Watercooler Stories

Internet phone service offers lie detector

ROSH HA'AYIN, Israel, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Lie-detection software developed by an Israeli company has been added as an optional feature of Internet phone service Skype.

The Kishkish lie detector, developed by BATM of Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel, is a free download that users can attach to their Skype programs to analyze the truthfulness of statements made by callers, The Daily Mail reported Monday.

The software's inventors claim the program analyzes the stress levels in speakers' voices, rating the level of stress and probable truthfulness on a scale of 1 to 100.

"This is a really neat application and the kind of thing we want to see more of," said Paul Amery, director of Skype developer program. "The Kishkish team has managed perfectly to integrate this unique application to meet the needs of our clients."

"Lie detector is the latest in a variety of products in our premium add-on program which greatly enhance the Skype communication experience," said Zvi Marom of BATM. "Extras are all about helping end users do more with Skype, and this will certainly encourage it."

Charity dummies lack licenses

SIDMOUTH, England, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The East Devon District Council in England said two mannequins used to collect charity donations may have to cease their work because they lack licenses.

A resident of Sidmouth complained to the council that the mannequins, nicknamed Sid and Alma, act illegally by collecting donations for the local lifeboat without the proper collector's license required by law, The Daily Mail reported Monday.

A spokesman for the council said an investigation is underway to determine the legality of the dummies' charity work.

Sidmouth Lifeboat Secretary Philip Churchill said the complaints are "absurd."

"The dummies are incredibly important to us and provide a significant part of our income," he told the Daily Mail.

"If they went, we would have extreme difficulties replacing that income. We rely on these collections.

"Visitors have their photographs taken with them -- they are a good tourist attraction."

LA residents get taste of winter

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Hollywood celebrities and affluent residents of Los Angeles have shelled out thousands of dollars for "snow jobs" -- artificially created winter wonderlands.

Freddy Rymond, an employee of Newhall Ice Co., said the company covers the lawns of clients with icy chips discharged by a snow-blowing device at a cost of $160 per ton, The Washington Times reported Monday.

"This is our minimum, about $1,000," Rymond said. "It can run to about $30,000. Most of our jobs are between 20 and 30 tons. It's getting more popular every year."

Rymond said the snow lasts only a couple of hours.

"The appeal is not having to shovel it. You can play in it in the warm weather. When we're tired of it, we just go in the house and forget it," he told the Times.

The company's client list includes actresses Pamela Anderson and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

"We do it for the studios, for anybody," he said. "On the weekends, we do about 30 a day."

Non-consumers approach year mark

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A group of San Franciscans who swore off buying new products is nearing the end of the first year of their project and they have no intention to quit.

The Compact, a group of 10 friends who vowed not to buy anything new in 2006 -- save for food, health and safety necessities and underwear, is nearing its one-year goal and members have said they plan to continue on for another year, The Washington Post reported Monday.

The group buys clothes and goods from swap meets, thrift stores, vintage shops, Internet sellers and other sources of used items.

Members of the group told the newspaper not everyone sees the virtue in what they do. They have been accused of being anti-American and attempting to destroy the country's economy with their lifestyle, they said.

"I think it upsets people because it seems like we're making a value judgment about them," Shawn Rosenmoss, an environmental engineer and father of two, told the Post. "When we're simply trying to bring less ... into our house."