What could be more compelling than documenting the lives of characters from the video game The Sims? Okay, it doesn't sound all that compelling, and there are many examples on the web of it being done poorly. But once in awhile someone comes along and does something that seems like a bad idea in such spectacular fashion that it truly becomes noteworthy.

Alice and Kev is a blog by Robin Burkinshaw that documents the lives of two characters he created in The Sims 3, the latest iteration of Electronic Arts' blockbuster game franchise. The two characters are a father and daughter, and Burkinshaw decided that to make things interesting he would give his characters some real challenges, such as homelessness and in the case of the father, Kev, insanity.

The resulting story is somehow both heart-rending and hilarious. Burkinshaw's blogging style is almost entirely graphical, with occasional pithy comments thrown in. The few comments he includes give the story life, and the characters really do feel all too real.

Reading the comments for each update is almost as entertaining as the posts themselves; Alice and Kev have a huge following, and an average post results in 100 or more comments by people who seem to genuinely care about this duo, and the other characters they are involved with.

It's an inspired bit of storytelling, a bit of a surprise given the usual fare when it comes to Sims blogging.

[via Boing Boing]

According an online survey/test performed by a group called IQLeague, MacPPC users who browse the interwebs with Firefox are the smartest web users alive.

Alexander Uslontsev says:

"IQLeague guys have some kind of online IQ test on their site and they group IQ scores of all visitors by different geographical locations (city, country, etc.)

Here is an interesting part - they also group IQ Scores by referrer website and by client browser and operating system."

MacPPC Firefox folks have an average 104.35 IQ, whereas those who use Firefox on Windows 98 have an average IQ of 91.66. Hey, what's wrong with Windows 98? We know plenty of smart people who still rock on the W98. Ok, maybe one. And we swear they're super smart.

What else did IQLeague uncover? Those that use Internet Explorer on Windows NT are smarter than those that use Internet Explorer on Windows XP.



Iz u smart? - Take the test yourself!

[hat tip to boing boing]

Boing Boing posted a link to an amusing little video called Supermarket 2.0. The acting's nothing too special, and I can't help but wonder how this supermarket stays open with just 3 customers. But the concept is pure geek comedy gold. The store is completely web 2.0 compliant.



There are tags on all the products (H20, transparent, etc for water), RSS feeds for the eggs, and user comments on the milk. You can buy your products "Pandora-style." Just start with one object at the clerk will suggest other products you might want. Everything is free, but you have to accept a chocolate chip cookie for tracking purposes.

We'd make some point about whether we would actually put up with some of these practices in real life (such as allowing customers to examine your purchasing habits and buy items for you off your wishlist), but this is just a joke. Right?

With every launch of a new Microsoft operating system comes two things:

1. New error messages
2. A new ubiquitous advertising campaign.

Apparently fed up with the new "Wow" advertising campaign that has hit the streets of Prague, Czech painter Jeremiah Palecek created a set of print-your-own Vista error message stickers. He's designed an easy to print sheet so that users can buy a pack of labels, run them through the printer, and then go out and retake the streets (not that he, or we here at Download Squad condone vandalism in any way).

The error message on the stickers? Windows Vista's most baffling communication: "Error: The operation completed successfully."

[via Boing Boing]

We've been bemoaning the DMCA a lot around Download Squad lately, but here's a tale with a happy -- if schadenfreude -- ending. Michael Crook has become famous around the blog-o-sphere; As a thorn in the side of some high profile blogs.

It all started when Crook landed in the hotseat on the popular Fox News Channel's Hannity and Colmes for his hoax web campaign to reduce the pay of US Troops. Later, when Crook pulled another Internet hoax, scamming personals browsers on Craigslist, screen captures of his earlier appearance made the rounds on a slew of blogs. Crook sent DMCA takedown notices to ISPs hosting blogs which posted screen captures of his appearance; Pictures Crook didn't own the rights to. Nevertheless, he succeeded in using the DMCA to bully and harass bloggers, establishing himself a third time as a first rate Internet griefer. The Troll who would be King.

Sweet justice to see him apologize live before a camera as part of the court settlement. Now, if only we could get a few Viacom executives to do the same. Here's a deal; You bring the execs, I'll bring the camera, capiche?

Today, October 3, has been declared the International Day Against DRM, a day for those who believe DRM is no good for consumers, no good for business, and no good for artists and other content creators to stand up and say no. DefectiveByDesign.org is your Day Against DRM headquarters and has ten things you can do today to spread the word, and Boing Boing has even more. Even if you don't think DRM is so bad, today is a great day to step back, think about how you use digital media, and learn more about digital rights management and how it affects you and how it will in the future. Viva la educación!

Some of the news that's fit to blog from around the world and throughout the day. Here's your daily bits of news...

• A new community tech preview of Vista should be coming out "in a few weeks" according to Josh's Windows Weblog.
• Speaking of Microsoft, you can download a trial version of BizTalk Server 2006 if you're into that sorta stuff.
• BetaNews reports MobiTV is partnering with Microsoft to bring its services to Windows Mobile and XP. Which means Windows DRM and codecs for everyone, hooray!
• BoingBoing links to an analysis of what .COM domains are left unregistered. I'd say there's one obsessive-compulsive with one less thing on his to do list, but this is great info.
• There's a great link on digg on 10 ways to optimize Firefox. Does it work? On my Mac, not really, on my PC, yeah, mostly.
• PaidContent notes C|net has started a college-oriented site called CollegeLive. Facebook is still crying in the corner, unable to comment.
• Sales and Marketing has a nifty piece on "The World According to Google." Worth a read, even if it's a little fluffy. Let's face it, but for the grace of Google goes online marketing...
• And Om Malik says what we all feared, MySpace is hotter than we wish to believe. He calls it "the new black." Heaven help us.

Again, if you have news, send it to our tips page.