Posted by Bob Mackey
If you have pets, then you probably know how much those little buggers love to mess with our precious and expensive electronic devices. And out of all the monsters we allow into our homes, cats seem to be the most devious infiltrators of human technology. To a cat, an unattended computer keyboard is an invitation to mischief; I'm sure we've all been subjected to friends sending us instant messages that read "nhmjmk,hhknh" because Mr. Boots decided to take a nap in an unsuitable area. Even I've been subjected to these feline pranks; once, I got involved in a two-week online relationship with a girl who turned out to be a Calico. An underage Calico. You try explaining that to the FBI.
Fortunately, a solution to this problem exists--and it appears to be as old as the Internet itself. PawSense, a simple windows application, is an adorable way to prevent keyboard input from both non-humans and people without fingers; the program can detect cat-like typing (yes, go ahead and click that link) and restrict access to even the most compute-savvy yarn fiends out there. And if you're wondering just what the hell this has to do with video games, think of what's at stake every time you get up to go to the bathroom during a game of WoW. Note: I'm hoping that you get up to go to the bathroom when you play WoW.
There are also cat-typing scenarios with much more dangerous consequences, as seen at 6:58 in the educational video below.
This product may have existed for eight years (the web design is a testament to that), but I'm still waiting for a way to protect my computer from those gangs of babies that roam the Midwest. Here's what PawSense has to say about that:
We are looking at that issue right now. BabySense(TM) may be available for sale soon.
I'm still waiting. Until this is no longer an issue, I'm afraid I must remain a prisoner in my own computer chair. I fear the interlopers.
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About Bob Mackey
For a brief period of time I was Bull from TV's
Night Court, but some of you may know me from the humor column I wrote for Youngstown State University's The Jambar, Kent State University's The Stater, and Youngstown's alternative newspaper, The Walruss. I'm perhaps most well-known for my bi-weekly pieces on Something Awful. I've also blogged for Valley24.com and have written articles for EGM, 1UP, GameSpite and Cracked. For all of my writing over the years, I have made a total of twenty American dollars. It's also said that I draw cartoons, which people have described with words such as "legible." I kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby and am looking to do so again in the future.
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