Overnight Open Thread

StartingPage performs Google web searches with privacy. Long live StartingPage.

Every time you use a regular search engine, your search data is recorded. Major search engines capture your IP address and use tracking cookies to make a record of your search terms, the time of your visit, and the links you choose - then they store that information in a giant database.

Those searches reveal a shocking amount of personal information about you, such as your interests, family circumstances, political leanings, medical conditions, and more. This information is modern-day gold for marketers, government officials, hackers and criminals - all of whom would love to get their hands on your private search data.

I wonder how they can do that. I can't imagine Google is cool with it. Here is the StartingPage search page.

Five scientific reasons the Dark Side will always win. Number five: "The color black is scientifically proven to intimidate people."

A different kind of war porn. I've linked this before, but it's cool enough to mention again. It's a promotional video for MineWolf demining systems. Pretty exciting for a promotional video.

I tried to think of a theme for tonight's ONT, but notice was short. But then it hit me like Anderson Cooper: Dogs. Dogs and video games. You know, since they're thematically related.

Dogs love them some Gwen Stefani:

But. German Shepards hate Gwen Stefani:

There has to be at least a hundred of these videos. It started with the first one, the husky with the beautiful voice. Others took note of the video and tried it out on their dogs. It worked, and it became an internet meme. Because, apparently, dogs do love Gwen Stefani.

Here are several video games. With the exception of De-Animator, they're from Neave Games. He does excellent work. The re-creations are faithful to the originals. My favorites are Asteroids and De-Animator, but mostly De-Animator. One time I scored 100. That was good enough for a screencap:

Tic-Tac-Toe

Snake

Frogger

Asteroids

Bum Lee's De-Animator. (Aim with your cursor. Left click to shoot. Shift to switch between weapons--after you find them.) Many more interesting things at his site.

Fox and turtle. (Like that transition? Smooth, like MD-2020.) I picked fox and turtle because it fits right in with tonight's theme. The sound the the fox makes is frustration, since the turtle won't come out. At least, the owner says so at the end.

posted by rdbrewer at 10:00 PM

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