It was supposed to be a momentous occasion for Brian, who was about to close on his first home. But after signing a thick stack of documents–and taking part in the ceremonious passing of the keys–something felt off for the then 26-year-old Montgomery County, Md., resident. There wasn’t even a chilled bottle of bubbly or […]
Category Archives: Odd Stuff & News
Biography reveals Queen Mum’s private letters
LONDON – She was known for much of her life as the queen mother. And according to her official biography, she detested it. “Horrible name,” she wrote in a 1953 letter to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, died in 2002 at the advanced age of 101. The official account of […]
Bank of America loses $2.24B as loan losses rise
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bank of America Corp. said Friday it lost more than $2 billion in the third quarter as loan losses kept rising, providing further evidence that consumers are still struggling to pay their bills. The nation’s second-largest bank, which lost $2.24 billion after accounting for preferred dividends, said its losses for failed loans […]
ATM attacks reveal security holes
A hacker has discovered a way to force ATMs to disgorge their cash by hijacking the computers inside them. The attacks demonstrated Wednesday targeted standalone ATMs. But they could potentially be used against the ATMs operated by mainstream banks. Criminals have long known that ATMs aren’t tamperproof. There are many types of attacks in use […]
How Smart Is Your Right Foot?
Below is an email that’s going around. Maybe it’s been circulating for years, but I received it for the first time today. It makes a claim that seems dubious at first. But, upon experimentation, appears to be true. At least, it’s true for me. There must be a scientific explanation for this phenomenon. The question […]
Russians Spend Big for a Piece of Facebook
A Russian investment firm, Digital Sky Technologies, has invested $200 million in the social networking company Facebook in return for a 1.96 percent stake, the two companies said Tuesday. The investment values Facebook’s preferred stock at $10 billion, a $5 billion drop from October 2007 when Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake. […]
Icahn resigns from Yahoo
Icahn resigns from Yahoo’s board on friendly terms SAN FRANCISCO – Activist investor Carl Icahn has decided his work is done at Yahoo Inc. after muscling his way on to the slumping Internet company’s board nearly 15 months ago. In a resignation letter Friday, Icahn said he felt like it was time to leave Yahoo […]
Best Laptops and Desktops of 2010
Whether you’re looking to surf from an ultralight netbook at your favorite coffee shop, tear into opponents on a gaming PC, or edit family videos on a touch-friendly all-in-one desktop, this year’s crop of laptops and desktops offers a bounty of power and flexibility at prices that have never been more reasonable. We’ve compiled some […]