Intel's sand fest faces sandstorm

WE'RE STAYING at the Celebrity Hotel - hey, come on, we're the toast of Whackypedia, the world+dog knows that. And there are some startling innovations here in Old Beijing.

For example, they change the carpet in the lift every day so that when you get woken up by the Intel Autobot every morning, desperately hungover, at least you know what day it is.

The Intel wi-fi is down - Charlie D explains that there's not enough channels and too many people for it not to crash. I ponder why there isn't a working WiMAX demonstration system setup here to avoid these kind of problems.

The Intel documentation tells us that a sandstorm is due here in Beijing any day now. The local Intel guy advises that we should all wear sunglasses but we can't see a roomful full of Ton Ton Macoute style international hacks. Yet.

International PR guy David Dickstein is here. We asked him where his xylophone is. At US IDFs he always made announcements by tapping out the Intel tune beforehand. Alas, apparently some light-fingered tea leaf nicked it. Heck. No wonder the wi-fi doesn't work.

Rupert G tells us it's time for the British hacks to formulate our equivalent of Moore's Law for drinking at IDF. Currently the British hacks are underperforming, especially compared to the German contingent. Our reputation as the rude boys of world journalism is slipping very badly. µ

* RUMOUR IS Bill Gates is in town Wednesday. And Hector Ruiz too? Dunno about that one yet.

Monday

Tuesday

Here be dragons. Sorry horned lions.
Oh, and the Rogister lads Ashlee and Smitty. In reverse order.