It was a strange week all right. Google's Buzz social media service continued to garner attention, and not in a good way. Intel and Nokia announced yet another oddly named mobile operating system. Barbie (yes, the doll) got a new job. And in perhaps the weirdest news of all, Microsoft unveiled mobile software that garnered mostly wows from the bloggerati. Was it all just a dream? Test your connection to reality by acing our quiz. Correct answers earn you 10 points. No asking 12-inch-tall plastic beauty queens for help. Ready? Then begin.
1. After receiving an earful from ticked-off Gmail users, Google made key changes to its Twitterish social email tool, Buzz. Which of the following is not one of the changes it made?
a. Turned the "auto follow" feature into "auto suggest"b. Created a separate control panel for Buzzc. Decoupled Buzz from Gmaild. Made it easier to opt out entirely
2. Microsoft has unveiled the next, eagerly awaited successor to Windows Mobile 6.5 (OK, "eagerly" may be too strong a description). What's its oh-so-scintillating name?
a. Windows Mobile 6.6
b. Windows Phone 7 Series
c. WiPhone 7.0
d. Windows WeeGo 7
3. Microsoft's new phone interface received gushingly positive reviews after its debut. Which of the following is not one of its features?
a. Integrated Zune music player
b. Access to Xbox Live
c. Real-time updates from Windows Live, Facebook, and Twitter
d. Multitouch pinch-to-zoom
4. Nokia and Intel are teaming up on, yes, yet another mobile operating system. What's this one called?
a. MeeGo
b. YuuGo
c. HeeGo
d. DayGo
5. Mattel just revealed Barbie's 126th career change. What new job does the world's favorite blonde have now?
a. Arc welder
b. Astronaut
c. Computer engineer
d. "American Idol" judge
6. Director Kevin Smith caused a Twitter storm this week. What was he tweeting about?
a. His new movie, "Cop Out"
b. His new movie, "Fat Boy"
c. Being tossed off a flight because he was too fat
d. His affection for Twinkies
7. "I was as surprised as anyone that this was occurring. I write essentially 7,000 words every week for the blog and for the paper and all that stuff. As soon as I saw, I guess, like six examples, I said to myself, 'Man what an idiot. What I was thinking?'" Who was surprised to discover he was a plagiarist?
a. TechCrunch blogger Michael Arrington
b. Scobleizer blogger Robert Scoble
c. New York Times blogger Zachery Kouwe
d. The entire staff of Examiner.com
8. A new Website announces to the world when you're not at home. What's it called?
a. Come On In
b. Please Rob Me
c. Take My Life Please
d. Mi Casa es Tu Casa
9. A Washington, D.C., think tank conducted a mock 12-hour attack against our nation's IT infrastructure this week. What was that operation called?
a. Cyber ShockWave
b. Cyber911
c. CyberShock 2010
d. Operation Chinese Laundry