I’ll believe this when I see it: there are reports that the death grip phenomenon is actually the result of a software error. I’d heard this going around yesterday, but the more specific issue seems to be that the device goes to no signal mode when it should just be switching frequencies. And holding the phone in the “wrong” position aggravates this tendency.

Super Mario Cross Over is now ever so slightly improved including the addition of Ryu from Ninja Gaiden as well as a new NES sound emulator. The creator posted a full Changelog for your edification.

To play, simply bring up an Excel report and place it on your desktop. Then turn down your speakers or connect headphones and open this website in a separate window. Then, when your boss comes by, pause the game and swap back to the Excel spreadsheet. Repeat until 5pm.

The Australian government has signed an $11 billion deal with the country’s largest telco, Telstra, to acquire the telco’s physical infrastructure and migrate customers to the National Broadband Network. The NBN is a 100Mbps open access fiber network that will be rolled out to 94% of the Australian population, with wireless and satellite to cover the remainder. The deal marks a large step forward for the new network, as without a deal to bring Telstra’s customers onboard, the NBN’s viability was in question.

Apple’s stealth security fix, included along with the recent Snow Leopard 10.6.4 update. Graham Cluley of Sophos first noticed the update to protect Mac computers from a Trojan, and the fact that Apple didn’t mention it in the release notes. The malware opens a back door to a Mac that can allow attackers to gain control of the machine and snoop about on it or turn it into a zombie. “You have to wonder,” writes Cluley, “whether their keeping quiet about an anti-malware security update like this was for marketing reasons.” While he certainly has a point that Apple benefits by its users’ belief that the platform is secure, you also have to wonder whether any such publicity from a security company has a marketing subtext, as well.

A group of inmates at the Huai’an Internet Addiction Treatment Centre decided they’d had enough of the ‘monotonous work and intensive training.’ Working together, they tied their duty supervisor to his bed and made a run for it. The 14 patients, aged from 15 to 22, hailed a taxi to take them to a nearby town — but were uncovered when the driver took them to the police station instead, suspicious of the identically dressed young men who were unable to pay the fare

Chemists with the U.S. military have developed a set of ultra-strength cleaners to be used in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. The formulas are reportedly tough enough to get rid of nerve gas, mustard gas, radioactive isotopes, and anthrax. But they are also non-toxic, based on ingredients found in foods, cosmetics, and other consumer products.

Two prominent women in the Australian IT industry are in a bitter dispute over the ownership of the trademark ‘geekgirl.’ A woman attempting to use ‘geekgirl’ on Twitter told ZDNet that women had been advised by the trademark owner to stop doing so since she owned the trademark for the word. ‘She noted her trademark and asked me to stop calling myself a “geekgirl” in general conversation and to cease using the hashtag “#geekgirl” on Twitter,’ IT consultant Kate Carruthers said.

Australian customs officers have been given the power to search incoming travelers’ laptops and mobile phones for porn. Passengers must declare whether they are carrying pornography on their Incoming Passenger Card. The Australian government is also planning to implement an Internet filter. Once these powers are in places, who knows how they will be used.