Gizmodo: putin

Proof That a Camera 'Round the Neck Makes Anyone Look Like a Tourist

John Mahoney — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:00:00 EDT

Yep, that's a disguised Vlad Putin in his carefree KGB days, ready to pop the Gipper if necessary with what is surely a camera gun of some kind. [Hot Joints - Thanks, Trina!]

Putin to Dell CEO: 'We don't need help. We are not invalids.'

Adam Frucci — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:10:42 EST

Michael Dell thought he was extending the olive branch to Russian prime minister Vladamir Putin when he offered IT help. Putin didn't take too kindly to the offer, to say the least.

It all went down at the official opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos Putin gave a 40-minute speech and then opened the floor up to questions. Michael Dell bit first, giving props to Russia for its scientific and technical prowess before asking "How can we help" to expand IT in Russia." Oops.

Putin's withering reply to Dell: "We don't need help. We are not invalids. We don't have limited mental capacity." The slapdown took many of the people in the audience by surprise. Putin then went on to outline some of the steps the Russian government has taken to wire up the country, including remote villages in Siberia. And, in a final dig at Dell, he talked about how Russian scientists were rightly respected not for their hardware, but for their software. The implication: Any old fool can build a PC outfit.

Oh, snap. Michael Dell then reportedly curled up in a ball under his table and wept quietly. [CNN Money]

Vladimir Putin Tests Russian GPS on His Own Dog

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:15:28 EDT

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been pushing for a Russian satellite navigation system known unfortunately as GLONASS, and yesterday the system had its first launch: a tracking collar for the PM's dog, a black labrador named Koni. According to Putin, "She's wagging her tail, she likes it."

GLONASS has had difficulty getting up and running: it was supposed to be fully operational by the beginning of 2008, but delays and repairs have forced the 24-satellite system's worldwide availability back to the end of 2009. It will be working for Russian territory by the end of this year, however. The AP helpfully reminds us that while Russia's satellite navigation tool may be, um, really late to the game, they were the first to put a dog in space. Unhelpfully, the AP doesn't make even a single Yakov Smirnoff joke. Help them out, commenters! [AP]

Polonium Pen a Pocket-Sized Must-Have for Anti-Putin Russians

AddyDugdale — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:19:08 EST

Those of you who fear they've got on the wrong side of Vladimir Putin just might find the Polonium Pen a must-have. Basically a hand-made ion chamber with LED read-out, the Polonium Pen will sniff out excessive doses of the radioactive element in your cocktail, dim sum, or caviar when held over the suspect glass or dish.

There are a few downsides, though. Firstly, the Polonium Pen is extremely fiddly to make. If the wire probe that feeds into the ion chamber touches anything remotely conducive, it won't work. Secondly, the electronics must be shielded by a metallic cover to keep them safe from stray electric fields. And thirdly, the ion chamber is so small that only significant amounts of radiation can be detected. That swings it, then. [TechLib via Hack a Day]