Things computers in movies can do

This might not be quite as funny if you aren’t a computer geek, but I’m sure at least a few of these will be recognizable to even non-techies. The Programming Blog has a long list of things computer in movies can do that computers in real life just can’t seem to manage.

4. All monitors display inch-high letters.
5. High-tech computers, such as those used by NASA, the CIA or some such governmental institution, will have easy to understand graphical interfaces.
6. Those that don’t have graphical interfaces will have incredibly powerful text-based command shells that can correctly understand and execute commands typed in plain English.
27. Searches on the internet will always return what you are looking for no matter how vague your keywords are. (See “Mission Impossible”, Tom Cruise searches with keywords like “file” and “computer” and 3 results are returned.)

Some of the things in the movie can be done by real computers, but that breaks part of the list if you consider that. They also left off the Wargames computer feature of the computer being able to talk to the user no matter what computer the user is on.

[tags]Things computers in movies can do[/tags]

Some people just set the bar for stupid higher than others

Scared of being caught for not completing your work on time? Well, it seems at least one person out there thought that setting a small fire in the office would be the best way to hide failure. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out how she planned.

A licensed vocational nurse remained behind bars today with combined bonds set at $330,000 after she was accused of setting a March 28 fire in a North Loop office building that killed three people.

Misty Ann Weaver, 33, was charged with three counts of murder and one count of felony arson in the fatal four-alarm fire at 9343 North Loop East that also injured six people. Her bond was based on $100,000 for each murder charge and $30,000 for arson.

Weaver, an employee of cosmetic surgeon Dr. Robert Capriotti, has confessed to starting the four-alarm fire at 9343 North Loop East, according to officials with the Houston Fire Department and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

HFD Chief Arson Investigator Roy Paul said Weaver wanted to cover up the fact that she had failed to complete paperwork for an important audit for Capriotti. The audit had to do with the doctor’s state accreditation or recertification, Paul said.

Details of the damage done in the full story. I get not wanting to be caught failing to complete work. Setting a fire to deflect from this just isn’t a smart cover though.

[tags]Nurse sets fire to hide failure to complete paperwork[/tags]