InfoWorld news quiz
What's on your holiday gift list? If you said a Google Phone or a 27-inch iMac, you may have to wait 'til next year (or longer). Still, there's plenty of holiday cheer to go around. This week Steve Jobs received yet more awards, Comcast launched a Web video service, McDonald's supersized its Wi-Fi offerings, and YouTube and Twitter revealed what the world was watching and tweeting about in 2009. Have you been a good tech newshound this year? Give yourself 10 points for each correct answer. Now let's get jolly.
1. The Google Phone rumors have reached a fever pitch; the as-yet-still-theoretical handset even has a name. What is it?
Sexus
Nexus
Plexus
Flexus
2. Hoping Santa will bring you a shiny new 27-inch iMac? You might have to wait 'til New Year's or later. Shipments of the new Apple all-in-one have been delayed for at least two weeks. Why?
Broken screens
Flickering displays
Jaundiced yellow tint to screens
All of the above
3. Just when you thought iPhone apps couldn't get more pointless, a company calling itself Upside Downloads has introduced a new app based on a popular toy from days gone by. Which one?
Gumby
Etch-A-Sketch
Slinky
Play-Doh
4. The URL shortening wars are on. Which of the following is NOT a link-shrinking service that was recently spruced and/or introduced?
bit.ly
fb.me
app.le
goo.gl
5. Steve Jobs may need to buy yet another house just to store all his awards. Which of the following honors did the Apple honcho take home?
Fortune's CEO of the Decade
Time's Man of the Year
People's Sexiest Man Alive
OrganWorld's Liver Recipient of the Year
6. Comcast has officially launched its subscriber-only Web video service. What's it called?
B-reel
E-gregious
Xfinity
Y-bother
7. YouTube has named its most popular videos of the year. What topped its 2009 list?
New Moon Trailer
Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
"David After Dentist"
"JK Wedding Roller Dance"
8. Not to be outdone, Twitter named 2009's most popular trending topics in a wide range of categories. What tweet topic topped its technology list?
Apple Web tablet
gPhone
Nook
Google Wave
9. "_____ has engaged in a deliberate campaign to hamstring competitive threats to its monopoly. It's been running roughshod over the principles of fair play and the laws protecting competition on the merits. The commission's action today seeks to remedy the damage that ____ has done to competition, innovation, and, ultimately, the American consumer." Who said it about whom?
The EC, re: Microsoft
The FTC, re: Intel
The FCC, re: AT&T
The SEC, re: Apple
10. Take the number of Android apps according to Google's official count, rounded to the nearest thousand. Add the number of McDonald's restaurants that will offer free Wi-Fi starting next January, also rounded to a nice even number. Multiply by the distance in light years of the watery Earth-like exoplanet discovered by astronomers this week. Bring that to your nearest drive through and supersize it. What do you get?
1,080,000
108,000
10,800
1,080
Answer key
Question 1: The Google Phone rumors have reached a fever pitch; the as-yet-still-theoretical handset even has a name. What is it?
Correct Answer: Nexus
At least, according to Boy Genius Report, which noted the name "Nexus One" showing up in Web server logs. According to various anonymous sources, the GSM handset will be available, unlocked and unsubsidized, from Google next month. And if you believe all that, we've got a Web tablet we'd like to sell you.
Question 2: Hoping Santa will bring you a shiny new 27-inch iMac? You might have to wait 'til New Year's or later. Shipments of the new Apple all-in-one have been delayed for at least two weeks. Why?
Correct Answer: All of the above
Numerous reports from users and resellers indicate a wide range of problems with the displays and/or their video adapters. Apple's official response? "The new iMac has been a huge hit and we're working hard to fulfill orders as quickly as possible." Because there's nothing people like more than a pricey home computer with a really crappy display.
Question 3: Just when you thought iPhone apps couldn't get more pointless, a company calling itself Upside Downloads has introduced a new app based on a popular toy from days gone by. Which one?
Correct Answer: Slinky
The inevitably named iSlinky apparently does what the original did, only in two dimensions. The 99-cent app also features a "sizzling new version of the classic Slinky jingle performed by '70s pop icon David Cassidy," per the press release. We're guessing Danny Bonaduce wasn't available.
Question 4: The URL shortening wars are on. Which of the following is NOT a link-shrinking service that was recently spruced and/or introduced?
Correct Answer: app.le
It's been a busy week in the link-shrinking biz. Bit.ly introduced a "pro" version that allows site owners to create customized links and gather scads of stats about who uses them. Google unveiled goo.gl, a link compressor for users of Feedburner and Google Toolbar. Facebook quietly released fb.me so Fbers can easily link to pages within the social network. You know what they say: Brevity is the soul of twits.
Question 5: Steve Jobs may need to buy yet another house just to store all his awards. Which of the following honors did the Apple honcho take home?
Correct Answer: Fortune's CEO of the Decade
Last month the Apple CEO was named Fortune's El Jefe Supremo for the first decade of the millennium. He was also named Adweek's Marketer of the Decade, but lost out to Fed Reserve chair Ben Bernanke for the Time award and to Johnny Depp for the People honor. Still, we really thought he was a lock for the Liver award. That was a shocker.
Question 6: Comcast has officially launched its subscriber-only Web video service. What's it called?
Correct Answer: Xfinity
The newly christened Fancast Xfinity TV service will allow users who subscribe to both Comcast's cable TV and broadband Internet to access the same content streamed to their boob tube or the Web. The benefit for Comcast: It gets to wrap its fingers even tighter around its customers. The benefit for viewers? Tune in next week and maybe we'll have figured it out by then.
Question 7: YouTube has named its most popular videos of the year. What topped its 2009 list?
Correct Answer: Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
The middle-aged frump with the amazing pipes garnered 120 million views, far outpacing a doped-up preschooler ("David" -- 37 million), a boogie-fevered wedding party ("JK's Wedding" -- 33 million), and blood-sucking teen heart throbs (New Moon -- 31 million). Guess we've come a long way from Numa Numa and the Star Wars Kid. Or maybe not.
Question 8: Not to be outdone, Twitter named 2009's most popular trending topics in a wide range of categories. What tweet topic topped its technology list?
Correct Answer: Google Wave
Inexplicably, Google's groovy online collaboration tool was the No. 1 topic for geeks who tweet, outpacing Snow Leopard, Tweetdeck, and Windows 7. Neither the Nook nor Apple and Google's mythical products made the top 10. The good news: The hashtag #freakythoughts didn't make it either.
Question 9: "_____ has engaged in a deliberate campaign to hamstring competitive threats to its monopoly. It's been running roughshod over the principles of fair play and the laws protecting competition on the merits. The commission's action today seeks to remedy the damage that ____ has done to competition, innovation, and, ultimately, the American consumer." Who said it about whom?
Correct Answer: The FTC, re: Intel
Exactly one month after Intel finally settled its long running anti-trust dispute with AMD, the FTC charged the chip giant with violating Section 5 of the the FTC Act prohibiting unfair competition. Maybe the feds will accept a $1.25 billion bribe to shut up, too -- we hear they could use the money.
Question 10: Take the number of Android apps according to Google's official count, rounded to the nearest thousand. Add the number of McDonald's restaurants that will offer free Wi-Fi starting next January, also rounded to a nice even number. Multiply by the distance in light years of the watery Earth-like exoplanet discovered by astronomers this week. Bring that to your nearest drive through and supersize it. What do you get?
Correct Answer: 1,080,000
Android apps now number just a hair over 16,000, per Google -- not the 20,000 initially reported by TechCrunch and AndroLib -- still well shy of the iPhone Store's 100K+. Mickey D's will soon let you log on for free from 11,000 of its 13,000 eateries. That sultry "super-Earth" is just 40 light years away (37 light years if you take the interstate). So 16K + 11K * 40 = 1,080,000. And yes, you can get fries with that.
The InfoWorld News Quiz is taking a well-deserved break. In its place next week will be a special 20-question year-ending quiz for you obsessive Web surfers. Have a lovely holiday, and see you in the new decade.
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