anything! UNG!!! Get that gag away from my Mf Mf MMFF MMMMFFF Mf MMFF MMMMMFFFF!!!!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!"
Moral of the story: If you trust Google, you might get yor ass taken away by something like George Orwell's thought policedogs, be treated to a "Gag Lunch" and you might never be heard from by a human ever again...
...Or something like that...
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"Gimme a 'C'! A bouncy 'C'! There once was a boy from Nantucket whos 'Da Da Da Dee Dee Dee' whatever the hell else you want..." | |
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GadgetsRme
Premium
join:2002-01-30
Canon City, CO
| What do I think? That's what I think!
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Gadgets | |
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Michieru2
zzz zzz zzz
Premium
join:2005-01-28
Miami, FL | Re: What do I think? I must agree when it's the NSA all hell breaks lose but when it's Google oh but they provide good to the community. So let me disconnect my microphone. | |
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thehipocrisyhippo
@66.119.x.x
| Is this the SAME Google that refuses to accept legitimate firearms advertisements based on their holier than thou ideological and political "morals."
Forget Freedom, let HIPOCRISY ring throughout the land.
Somebody Call Michael Moore - I smell a movie... "Googling my Mind"? | |
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RR Conductor
RailRoadDude
Premium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA | Who's that, Gwubh's campaign manager? LOL | |
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Titus Pullo
I came, I saw, I slept
join:2004-06-26
 ·Embarq
| It's in the motto "Do no evil"
WTF is up with that? I've said it before: would you trust your new next-door if he displayed a sign that read, "Do not shoot your neighbor"
Reminding your company to 'do no evil' didn't exactly tweak my confidence in Google. I'm starting to think they've a Jim Jones thing going on out there.
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"I am not young enough to know everything."
Oscar Wilde | |
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KF6HCD
Kindly Shut Your Noise Hole.
Premium
join:2003-01-31
Yucaipa, CA
·Verizon FIOS
| Re: It's in the motto said by Titus Pullo :"Do no evil" WTF is up with that? I've said it before: would you trust your new next-door if he displayed a sign that read, "Do not shoot your neighbor" Reminding your company to 'do no evil' didn't exactly tweak my confidence in Google. I'm starting to think they've a Jim Jones thing going on out there. "...And for your wine, may I recommend the famous 'Google Kool-aid'? It's a nice flinty, bitey, fruity Guyana vintage first developed by a fella named Jim Jones... It has a hint of Almonds toward the end... I'd be more than pleased to bring you a complimentary bottle AFTER you've paid your tab... That'll be cash, of course... House policy, you understand... Oh, by the way, you get a free pair of sunglasses with that... Hey, wait! Where ya goin'?"
"Dammit, Jim! What'd you say to them?"
"I said, 'Would you like a nice bottle of wine to go with that?'"
"I didn't hire you to sell wine! I hired you to give away sunglasses! This is coming out of your pay!"
"Relax, boss... Let's talk about this over a nice glass of Kool-aid..." 
--
"Gimme a 'C'! A bouncy 'C'! There once was a boy from Nantucket whos 'Da Da Da Dee Dee Dee' whatever the hell else you want..." | |
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CtrlAltDel
Worse Than Carter
Arbitrary Text
join:2001-12-30
Backyard
·Verizon Online DSL
·Comcast
| For What It's Worth
by Stephen Stills, 1966
There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down | |
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dadkins
Can you do Blu?
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
·Comcast
| From my microphone... That's one hell of a trick then! Microphone is in the desk drawer... not connected to the laptop. 
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Think outside the Fox... Opera | |
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| Derfel
join:2004-06-06
Winnipeg, MB | Re: From my microphone... Personally, I'd start saying really suspicious things, like airliner, bomb, death to America, etc... and see what happens. | |
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Nec3f
Premium
join:2001-04-16
Cudahy, WI
| Re: From my microphone... said by Derfel :Personally, I'd start saying really suspicious things, like airliner, bomb, death to America, etc... and see what happens. The TSA/FBI will be at your door and you can watch what happens on CNN from jail. | |
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| | | Brittany
join:2002-02-27
Silver Spring, MD
| Re: From my microphone... said by Nec3f :said by Derfel :Personally, I'd start saying really suspicious things, like airliner, bomb, death to America, etc... and see what happens. The TSA/FBI will be at your door and you can watch what happens on CNN from jail. This is Google, not NSA. You will start getting ads for fertilizer, fuel oil, detonators, terrorist training, legal services ... | |
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BodyBumper
join:2004-06-21
Beverly Hills, CA
| Re: From my microphone... said by Brittany :said by Nec3f :said by Derfel :Personally, I'd start saying really suspicious things, like airliner, bomb, death to America, etc... and see what happens. The TSA/FBI will be at your door and you can watch what happens on CNN from jail. This is Google, not NSA. You will start getting ads for fertilizer, fuel oil, detonators, terrorist training, legal services ... ROFL!!!!!!!
--
"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength." | |
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Michieru2
zzz zzz zzz
Premium
join:2005-01-28
Miami, FL | Re: From my microphone... I thought the same thing too | |
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magicjimmy
join:2006-03-23
Tucson, AZ
·Cox HSI
| said by Brittany :said by Nec3f :said by Derfel :Personally, I'd start saying really suspicious things, like airliner, bomb, death to America, etc... and see what happens. The TSA/FBI will be at your door and you can watch what happens on CNN from jail. This is Google, not NSA. You will start getting ads for fertilizer, fuel oil, detonators, terrorist training, legal services ... LMFAO!!!! | |
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| | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Well, if they look for "Death to america".. that solves our national security issue!
I bet it's the #1 looked for phrase on the internet for the government listeners. Being most of them end every sentense with "death to america"
--
"Wipe out the national deficit over night... Tax the stupid!" - about 50 gMail invites available. PM if you'd like one. | |
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| alalper
Premium
join:2000-08-20
Philadelphia, PA
| said by dadkins :That's one hell of a trick then! Microphone is in the desk drawer... not connected to the laptop. Dadkins, you just ain't no fun anymore. | |
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| | RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Re: From my microphone... Speak up. We can't hear you.
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Toolmaster of La Grange. | |
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too lazy to log back
@adelphia.net | Re: From my microphone... I sit on a Sennheiser, and I LOVE bean burritos ... | |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| said by dadkins :That's one hell of a trick then! Microphone is in the desk drawer... not connected to the laptop. dont forget some lappies have a condenser mic
--
You can never be too rich, too thin or have too much Bandwidth | |
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| Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | just imagine the ads you would get while playing EVE-Online or something. "i just took 20 missles up the ass"
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports | |
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SequimPC
Got Fiber?
Premium
join:2004-02-11
Sequim, WA | The whole point is that the new laptops have the microphone and video camera built in. | |
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insomniac84
join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN
1 edit | Google isn't spying. People are getting all worked up for nothing.
»arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20···081.html
"software on the laptop samples the ambient audio in five-second chunks, then "irreversibly compresses" it into summary statistics (this means that no one is eavesdropping on you; the actual audio never leaves your laptop)."
And if your tv has a headphone jack or you are using a media center pc or tv tuner on your computer, google could just bypass the microphone and record the tv sound directly via the line-in or just selecting the tv audio source. Less chance for errors and no security risk. | |
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Jessica 69
@aol.com | I'm confused........again! How do I determine if there is a microphone built into my pc? And more important, how do I disable it?
And don't tell me to RTFM because I can't find them.
Thanks in advance! | |
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| 
PhoenixAZ
Joshua
Premium
join:2004-01-04
Phoenix, AZ
·Cox HSI
| Re: I'm confused........again! There is probably a setting in the BIOS. If not, then just mute it from wtihin Windows' volcume control panel. Most likely there is no microphone built into the computer.
--
»www.myspace.com/iamreallycoolandyouarenot | |
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KF6HCD
Kindly Shut Your Noise Hole.
Premium
join:2003-01-31
Yucaipa, CA
·Verizon FIOS
| said by Jessica 69 :
How do I determine if there is a microphone built into my pc? And more important, how do I disable it?
And don't tell me to RTFM because I can't find them.
Thanks in advance!
Are you blond? Or did the bleach soak into your brain?
Yeah, I know them RTFM are some pretty slippery critters... Kinda like hunting snipes...
Ask your boyfriend to blast your computer with a shotgun because "IT IS DANGEROUS TO YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE ON THE INTERNET!!!"
If you don't have a boyfriend, maybe your dad will do it for you... Just in case your affliction is hereditary, tell your dad the hole at the end of the shotgun points AWAY FROM HIS HEAD!!!
Just trying to help... EVERYONE ELSE ON THE NET AND SOCIETY AT LARGE!!!
*Disclaimer: I made this post under the assumption that the Anonymous poster "Jessica 69" was poking fun/not being serious...*
--
"Gimme a 'C'! A bouncy 'C'! There once was a boy from Nantucket whos 'Da Da Da Dee Dee Dee' whatever the hell else you want..." | |
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reaver221
join:2003-05-08
Cincinnati, OH
1 edit | Re: I'm confused........again! said by KF6HCD :Just in case your affliction is hereditary, tell your dad the hole at the end of the shotgun points AWAY FROM HIS HEAD!!! Best. Quote. Ever.
I salute you. | |
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DSLTech
join:2000-12-30
San Jose, CA
| more monay! google, always looking for ways to sell you what they think you want.
someday you'll be "thinking" about sex and before you know it you'll have 30 ads lined up from craigslist's "erotic services" section. i suppose links to porn sites will be an option.
naturally any google instant messenger will automatically have ads based on current discussions.
its not about doing "good", but avoiding doing the "known bads" ... aka cover your a**. | |
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Fatal Vector
join:2005-11-26
| The allmighty GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGLE
Once again, the allmighty GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGLE is trying to get cleverrr. It makes one ask: just WHEN will they quit trying to invade our privacy in the name of profits and intrusive advertising?
Mind you, not that I have a microphone connected to my computer except when I am using it. However, just because this application supposedly hashes up the audio before sending it is meaningless.
It's STILL eavesdropping. And, just like with the government, if one corporation gets away with something, the rest of the corporate profit lemmings will follow.
On top of which, who is to say that one of these apps wont eventually send audio in real time once we are complacient?
Myself, I think it's about time the brakes were put on the allmighty GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGLE. | |
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| RadioDoc
58ef2c0
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-05-11 | Re: The allmighty GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGLE Amen, brotha. | |
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| | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20 | Re: The allmighty GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGLE hah hah hah.. I love what you've done with your avatar. | |
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jimbo2150
join:2004-05-10
Youngstown, OH
 ·Dreamhost
·Armstrong Zoom In..
| Posting Junk The last time I believed an article from the Register was... well... NEVER!
The Register has a huge reputation for editing articles and adding spice to things.
Do you really believe that a company with a repuation like Google would even attempt something like this? It is so far-fetched that I refuse to even agknowledge this as a truth.
--
- "Techie" Jim | |
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SDAnimeFan
join:2003-02-07
New Haven, MI | Wouldn't work on me since I don't have a Microphone. Wouldn't work on me since I don't have a Microphone. | |
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mooty
join:2001-01-28
Riverdale, GA
2 edits | The Sounds of War - Sampled from the throne Some people take newspapers to read while sitting on the throne. Not too far off some people who read their online newspaper or magazine via their wireless notebeook or PDA -Small, light weight, and convenient, might as well take advantage of their pottybility portability.
(laugh and applause insert here)
Oh well - not wanting to take any chances, I think I am going to have to haul my entire PC work center desk into my bathroom... and they, be it Google, NSA, Wal-Fart, Burger-King Corp.,AOL, maybe even your employer want to sample my ambient noise ? LMAO SO YA WANNA HEAR ME, DO YA ??!! Anyone know of good website that offers legit printable TACO BELL coupons ?
I cannot think of a better way to satisfy their curious, intrusive, what's-up-peoples'-@R$&S minds -
than to let them SAMPLE THIS!
--
Alright, BIG MAN! So You Want To Make the BIG BUCK$, Eh??!!. . . . . . Do You Know How To Handle a Machine-gun? | |
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CurtesyFlush
Bababooey, fafafooey, tatatoothy.
Premium
join:2002-08-23
Fontana, CA
| Re: The Sounds of War - Sampled from the throne said by mooty :I cannot think of a better way to satisfy their curiousitive, We're sorry, but the English language is not accepting new words at this time. Please call again, or ask a 5th grader for spelling assistance. Thank you.
--
Life Member, NRA and CRPA. | |
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| | mooty
join:2001-01-28
Riverdale, GA
| Re: The Sounds of War - Sampled from the throne said by CurtesyFlush :said by mooty :I cannot think of a better way to satisfy their curiousitive, We're sorry, but the English language is not accepting new words at this time. Please call again, or ask a 5th grader for spelling assistance. Thank you. Thank you, professor - spelling corrected fo' da sake uh-da English language.
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Alright, BIG MAN! So You Want To Make the BIG BUCK$, Eh??!!. . . . . . Do You Know How To Handle a Machine-gun? | |
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GunnarDanne
join:2002-12-02
Crown City, OH | You mean you didn't unplug that stuff before now? I've always unplugged cameras and mic's when I wasn't using them. Who the hell knows what could be happening in that magic box. | |
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| fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: You mean you didn't unplug that stuff before now? On the camera,.. that's what the magic lense cover is for... no driver or hacker in the world would ever be able to make that thing move. But, like dadkins, hard to access these things when they are sitting in the drawer.
--
"Wipe out the national deficit over night... Tax the stupid!" - about 50 gMail invites available. PM if you'd like one. | |
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brooklynman4
join:2004-09-07
Brooklyn, NY | cnn moves Im gonna do cnn move take a dump with my mic on and make shure google hears it lol Watch out google its gonna be a sloppy one lol | |
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| | robertfl
Premium
join:2005-10-10
Mary Esther, FL
 ·Cox VOIP
| Re: cnn moves ..which is why i use adremoval software in the first place. Check out »www.admuncher.com (unless someone knows of a free ad removal program besides the firefox one that actually rmoeves the search ads.)
-Rob
--
Looking for something different to listen to? »www.rfdradio.info is your answer! | |
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CPM
join:2001-08-24
Miami, FL
1 edit | hate to say this but. I hate to say this.. But, like the Cyndi Lauper song. Money Changes everything.
Now, it is official. Google is now more evil then Microsoft.
Sorry, google I no longer can you use as my default search engine.
Google, Sucks. Now on to the next. | |
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| 
furlonium
Computer Over? Virus equals Very Yes?
join:2002-05-08
Bethlehem, PA
| Re: hate to say this but. said by CPM :I hate to say this.. But, like the Cyndi Lauper song. Money Changes everything. Now, it is official. Google is now more evil then Microsoft. Sorry, google I no longer can you use as my default search engine. Google, Sucks. Now on to the next. So you're going off a suggestion of what The Register says? You're going to change your default engine because of an article that spectates something?
Way to be a drone...  | |
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Google Using Your Mic to Listen In?
Google the Good turning into Orwell's 1984
·
