Just Wrong

At Apple, 2010 Is Like "1984"

Frank La Vigne — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:16:00 GMT

Did you ever wonder how Apple keeps its secret projects secret?

They call themselves the Worldwide Loyalty Team. Among some employees, they are known as the Apple Gestapo, a group of moles always spying in headquarters and stores, reporting directly to Jobs and Oppenheimer. Here's how they hunt people down.
..
"Apple has these moles working everywhere, especially in departments where leaks are suspected. Management is not aware of them," he told me, "once they suspect a leak, the special forces—as we call them—will walk in the office at any hour, especially in the mornings. They will contact whoever was the most senior manager in the building, and ask them to coordinate the operation."
The operation, as Tom calls it, is not anything special. It is not one of a kind event. It's just a normal practice, and the process is pretty simple: The manager will instruct all employees to stay at their desks, telling them what to do and what to expect at any given time. The Apple Gestapo never handles the communication. They are there, present, supervising the supervisors, making sure everything goes as planned.

I don’t know what’s worse: the thug-like tactics or the eerily cheery name of “Worldwide Loyalty Teams.”

Ironic that this is the same company that produced this commercial.

Technorati Tags: Apple,Secrecy,Craziness

Irony Can Be Pretty Ironic

Frank La Vigne — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:33:00 GMT

You’d think they would fix this phone quickly.

see more Friends of Irony

Expense-A-Steak: Fraud Made Easy

Frank La Vigne — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:06:00 GMT

We all know that the economy has seen better days. This changes how companies spend their money in both big (closing a plant) and small ways (triple digit lunches).

In New York, where both Wall Street budgets and Ad Agency budgets saw dramatic cuts, the collateral damage is everywhere, including swanky steak houses.

Gone are the days of the lavish $400 lunch.

Or are they?

While AdAge gushes about the creativity of this online ad campaign, you have to wonder how much the “online tool” Expense-A-Steak is being abused by the unethical.

Enter a dollar amount of the meal you’d like to expense, but know that no one would ever approve of. In a few moments Expense-A-Steak generates a PDF of real-looking receipts of legitimate, even mundane expenses. The receipts are even crumpled for an added realistic effect.

Clever, yes, but it sends the wrong message to an industry plagued with scandals in a time when trust is in short supply. There’s not even a “kids don’t try this at home” warning, not that would really make a difference.

Technorati Tags: Expense-A-Steak,Ad Age,Fraud

Rick Astley/Nirvana Mashup?

Frank La Vigne — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:31:00 GMT

One of the best, if not strangest, mash-ups ever: “Never Gonna Give Up Your Teen Spirit.”

Technorati Tags: Rick Roll,Mashup,Humor,YouTube

Bankers Gone Wild

Frank — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:07:00 GMT

There used to be many-a-joke in Frankfurt about how Dresdner Bank's world headquarters was in a part of town with an ill-repute.

I'll spare you the details, but it has something about bankers with lots of money.

Now it seems that Bank of America is getting in on the action with their creepy new ad campaign.

I wonder how much money they spent on this ad campaign.

Don't they have bigger things to worry about?

Technorati Tags: Banking,Bank of America,Ad Campaigns,Creepy

Context Sensitive Ads Gone Wild

Frank — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:45:00 GMT

Fellow Tablet MVP Craig Pringle noticed something unusual in his blog's advertising.

I doubt those are the kind of Tablets people reading Craig's blog are looking for.

This isn't the first time context sensitive ads have caused mayhem and controversy.

Technorati Tags: Tablet PC,Google Ads,Humor,Just Wrong

The Importance of Source Control

Frank — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:30:00 GMT

Jesse Liberty shares this cartoon, which is all too believable.

[found via Jesse Liberty]

Technorati Tags: Source Control,Backup,Humor,Jesse Liberty

Ernst & Young's Happy Day

Frank — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 23:20:00 GMT

Ersnt & Young isn't just an accounting firm turned consulting agency, apparently the company is filled with hipsters working their way into the music industry.

Seriously.

E&Y's debut into the world of music video is a remix of "Oh Happy Day," where "Ernsy & Young showed me a better way."

As it turns out, E&Y's not the only company with a theme song.

Reminds me of the DJ Steve Ballmer Soundboard.

[found via Warner Crocker]

Technorati tags: E&Y, Oh Happy Day, Hilarious, Ersnt and Young

New York Times Reader Won't Be Free Much Longer

Frank — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 18:35:00 GMT

They want how much ($165/year)? for what?

http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/03/14/cx_0314paidcontent-nyt.html

A Scary Halloween Decoration

Frank — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:58:00 GMT

Yahoo News Photos has a story about a Halloween decoration so scary, the police were called in to investigate.

The display featured what looked like a plane crash on someone's front lawn and was so realistic, the LAPD visited the home to investigate a possible plane crash.

The home owner, who works as an airplane mechanic and decided to take some work home with him to create the scene.

Now that's morbid.

[Link to sent to me by my lovely girlfriend]

Technorati tags: Halloween, Los Angeles, LA, Plane Crash, Halloween Decoration, LAPD