Geekly Update - 23 May 2011

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

Blah, blah, blah... A woman who talked on her phone for 16 hours straight was kicked off an Amtrak train. Lakeysha Beard was in the "quiet car" and disturbed others so much that police escorted her off the train and charged her with disorderly conduct. But as usual, the media missed the REAL story here. What kind of phone was she using that gave her 16 hours of talk time?

Me no like... In the wake of news that an Egyptian baby was named Facebook, an Israeli couple has named their baby after the Facebook "Like" button. These poor kids will never have any privacy.

The Playstation Network is finally being restored a month after being compromised by hackers. Before service can be fully operational, users will have to update their firmware and change passwords. Probably not a bad idea to check their credit reports, too.

A 90-page security report from Microsoft claims that the 64-bit version of Windows 7 is six times less likely to be infected by malware than Windows XP. The study also says that exploitation of Java vulnerabilities has sharply increased.

The latest research from Switzerland has determined that it's not a good idea to use your cell phone inside a beehive. Oh, and the report also speculates that it might be bad for the bees, too.

HP’s new WiFi Mobile Mouse only needs a computer with an integrated adapter for operation. With up to nine months of battery life, it has 5 customizable buttons, a 4-way scroll wheel and a range of up to 30 ft.

In honor of its second to last voyage, the six STS-134 astronauts posed for a reenactment of the 2009 Star Trek movie poster. You can see more NASA personnel paying tribute to films like Reservoir Dogs and The Matrix. I can't believe they totally ignored "The Stars My Destination".

Plants vs. Zombies fans who don’t have an iPhone can rejoice as it is coming out for Android by the end of the month. The PopCap game comes with a price of $2.99, but head for Amazon’s Appstore on May 31 and you can get it for free!

Fans of the virtual marketplace Steam will be happy to know that they are now offering a Daily Deal. Up to 75% comes off the top of the price of each game for a 24 hour period.

The certified PlayStation phone is almost here and Verizon will launch it May 26 for $199.99 with a two-year contract. The Xperia Play comes loaded with Android and six games, and supports multi-player gaming. Future versions may include the ability to make a phone call.