Facebook Founders Reportedly Fight Over Spotify [Spotify]

By Mat Honan Oct 14, 2011 6:05 PM 14,086 13

The New York Post is reporting that Facebook founders Mark Zuckerberg and Justin Timberlake Sean Parker had a boozy sissy fight over whether or not Spotify (a company Parker invests in) should make Facebook a requirement.

The Post says that the pair got in an "alcohol fueled" argument after the Spotify launch, citing an anonymous source:

According to the witness, "Sean argued that all Spotify users should not be forced to sign up for a Facebook account, but Mark wouldn't budge. It was a full on screaming match outside the club, but stopped short at coming to blows. They then stormed off in different directions." The partnership has boosted Spotify subscribers but irked some who don't want their music choices broadcast on Facebook.

The Facebook requirement was a horrible decision for Spotify's users. So if this story is true (and Parker seems to offer some validation that it's at least partially true) it could indicate that Parker and Spotify were forced into the Facebook-required stand by Zuck.

Maybe if they'd all just gotten blunted with Snoop, as Timberlake Parker is wont to do, it never would have happened.

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These Giant Robot Arms Are the Future of Fight Club [Video]

By Andrew Liszewski Oct 15, 2011 11:00 AM 1,117 11

The battling bots in Hugh Jackman's Real Steel look far too CG to get me excited over the idea of programmed pugilists battling to the death. But this real life set of giant, tele-operated robotic arms are without doubt the future of televised combat. And probably handy for doing real work too.

Built by Salt Lake City's Raytheon-Sarcos, the massive arms are attached to a modified Ditch Witch making them fully mobile, and are controlled by a human operator who's strapped into what's often referred to as a Waldo system. The operator's shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand movements are all translated to the robotic arms in real time, requiring absolutely no previous training. And the rig even provides force feedback as the user moves, so they know when the arms have lifted something particularly heavy, or hit something immovable.

Unfortunately the limited imaginations of the engineers who built the arms see it primarily being used in dangerous working conditions, even being remotely operated from miles away in situations that are inhospitable to humans. But I predict it won't be long until we see a couple of these battling it out in a back alley. [KSL News Utah via Geekologie]

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Police Officer Tases Teenager in the Face to Stop a Fight [Video]

This is outrageous. Officers in London, Ontario approached this fight this Thursday with the hope of stopping it. The response was to tase the youth in the face. In what world is that appropriate?

The London police are already conducting an investigation into the matter, but you can already hear the outrage on the part of the witnesses at the scene. I love that the "Don't Tase Me, Bro" lesson keeps needing to be taught. [Daily Mail]

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World's Largest Water Balloon Fight Looks Incredibly Fun [Video]

The Christian Student Fellowship at the University of Kentucky organized what may be the world's largest water ballon fight; beating out previous efforts.

The event used 175,141 water balloons and involved 8,957 people. Judging by the video, everyone had a fantastic time. [UKCSF via Laughing Squid]

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Businesses Have to Fight to Stay Open on Google [Google]

You're a coffeeshop barista, and today you're ready for the rush. Apron on, you open the doors to welcome the deluge of customers. Except today, it's a trickle. But why? Maybe because Google says you've gone out of business.

As the New York Times reports, the scenario outlined above is surprisingly—and disappointingly—common, and likely the dirty work of competitors looking for a quicker buck. For a store or business to be listed as closes, all one needed to do is report it to Google on Google Place's "Report a Problem" section. Then, after a seemingly nonexistent vetting process, Google will list you as"Permanently Closed" for all to see. Even if you have a special coming up on Belgian waffles. Not cool.

Meanwhile, businesses will often have no idea this happened unless they check themselves. Some have had luck fixing the issue. Others haven't. According to the NYT:

The owner of a closed business, and customers who know better, can click on a button marked "not true," which appears by all "reportedly closed" and "permanently closed" listings. In some instances, owners say, a business will "open" shortly thereafter. But other owners, like [Charlene Cowan, who owns and operates Macademia Meadows Farm, a bed-and-breakfast in Naalehu, Hawaii], say that the button doesn't work, or that it takes a week to have any effect. Still others say that immediately after clicking the "not true" button, their business is immediately "closed" again.

Google has responded recently by alerting owners if their businesses have been permanently closed on Google Places. It shouldn't have been this easy to shut down a shop in the first place. [NYT]

Image Credit: Steve Byland/Shutterstock

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