Elsewhere is a collection of unusual technology stories from around the world.
Top 20 annoyances
Yahoo! News
Billboard
Magazine
has finally accorded cell phone ring tones the respect they deserve by producing a weekly top 20 list of ring tones.
Patches with a purpose
New Scientist
It’s not world peace, but researchers at MIT have come up with other useful contributions to society as of late. Among them are computerized fabric patches, which can be used for everything from handbags that warn you if you forget your wallet, to wall hangings that glow if someone is using your home’s wireless Internet connection.
Smooth operators
Associated Press
Now for some news the Vietnamese can use. According to AP, although the communist government of Hanoi doesn’t want people snooping around on the Internet, which might create civil unrest once they find out the rest of the world has at least the illusion of democracy, they don’t mind providing the answers to pretty much any question citizens can come up with when they dial 1080 on their phones.
The bear-ly there network
BBC News
And for the most heart-warming Web story this week yet: The Chinese government is using a wireless network to spy on a certain segment of the population. OK, so that’s not news. The news is the population referred to are pandas.
Beating around the Bush
CNN.com
Americans have found a huge variety of ways to harness the power of the Web in this year’s presidential elections. That includes some people related to George Bush, who have created a Web site advising people not to vote for their cousin.
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