Okay, if ever there was an off-topic post, this is it. In yesterday’s Ask OSNews article I drew a comparison between using a hard-to-learn but superior nail puller and an “easy-to-use” one and similar truths about OSes. An OSNews reader who has also invented a better nail puller emailed me to tell me about his tool, the Nail Jack, and I think it’s pretty cool. So I thought, “I’d bet that there are some tool-loving OSNews readers out there who would be interested in winning a cool hand tool.” So I’d like to announce OSNews’ very first hand tool giveaway drawing. Read More for details. Updated: winners announcedTo win, send an email to [email protected] and put “OSNews giveaway” in the subject line. The good folks there have committed to give away at least one of each of their models, depending on how many entrants there are. A winner will be chosen at random, no purchase necessary, etc.
You may be thinking, well I’m an OSNews reader and I (or my company) makes something cool. Why can’t I get attention for it at OSNews too? Well, you can. If you have a product and you’d like to sponsor an OSNews giveaway, let me know.
Update: Congratulations to Gregory Plummer, Marshall Brown, Victor Meyerson, Ian Baker and Roger Weis.
America only?
I gave them the chance to exclude overseas readers, and they didn’t say anything, so I’m going to assume that it’s open to everyone.
sometimes a slow news day is a good thing, especially when theres a chance to get free stuff.
On another note, I run a company called 0CN Systems (pronounced Ocean Systems). up until recently we were making oxygen into carbon dioxide (actually, more like converting than making, but I digress). Recently we got our funding though to create our newest project, a functional time machine. (Patents pending)
So far our first prototype is doing well. It does have a few limitations, for example, currently it can only go into the future and not the past, you could say it’s not backwards compatible, but I digress. Also it can only go into the future 1 second at a time. Example: if you set the “time machine” for 30 minutes from now, you would have to wait out the duration of of said future travel request. We have a temporary work around in place, and each “time machine†comes with a small TV to help take your mind of the sometimes lengthy process of time travel. For time travel requests greater than 1 day in the future we recommend getting some ambien before hand and an alarm clock (alarm clock not included in “time machine†…The TV isn’t either).
Our current prototype currently looks like an ordinary refrigerator box, but don’t be fooled. Climbing into the box, err, “time machine†will allow you to travel forward in time. Currently the time machine runs QNX, a real time OS, and thus all time travel requests are processed in real time. This turned out to be slightly quicker than our first version of the time machine (0.1b: code named “Sloth”) which was powered by Windows Vista and showed you a loading bar as time progressed. This was replaced by QNX due to the machine actually taking longer to get to the future than real time. We repotted the error to Microsoft, who informed us that it would be fixed in Windows 7. Apparently this was a known bug in Vista but not windows XP. We were impatient and went with something else.
Images of my old refrigerator box will be posted at http://www.0CNsystems.com, wait, I mean “time machine.†(Patents pending).
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are not necessarily those of 0Cn Systems, or its subsidiaries. Time Machine is not available, anywhere. Offer void in Wisconsin. Any resemblance to actual products, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any unauthorized use, of your own judgment in the application of Time Machine., is strictly prohibited. Time Machine may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of Major League Baseball. Time Machine may cause drowsiness or restlessness in lab animals. Do not resume sexual activity, while operating heavy machinery, without consulting your physician. For erections lasting longer than 4 hours, insert your own joke here. If you experience psychotic episodes, you’re crazy. If death occurs, discontinue use of Time Machine immediately. If symptoms persist consult your physician. All sales are final. Batteries not included.
Edited 2009-08-25 22:09 UTC
A subsidiary of Aperture Science, by any chance?
Thats great I really love my hardware just as much as I love OS.
Bah….
I thought it was a real nail puller…. the fingernail kind.
SCO v. Linux is on a different thread.
We’ll run a giveaway for one of those when the CIA sponsors our next contest.
There’s always use for a quality tool.
Nice way to spread the word, BTW
What is this doing on… aah! keep away from me with that! Keep away! Ow!
Edited 2009-08-26 02:11 UTC
There is no way this is related to operating systems and unbelievable that this is on the first page. What’s happening to my beloved osnews?
It doesn’t belong on Page 2. All the useful stuff is there. I miss Eugenia.
I still entered. I hope the spam I start receiving has a remove link.
Next time I say that a posting is off topic in the fist sentence, stop reading right there!
Cool nail puller. Does it run OpenBSD yet?
I don’t think so, but they say that NetBSD runs on anything.
Damn it, there goes my joke… Of course, OpenBSD is the secure one, NetBSD is the portable one
Winning a toilet plunger would be much cooler.
Well, I think that is nice that someone have chosen to sponsor Osnews. It’s not like a tool costs a large amount of money, but at least you can find it useful and it will remember you both Osnews and the sponsor company.
haha, what a random article.
Reminds me of El Reg, we’ll be reading articles about Paris Hilton next
Edited 2009-08-26 07:49 UTC
Hahaha I thought this was so funny!
I already found the nail puller a fascinating mention in the Linux usability article, but oh man what a creative angle. Thanks!