Apparently the Google Pac-Man playable logo was enough of a hit that it is estimated that it cost $120 million in lost productivity. This is based on half a billion hits the site experienced on May 23rd and around 5 million hours of time at an estimated cost of $25 per hour (which seems high to me). The game itself remains available here.
Apple Officially the Goliath
Way back in 1984, Apple cultivated this image of the underdog company always trying to beat the big meanies of Microsoft, Dell, and other computer companies. Ever since then Apple fans have used this false view to defend pretty much anything the company does as the acts of a smaller company just trying to survive. As of Tuesday, Apple's market value is now greater than Microsoft, which to mean needs to forever kill its underdog status. It is now the Goliath it once railed against. See its iPhone and iPad policies for proof of how it wields its strength. I wish this would put an end to the excuse making from the Apple fan boys, but not holding my breath.
Alice to Cross $1 Billion
In unexpected box office news, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is expected to cross the $1 billion threshold by the end of the weekend. This is largely based on its foreign sales of $667 million but the $332M from the US didn't hurt. The movie becomes only the sixth to cross that threshold, joining Avatar, Titanic, Return of the King, Dead Man's Chest and The Dark Knight. The movie was released in March, becoming the first non-summer, non-holiday movie to cross the mark and possibly proving that not only can movies succeed when released outside of the usual crowded summer window but also thrive. I also think it proves that the US consumer is going to lose power in deciding what a success or failure is as the foreign sales continue to makes up a huge chunk of the gross for many movie releases. Now if only TV would take into consideration the overseas success of its programs when deciding what to keep or cancel.
Generic = Name Brand Drugs
Click the link to view a nice chart that breaks down why it’s silly to pay more for name brand drugs when the generic does the exact same thing. The reason? Thanks to "evil" regulation, generic drugs are required to be identical in dosage, safety, strength, quality and performance as its name brand counterpart. Basically it’s the same everything in less flashy packaging or expensive advertising campaigns at half the cost.
1979 vs. 2010 Oil Spill
Rachel Maddow broke out the way back machine last night to show off how little technology has changed in 30 years when it comes to dealing with ocean based oil leaks. The names change, such as "The Sombrero" becoming the "Top Hat" method but other than that, not a thing. For all the talk of "advancement" from BP and its defenders, it’s pretty clear the only tech applied to drilling is how to get more oil for less money, not preparing, preventing, or planning for when disaster strikes.
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